Odom Isn’t Factoring In

As the Laker season begins to take shape, amassing more losses than victories through 12 games, it appears Lamar Odom is a ways from becoming Scottie Pippen.

Odom wasn’t a factor in Sunday’s overtime loss to New Jersey, making one of 11 shots in 46 minutes and ceasing to assert himself after a non-call in the first minute, issues brought up again after Monday’s practice.

Coach Phil Jackson, who called Odom’s performance a “major concern� on Sunday, suggested a day later that confidence was an issue as the scoring gap continued to widen between Kobe Bryant and Odom, the Lakers standing firm as the team with the largest discrepancy between its top two scorers.

Odom, long at odds with referees and letting them know it via glares and verbal protests, had problems a minute into the New Jersey game after he thought he was fouled by Net forward Jason Collins.

“Lamar goes to the basket and doesn’t get a foul call. Does that affect you?� Jackson said. “You can’t let that disappoint you, you’ve just got to keep playing through things like that because that’s how you show referees you’re going to be resilient.

“The first shot you make makes a difference in the game? We want to see our players play with a certain sense of freedom instead of hesitation and thought.�

Odom said his mood does not sway with the first shot he takes, or his final numbers on a particular night.

“You can’t take it game by game, lose your confidence or gain your confidence,� Odom said. “You know what kind of player you are. I know what kind of player I am.�

Odom, averaging 14.2 points to Bryant’s 34.2, has made only 55 of 137 shots (40.1%). Instead of hitting open 10-foot jumpers, he tends to take an extra dribble toward the basket and tries to get a seven-footer out of it, by that time attracting the attention of the defense.

“That’s a habit I’ve got to grow out of and have confidence in my mid-range game,� he said.

Odom arrived 45 minutes before practice Monday to work with shooting coach Craig Hodges. “I work on my craft,� he said. “I’m not lazy at all. I’m always in the gym, always working out. I’m strong. I can defend any position on the court. But when they’re not falling, they’re not falling. So you’ve just got to focus on making your shots fall.�

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Then there are the lingering problems of the rest of the team.

The Lakers made only 32 of 95 shots (33.7%) in Sunday’s loss, and had only 16 assists, a surprisingly low number for an overtime game.

“We’ve got to turn our mind-set, be playmakers for each other,� Jackson said. “I think selfish is a term you can use, it has negative connotations, but that’s where the individual steps into a vacuum instead of going for that group involvement that we’re trying to get. That’s how this offense works.�

The Lakers average 19.6 assists a game, 18th in the league.

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TONIGHT

at San Antonio, 5:30 PST, Ch. 9

Site -- SBC Center.

Radio -- 570; 1330.

Records -- Lakers 5-7; Spurs 10-3.

Record vs. Spurs (2004-05) -- 0-4.

Update -- Tim Duncan and Tony Parker remain one of the league’s best combos: Duncan is averaging 21.7 points and 11.9 rebounds, Parker 21.2 points and 5.7 assists. The Lakers’ four losses to the Spurs last season were by an average of 9.8 points.