Ron Artest has been the same over his brief Laker career. A brilliant defensive stop will be followed by a questionable shot that makes fans groan.
Both deserve their share of blame being inconsistent. But after their first two games against New Orleans, they also deserve plenty of praise for raising their game at the right time.
Odom scored 10 points with only one rebound in Game 1 but the day after winning Sixth Man of the Year, he upped it to 16 and seven in Game 2.
With Pau Gasol still struggling to find his offense, Odom once again did what he’s done all season. Spark the team, be aggressive and step up when asked to.
It’s something he’s done in spurts during his decade-plus in the league, earning him the label of a chronic underachiever and one of the best NBA players to never make an All-Star team.
But when he settled into his role and decided to excel instead of complain, the recognition finally came around. You could argue he was the second Laker worthy of the All-Star Game instead of Gasol after his first half performance.
Despite filming his reality TV show, he still produced during the Lakers 17-1 stretch after the All-Star Game while leading the revamped Lakers bench as one of the most productive in the league.
Now after being named the league’s top reserve, it further validates that this has been the best season of his career at a time where he’s found happiness in his personal life with his marriage.
For Artest, the great stretch of postseason play goes back to the NBA Finals against Boston. He scored 15 points in Game 6 and then everyone remember...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
