When most players are asked about an opponent they prefer to face, they usually stay pretty P.C. on the issue giving the “We don’t care who we play” line, or the “We’ll come out ready to play regardless of who the opponent is.” That’s kind of what I expected from Lamar Odom on the subject when he joined Tim Montemayor on Sporting News Radio. Instead, Odom volunteered that the Lakers wanted to face the Spurs in the Conference Finals:
To play against them is really significant for us — it’s a challenge that we’re ready for. We’re ready to compete at the highest level, to play our A-game every night, and may the best team win. We were rooting that the Spurs won the series.
I figure most people would associate wanting the Hornets as taking easy way out, even though New Orleans was the two seed. The Spurs are the veteran team, battle-tested, and full of playoff experience — they’re the defending champs. Odom’s comments that they wanted the Spurs makes me think the Lakers are playing with confidence and that they feel they want to knock off all the top dogs on the way to the title. Well, Lamar got his wish, now it’s on him to deliver the goods.
