L.A. Times: Phil Jackson has picked out a leader for the Lakers’ reserves: Lamar Odom.
They’ve been an erratic bunch lately, but Jackson hopes he has found a Secretary of the Second Unit.
“I’ve asked Lamar to take a bigger leadership role,” the Lakers coach said Sunday. “I kind of called him out on it, pointed out to him in the second half of the game the other night about his leadership on the floor [Friday against Washington].
“I know he’s got some wild guys out there with him at times and it’s hard. . . . It’s tough for me, let alone Lamar.”
Odom was not happy about being removed by Jackson for unfocused play in the second half of the Lakers’ 106-104 victory over Washington, a snit that seemed all but forgotten by the time Sunday’s game against Milwaukee rolled around.
Both Jackson and Odom turned their attention to rehabbing the second unit, the primary culprit in coughing up so many large leads in recent games.
“We’ve had guys that come in and at times are looking to either pad their scoring average or try to play the up-tempo game when it’s not the right time,” Jackson said. “On the road, they’ve got to learn how to slow it down and exercise the options the offense gives . . . instead of just doing it off their speed and quickness and dribbling acumen.”
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