Lakers' Lamar Odom gives a lot and they ask for more

Basketball critics and Lakers fans always want more from Lamar Odom.

They want more production, consistency, dominance -- just more, more, more.

And Odom, he just wants to play his game, the best way he knows how.

Odom is back in the NBA Finals with the Lakers, who play the Orlando Magic in Game 1 on Thursday night at Staples Center, and many still want more out of Odom because he's seen as a nightmare matchup for the Magic.

"They expect more, they want more from Lamar," said Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who also is an NBA analyst for ESPN and a minority owner of the Lakers. "When people look at Lamar, they see so much more in him. They see all that talent he has there and they are begging for more. That's a good thing."

Odom is a mild-mannered person, one who eases through life, a player who many teammates say has the biggest heart.

"Lamar is probably one of the nicest guys in the league," Johnson said. "Guys like him don't come around much. That's what I love about him."

When he was asked after practice Tuesday about people's expectations of more from him, Odom smiled and shrugged.

"It's motivation," Odom said. "It's a compliment at the end of the day. People like the way that I play. They want to see it at a high level all the time because it's enjoying to them."

Johnson said it was a joy to see Odom perform so well in Games 5 and 6 in the Western Conference finals against the Denver Nuggets.

In those two games, Odom averaged 19.5 points, 11 rebounds and shot 51.8% in 32 minutes.

"We saw the real Lamar Odom in the last two games," Johnson said. "He is a matchup problem in this championship series, because they don't have anyone that can match up with him."

There it is again, Johnson, like so many others, expecting and wanting more from Odom.

Odom will be asked to come off the bench to defend Rashard Lewis, Orlando's 6-foot-10 power forward who makes a living on the outside.

Many say the 6-10 Odom is more equipped to handle Lewis because of his size, quickness and versatility.

"The biggest matchup is the Magic versus the Lakers," Odom said. "But you have matchups that you want to work in your favor. For us, that's one of them, me versus Rashard. I've been watching a lot of film on him."

Odom has had a bruised back since Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against Houston but has played through his pain.