Odom has scored in double-figures in 61 of his 67 games this season.
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New York, March 18, 2004 -- First, the coach
Lamar Odom thought was going to help him turn into an All-Star when he signed with Miami, Pat Riley, unexpectedly stepped away from the sideline and into the front office. Then, the HEAT opened up the season with seven consecutive losses, breaking the 80-point barrier only twice.
Odom’s dream of helping start the HEAT’s renaissance was turning into a nightmare.
“Our first game, I rolled the ankle that gave me problems when I was with the Clippers,” Odom remembered. “Then Dwyane Wade was in and out of the lineup with injuries. Brian Grant wasn’t completely healthy. Caron Butler wasn’t healthy. Man, it was hard.”
Fast-forward to today: Miami is healthy; Riley’s replacement, Stan Van Gundy, is proof his brother Jeff isn’t the only sibling endowed with powerful basketball genes; Odom has rejuvenated a career hamstrung by injuries and personal problems, averaging career highs in rebounds (9.9 rpg) and steals (1.09 spg) while scoring 17.1 ppg; rookie Dwyane Wade – the first rookie this season to earn Player of the Week honors -- and second-year player Caron Butler are healthy; veterans Eddie Jones and Brian Grant are combining for 26.4 ppg and 11.0 rpg; and peripatetic Rafer Alston and undrafted rookie Udonis Haslem have contributed off the bench or as spot starters.
Perhaps most surprising, the HEAT's future could contain a spot in the playoffs … this season. Miami (31-37) currently is the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with 14 games remaining and a very favorable schedule. And while the Heat is aware its lead over Boston is a tenuous one-half game, the players also realize they are only one-half game behind No. 6 Cleveland.
Alston has made at least one three-pointer in a team-record 34 straight games.
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“We’re taking it one game at a time and only looking in front of us,” said Alston, “because in the East, you could be the sixth today and in 11th place tomorrow; you could be in 11th today, win tomorrow, and all of a sudden you’re in sixth. You just keep looking ahead.”
Since the 0-7 start, the HEAT has gone 31-30. In its last 61 games, Miami is averaging 90.1 points on .428 shooting, while holding the opposition to 89.5 points on .433 shooting. During the season-opening losing streak, the HEAT averaged 77.9 points on .378 shooting, while opponent’s scored 91.6 ppg on .449 shooting.
“We improved our entire basketball game,” said Alston, who has made at least one three-pointer in a team-record 34 straight games. “Defensively, we were one of the worst teams and our shooting percentage was one of the worst. All of sudden, we turned all of that around. And we are winning games down the stretch.”
Odom said much of the credit for the HEAT’s turnaround goes to Van Gundy: “Coach is so good at what he does. I’ve never played for someone who knows stuff like a guy’s shooting percentage with the right hand, the percentage of a guy shooting with his left hand; how many times he drives right, how many times he drives left; his good habits, his bad habits. Coach Van Gundy is probably the best at preparation than any coach in the NBA.
That preparation has led Miami to four wins in its last five games, including three straight with victories over Seattle, New Jersey and New Orleans.
The HEAT currently has a six-game winning streak at home, where it is 23-12 overall. Of its remaining 14 games, 10 are against teams with losing records.
“We almost put ourselves in a hole we couldn’t climb out of," said Odom. “We really had to look each other in the eye and we fought out of that hole. I’d like to think we’re we’d be in the standings even if we had started 3-4. It was an early test for our team, though, and we survived it and we know each of us is a fighter and that we’ll never give up.”
That never-say-die mentality could cause problems for one of the high seeds Miami would meet in the first round should it reach the postseason for the first time since 2001.
“You’re not going to make playoffs and relax,” said Odom. “The object of making the playoffs is to win that round. Every team is susceptible to a loss.”
