After leaving the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week to tend to family issues, Lamar Odom is having his commitment and effort questioned by head coach Rick Carlisle and the Mavs organization. Carlisle was asked on his weekly radio show about Odom, who will reportedly play one game in the D-League before returning to the team, and had this to say (via ESPN Dallas):
Lamar Odom On Thin Ice With Dallas Mavericks, Rick Carlisle
“Mark asks a fundamental question of anybody in our franchise: Are they in or are they not in?” Carlisle said. “Our fans want to know that Lamar’s in. Our players want to know that Lamar’s in. It’s not about how many points he’s scoring or rebounds; those things are a factor. Our fans, our players want to see the guy playing like his pants are on fire and we haven’t seen that so far and that’s got to change.”
Odom is also hearing it from his teammates, who have taken to the media to question him as well. Jason Kidd told ESPN Dallas Odom's "going to have to earn" back his teammates' trust. Carlisle said he expects Odom to address the team before he returns to action. The entire story is chock full of quotes, and it's worth a click-through. So's this piece of genius, courtesy of @sundownmotel.
For more on Odom and the rest of the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.
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