The Clippers needed depth along the front line and signing Lamar Odom, just a couple years removed from being the Sixth Man of the Year, seemed like a good fit.
That is, if his head was in the right place and he wasn’t lost like he spent the last year with the Mavericks.
Apparently his head is doing pretty well, but his body is not in NBA shape quite yet and he didn’t play Wednesday night against Utah., as coach Vinny Del Negro told the Los Angeles Times.Del Negro said Odom’s knees are bothering him and that playing the 6-10 forward against the Jazz probably would have set him back.
“He’s got to work through some conditioning things and some health things right now, which he’s doing,” Del Negro said. “Yeah, I wish he was in a little bit better conditioning, and he wishes he was. But he’s just got to continue to work every day and I’m sure he’ll get there eventually.”The Clippers have the enviable duo of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to start, although Jordan was benched during the playoffs for large stretches in favor of Reggie Evans. That would be the Reggie Evans sitting on the bench in Brooklyn. The Clippers need depth up front, they need Odom in shape and with his head screwed on right.