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If you didn't know, Lamar Odom is not playing good basketball right now.
He's not even playing average basketball. Heck, most Mavericks fans would settle for mediocre basketball from the former Lakers forward.
Odom has shot 9-for-42 (21.4 percent) in his last eight games. His game has never been predicated on shooting, but he's also been aloof on defense, thrown careless passes and has regulated himself to spotting up on the perimeter and watching most plays.
To summarize: he's been awful. And 44 games in, it doesn't appear Odom is ever going to figure out. Which is a shame. There's a quality, efficient, productive player somewhere underneath the mess that is Odom this season and other NBA teams are going to be absolutely terrified to pick up Odom next year after the Mavericks (almost assuredly) will cast Odom off to make room to try and sign Deron Williams in the summer.
But don't tell Odom his season isn't lost, yet. Apparently, he's going to keep trying. Here's what Odom said at Mavericks practice on Monday (all quotes courtesy of MMB alumnus Bryan Gutierrez):
Odom: "I've got to understand that I can't get it back in one play...I just have to build up to some consistent play."
Odom on what he has to do: "I just have to go out there and try my damnedest."
Odom on how confident he is that he will get back in gear: "Very, very confident. I've still got ‘it.'... It's still there."
Odom: "It's just about playing now. What I went through, I went through. I'm in a good place now. I'm ready to just play basketball."
I appreciate Odom saying he's going to be committed and try to help this team. And Rick Carlisle once again poured out words of encouragement on Monday as well. But we've heard this now going on three months. If something was going to change with Odom, it more than likely would have already happened.
Perhaps I'm wrong. I hope I am, but Odom appears lost for this season. But, hey, at least he's saying he's trying now.