Odom: 2 baskets, 2 angles

This is why a town is best served by multiple voices.

Both columnists write about Lamar Odom, who had 20 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks and 7-for-10 shooting in the Lakers' game 1 victory over San Antonio but followed it up with 7 points, 11 rebounds, 5 turnovers and 2-for-11 shooting in their game 2 loss.

Dilbeck rips Odom as "the Most Frustrating Player in the NBA ... not a desirable tag," says he "can't be counted on," and describes Sunday's performance as "a complete mess."

Plaschke doesn't sugarcoat Odom's performance, but he gives the forward all kinds of credit for taking the blame for the defeat, and quotes Derek Fisher saying it's an example of how "everybody in here makes themselves themselves accountable." "Indeed," Plaschke writes, "if the Lakers eventually win a championship, Odom's postgame confessional Sunday will rank as one of the most important playoff moments."

What do you think? Should Odom get that much credit for taking the blame?

I wasn't there, so I'm just going by the quotes I read, but for me Odom's post-game mea culpa is meaningless.

"I put that one on myself," Odom said. "I put that one on myself. I take blame totally for this game.

"I don't know what I shot from the field, but it wasn't too good. I got to the free-throw line and didn't make free throws (3 for 8). Turned the ball over.

"That's not good enough. Especially on the road with this type of atmosphere, this type of intensity."

As if 2 for 11, 3 for 8 and 5 turnovers would be good enough under any circumstances. This is just a variation on the old "0 for 15 won't get it done at this level" bull that athletes are always spouting -- like 0 for 15 would win the City championship if you did it in high school?

For me to give him credit for a manly confession, Odom has to say not only that he played badly. He has to say why. Don't tell us about the results. Cough up the reasons.

Just once, I'd like an athlete to say: You know, I'm really not as good as I looked the other night; they just weren't guarding me very well. Or: I partied too hard after game 1, and it showed in game 2. Or: The other team adjusted its defense against me, and once again I'm too soft in the head to know how to react.

Of course, humans do have off nights, and maybe that's all there was to Odom's rough outing.

Then again, it looked too much like the old Lamar Odom. The inconsistent Lamar Odom who, before Pau Gasol's arrival seemed to settle him, would follow every good game with a bad one.

Before the Gasol trade, games in which Odom scored 20-plus points were followed by games in which he scored 9.0 points and shot 35.1 percent. With Gasol, Odom's 20-point games were followed by 17.0-point, 65.8-percent games. But that was before Sunday.

I'm not that impressed with Odom's further comments Monday, when he said (according to latimes.com) the answer to improving his play is to "dunk the basketball. ... Attack the rim a little harder. Finish at the free-throw line."

OK, so your strategy is to dunk more? Hey, mine too!

Sorry, Lamar, not everybody will let you off the hook that easy. The game 2 tally: 7 points, 0 for sounding as if you're shouldering the blame.