After missing the first 24 games of the regular season while recovering from knee surgery, Andrew Bynum’s fourth game back coming off the bench was perhaps his most productive. He led all reserves with 16 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes of play.
It’s nice to see that Bynum has fit in nicely with the second unit, now the Killer B’s are complete—Brown, Barnes, Blake and Bynum.
Well not quite.
At least for the time being, until Bynum gets his explosiveness, timing and rhythm back he’ll play limited minutes while coming off the bench. It was previously reported that Bynum would immediately join the starting five upon his return, but this time around the Lakers are taking precautions with Bynum’s health, opting to bring him back slow in hopes he’ll finish the season strong.
The Lakers haven’t had the luxury of having Bynum at a 100 percent to end the season in a while, but want to make sure it happens this coming June.
Just ask the Celtics about the importance of having an inside presence during the last two games of the season. Actually, just ask Kobe Bryant or anyone else who dares recall the 2008 finals just how much a healthy big man can make or break a championship run.
“[Bynum’s] presence gives us more size, it gives us length,” Bryant said. “He makes a big difference for us.”
Next: Bynum’s slow comeback is not necessarily a set-back It’s easy to point the finger at the 7-foot-center considering prior to the Lakers’ win over the Raptors Sunday, Bynum hadn’t made a significant impact, but realize his last meaningful game was played on June 17th. A post first-quarter-of the-season game for the rest of the team is for all intents and purposes, Bynum’s training camp.
His first game back against the Wizards was decent, posting seven points, four rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 17 minutes. His next against Indiana was uneventful, playing 18 minutes and finishing the game with three points, three rebounds.
“My first couple of games, like I said, the game started moving fast because I had been out for so long,” Bynum said after Sunday’s win. “But now it feels like it’s slowing down a little bit. I feel a little bit more comfortable out there.”
Against the 76ers, Bynum played only 13 minutes contributing only three points and four rebounds. In fact, it was Lamar Odom who carried the Lakers on his shoulders posting a season-high 28 points in the Lakers’ victory over Philadelphia on 11 for 18 shooting.
This wasn’t the first time Odom has made an impact in favor of the Lakers this season, he is after all the perennial x-factor, but it may be the last time he does so—at least as a starter. While Odom has been on a tear since the start of the season, averaging a double-double and shooting at such a high percentage that he’s ranked 3rd among all players, once Bynum returns to regular season form, Odom will slide back into his role as the NBA’s top 6th man.
Next: Adding Bynum to the mix stabilizes the starting lineup
So wait, the Odom conundrum of inconsistency has finally been semi-solved and we’re going to reward the guy by giving him a starting role on the bench? Essentially, yes. It’s the way the Lakers have done it for the past two seasons, hanging up two back-to-back championship banners in the process. If it’s not broke, why fix it?
This is in no way diminishing Odom’s value as a starter, his contributions so far to start the season have been vital to the team’s success, but what Bynum brings to the starting unit creates a much bigger impact. More importantly it creates a much bigger headache and match up nightmare for the opposition.
Pau Gasol is the poster boy for finesse and headiness while Bynum (when healthy) is a tower of strength, a force to be reckoned with and the last line of defense against pesky guards trying to score or make plays for others in the paint at will. Together they form one of the toughest frontcourts in all of basketball, the perfect combination of brain and brawn that few teams can ever dream to emulate, let alone match-up against.
Not only do the Lakers bolster their starting five with size and strength, now add a player with a unique skill set in Odom to an already amped up second unit and you’ve got the most complete team in the NBA.
Next: The Lakers need Bynum for the long haul
While Bynum isn’t quite near where he needs to be physically to be the dominant center we all know he can be, it may take another four weeks or so until that starts to happen, Bynum is at least making progress.
Let’s not forget the immediate impact he made for Gasol, who had to play 40-plus minutes over the course of several games. Bynum’s return provides added depth to the Lakers, breathing new life into Gasol which will eventually pay dividends as the Lakers face several challenges during the weeks ahead.
Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when there’s another 7-footer out on the floor, especially when his 16 point contribution is on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and 8-0f-10 from the charity stripe. You can’t go wrong with an amalgamation of production and efficiency.
Although he did complain of a little soreness in his knee, there was no swelling and Bynum was quick to assure the media that it would be okay.
“Actually, my knee is a little bit sore today,” Bynum said. “I kind of felt a little pain when I double-jumped when I missed the layup and I went back up with the rebound. But it will be all right…I’ll just ice it all the way home and it should be good.”