Jackson wants more from Odom
Posted by GameSetMatch on 22nd April 2010
Throughout the season, the Lakers’ bench has been the target of criticism. But Wednesday, coach Phil Jackson was generally complimentary of how his reserves performed over the first two games of their first-round matchup against Oklahoma City.
“I have to give them credit,” he said. “They’ve held their own against the Oklahoma bench. We’ve really survived that well.”
Still, heading into Ford Center for Thursday’s Game 3, Jackson believes he’ll need better play from his bench players, starting with the most prominent member of the group. “I think Lamar [Odom] has to give us an imprint in the ballgame,” he said.
Through the first two games, Odom has scored a total of 11 points on only 13 attempts. Jackson believes Odom can have a far greater impact.
“It’s an understanding of what the game is. Opportunities are going to be in shots and little things like that and probably little pockets he finds to make penetration,” Jackson said. “He found a couple in the second half [of Game 2], or one for sure in the second half that looked like he had established the kind of game he plays.”
Click here to read the full article – By Brian Kamenetzky and Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com
Tags: Basketball, Lakers, Lakers Basketball, lakers news, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, nba playoffs, Phil Jackson
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