Recent reports indicate that Howard will likely be 100 percent for the first game of the season, but anything can happen in the coming weeks to prevent that from happening. The superstar center has said that he’s targeting the season-opener for his debut in purple and gold with training camp getting underway this week.
As for former Laker Andrew Bynum, the recently traded All-Star center may not be ready to make his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers with ESPN’s Marc Stein reporting via Twitter that Bynum will be out for the next three weeks:
Sixers announce they’ll take “precautionary measures” w/new C Andrew Bynum and hold him out three weeks to recover from recent knee surgery
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) October 1, 2012
One of the major concerns for the Lakers in terms of keeping Bynum was whether or not the first-time All-Star would be able to stay for the long-term. In the seven seasons he spent in Los Angeles, Bynum was unable to stay healthy for the majority of the time and was basically hurt or nowhere near 100 percent on an annual basis.
After coming up short in the NBA playoffs against the eventual NBA champion Miami Heat last season, the 76ers’ front office knew that changes needed to be made in order to compete with the best of the best in the Eastern Conference. Acquiring Bynum was considered a big step in the right direction for Philadelphia, but the injury problems may continue for the up-and-coming center.
Even though holding out Bynum is supposedly for “precautionary measures,” it’d be safe to say that the team and fans of the 76ers are already starting to get concerned about their newest All-Star addition.