The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Washington Wizards 118-102 on Saturday. It was the team's fourth game on a season-long eight game road trip. After a disappointing showing against the Indiana Pacers, LA put up 64 points in the second half against the Wizards for a comfortable win.

Though Kobe Bryant led the way with 39 points, Lamar Odom hit a number of big three-point shots that kept the Wizards at bay. Odom finished with 19 points and 11 boards.

Though Odom's rebound numbers have been strong since returning from injury, he has been inconsistent offensively. The two previous games (Boston Celtics and Pacers) he had scored just ten points a night, playing for more passively than the Lakers can afford.

Recovering from a sprained knee is a gradual process. Over time he'll become more physical which should translate to more play in the post.

Where Odom is underrated is on the defensive side of the ball. Through the 21 games that Odom sat out, the Lakers gave up 108.2 ppg. Before he went down and subsequently upon his return the Lakers are much stronger yielding just 98.3 ppg (27 games).

Correspondingly the Laker offense runs a little slower with Odom at 101.4 ppg, as opposed to 107.7 ppg without him, but Coach Phil Jackson acknowledged during the stretch an altered game plan to outscore their opponents. It wasn't lost on Jackson that LA couldn't stop anyone.

Looking at the point differential, the Lakers score 3.1 ppg more than their opponents with Lamar Odom . . . but 0.5 ppg fewer without him.

LA also misses Luke Walton who is an integral part of the team's offense. Kwame Brown has yet to recover from a sprained ankle and is off to Indiana for a second opinion. There are more factors at play than just Odom, but as his offense comes around his defensive impact on the squad is already significant.

With all the injuries, the Lakers have held their own with a 29-19 record, good for the sixth best record in the Western Conference.

With the victory over the Wizards, LA's record improved to 10-13. LA will visit the surging Atlanta Hawks on Monday before facing the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors back-to-back later in the week. The journey will conclude on Sunday in Cleveland against Lebron James and the Cavaliers.

Though Phil Jackson expressed a desire for the team to go 6-2 on the road trip, a .500 record may be more realistic.

Pau Gasol, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, etc
Certainly the Lakers would like to land that special player that would thrust them into the elite with the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks. Though a lot of big names are being bandied about on the rumor mill, the likelihood the Lakers land one is very, very small.

Considering LA won't part with Bryant, Odom and Andrew Bynum, the Lakers probably aren't willing to offer enough to do something dramatic.

For those debating whether the Lakers would or should give up Bynum, take a look at every ring the organization has won going back to the Minneapolis days. The Lakers have ALWAYS won with a dominant center (George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal).

Though other teams have won with a different formula, it's the one the Lakers adhere to. Bynum is young and somewhat inexperienced but LA is going to be patient as he comes along.

Should a team want a package of Kwame Brown (assuming his ankle checks out OK) and say promising rookie Jordan Farmar for the likes of Gasol or Kidd . . . hey it's probably open for discussion.

Just don't think GM Mitch Kupchak is sitting by the phone waiting for the phone to ring. Considering the complexity of the triangle offense the team probably won't make a lateral move . . . and Memphis in particular will probably get better offers than what LA is willing to make.

The Bottom Line
Odom's return has not been a panacea but Walton and Kwame Brown's eventual returns should help the Lakers regain their form. They may not earn home-court advantage in the playoffs but LA should be a very difficult opponent for any team.

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