Lakers' Odom wins Kia Sixth Man of the Year award
The Los Angeles Lakers' Lamar Odom is the winner of the 2010-11 KIA NBA Sixth Man Award as the league's best player in a reserve role, the NBA announced today. Odom, the first Lakers player to win the award, came off the bench in 47 contests and appeared in all 82 contests.
Odom received 513 of a possible 585 points, including 96 of a possible 117 first-place votes, from a panel of 117 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. For the second consecutive season, Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks finished second with 244 points. Thaddeus Young of the Philadelphia 76ers finished third with 76 points.
In order to be eligible for this award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
Well-earned. If I recall correctly, his 35 games started is the most for any Sixth Man of the Year winner, though it obviously meets the criteria to be eligible and it's not quite the same as Bobby Jackson's win in 2003 when he started 26 of 59 games. I certainly don't think it should count against him, nor do I agree with the notion that a reserve that plays "starter minutes" isn't truly a reserve/sixth man and shouldn't be eligible, which is occasionally thrown out there. If a player comes off the bench, they are a reserve and as such, eligible to be honoured with the Sixth Man award.
A good sixth man is very likely to end up playing as many minutes as some starters (particularly if they can play a couple of positions), finish games despite not starting them and step into the starting lineup when needed. That certainly describes Odom's role with the Lakers and he's done a fantastic job of it this season.
It's great to see how far he has come since being traded for Shaq.
