Lamar Odom's recent absence from the Mavericks has some wondering about his future in Dallas and there is not yet word on when he will return to the club. However, a Mavs source told Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) that the team will not exercise its $2MM buyout on Odom for next season.
The forward is set to earn $8.2MM for 2012/13 in what will be his walk year. The 32-year-old recently took a leave of absence from the club to tend to a family matter.
Odom averaged 13.7 PPG and 9.5 RPG in his seven seasons with the Lakers but has put up just 7.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG so far this season with the Mavericks. The veteran has been seeing less playing time in 2011/12 but he has been far less productive than in years past, as evidenced by his career low PER of 9.8.
Whatever the reason(s) are, this just wasn’t a good fit for either (party). If the Mavs don’t make it back, it won’t be because of Odom, anyway. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% on how you react”. True professionals go out and get the job done regardless of the uniform..what happens on the court speaks the loudest.
True professionals play professionally. It’s as simple as that. LO is paid millions to play basketball, but that doesn’t make him any less of a human. He is not paid to change his personality, he’s paid to play basketball.
If you don’t like that concept, the only worthwhile action you can take is to stop watching professional sports. If you expect athletes to become people they are not because of a salary, than this business isn’t for you.
Sidenote: Nobody needs to know LO has a PER of 9.8. As i’ve said in the past, that stat is just a calculation of conventional stats. Anyone who follows basketball knows LO is having a bad year, and anyone who knows basketball realizes that it isn’t because of declining skills. That is precisely why stats will never tell the whole story, or even half of it.