Is Lamar Odom the answer for Lakers second unit woes?

December 9, 11:30 AMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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Lamar Odom of the Lakers

"Uneasy is the head that wears a crown". I'm sure that is what Lamar Odom would have said if he hadn't just finished a practice session and wasn't getting ready to hop a team flight to Sacramento.

Lamar was handed the crown, so to speak, and asked by coach Phil Jackson to be the leader of the team's second unit. It has lagged a bit and clearly isn't playing as well as it did in the beginning of the season.

On this latest road trip it was most prounounced in the second half of games with Indiana, Philadelphia and Washington when the group coughed up big leads. The Lakers lost to the Pacers on a last second tip-in at the buzzer and almost lost again to the Wizards when Caron Butler missed a three pointer with a few seconds left on the clock.

It was at that point that Jackson declared his intention to shake things up a bit. No one really knew what that would entail. The question was answered when he asked Lamar to ride herd on the youngsters.

Odom had already gone through a tough process of digesting the news that he was no longer a starter for the team but instead would be the sixth man and come off the bench. Initially it was hard for him and then as he always has in his career, he accepted his role and went at it with gusto. What media like about Lamar is his willingness to speak candidly about these kinds of things. Yesterday was no exception.

When asked how he felt about taking on the role of leader he said,

That's cool. It means communicating with each other. We can play better basketball".

When I asked if he had any discipline in mind for his teammates, he laughed and told the assembled media:

I won't beat them or anything. Sometimes when you're on the court you can't help but be loud.  We need to help each other, kick each other in the pants and push each other."

Jackson had already expressed some concern that Lamar's shots per game were down and consequently his scoring. Phil has routinely asked that Odom shoot more and pass less. How that will figure into his new role as the "Bench Mob" leader is unclear but what is certain is that Lamar takes it very seriously. He's that kind of guy.

The Lakers play at Sacramento tonight and are back at Staples Center on Wednesday to welcome the Big Cactus and the rest of the Phoenix Suns.