http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/108245132168570.xml Hornets should focus on slowing Odom Tuesday, April 20, 2004 John DeShazier MIAMI -- What to do with Lamar Odom? That's a question the Hornets had better answer. If they don't figure something out, the Heat's silky power-forward-with-small-forward-skills is going to give the Hornets more headaches than he ever gave his previous organization, the Clippers, in four injury -- and suspension-plagued years. It's New Orleans' misfortune that the 6-foot-10 Odom chose this season, his first with Miami, to have his best year. He presents the Hornets with a problem for which there may be no remedy. Few, if any, "4s" in the league have the versatility to defend Odom on the perimeter or can counter his ability to grab a defensive rebound and initiate the fast break. Odom can lead a defender out to the 3-point arc and break him down off the dribble to create open jumpers and layups for teammates or scoring opportunities for himself. He hurt the Hornets in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series, with 17 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a critical block in Miami's 81-79 victory Sunday night. And he's going to continue to hurt. "Basically, you just try to stay between him and the goal," said P.J. Brown, who will continue to draw the initial responsibility of shadowing Odom. "He's a point forward. He puts a lot of pressure on 4s like myself because he's a guy that can take a rebound and push it up the court like (Hornets point guard) Baron (Davis) or (Heat point guard) Dwyane Wade. He puts a lot of pressure on a defense that way. "He had a good game (Sunday) night. I thought I defended him well at times, but I think I can do a little bit better job. I'm going to try to keep him from going to his left, his strong side. He loves to drive to his left. He just does a lot of different things. "You definitely don't want him to relax. A guy like that, you want to make him work on both ends, and we've got to do a better job of that. So I've got to be looking to get down low a lot more and stay out of foul trouble." Simple? No. Actually, the Hornets made adjustments and made Odom a little less comfortable down the stretch. They shifted more attention to him, held him scoreless in the fourth quarter and forced him into two of his game-high seven turnovers. But, even when Odom was very bad, he was kind of good. His presence helped Wade (six points) and Rafer Alston (five) shake free for 11 of the Heat's 15 fourth-quarter points, including Wade's game-winning 10-footer with 1.3 seconds left. "Dwyane took over," Odom said. "Somebody's going to step up, (and) he was the one to do it. "I just play ball and try to pick my spots. I'm always going to be a driver, a jump shooter second, a playmaker first. That's just the way I have to make plays, by getting into the lane. "They've got to stop the Miami Heat. I'm going to make plays no matter what, from everywhere on the court. I don't have to become a scorer to be effective. I just make plays all around the court, (and) everything will fall in place." A free-agent pickup who was Miami's second choice (the Clippers matched Miami's offer sheet to power forward Elton Brand), Odom has become the Heat's first option. In his first regular season of exclusively playing power forward, he was the Heat's second-leading scorer (17.1) and leading rebounder (9.7), and had career highs in minutes played (3,003) and games played (80). "I think because . . . we don't have as many big men in the East as they do in the West, they'll put a guy like him at the 4 and utilize his skills like they have this year," Brown said. "He's helped them. That's definitely been, I think, the biggest key to their team, him playing that 4 position and being able to produce there." A key for the Heat. A headache for the Hornets. What to do? . . . . . . . John DeShazier can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3410. --

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