In 2004, The Los Angeles Lakers traded center Shaquille O’Neal to The
Miami Heat ending the on-again, off-again on-the-court marriage between
him and Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. One year later, The Lakers drafted a
new center in Andrew Bynum. Bynum came into The National Basketball
Association straight out of high school and at 17-years of age he was
the youngest individual to play in the league. Year by year Bynum has
improved his conditioning and his overall game as he is averaging 18
points and 12 rebounds this season. This season saw Bynum earn his first
All-Star selection as well. 
For years Bryant has kept The Lakers in
championship contention, but this season for the team to win another NBA
Championship it will come down to Bynum.
With the exception of The Chicago Bulls of the 90s or The Detroit
Pistons of the late 80s, most teams that go on to win The NBA
Championship have had a dominant player who can score on the interior.
The Lakers who have won 16 NBA Championships have always done it with a
post-presence. Big men such as George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, and O’Neal have helped The Lakers win titles. When The
Lakers repeated in 2009 and 2010, Bryant could rely on Paul Gasol on the
inside while Bynum was in the process of developing. With Bryant being
hobbled by a shin injury on his left leg, he may not be the player in
the postseason this season that he once was and the burden should be
placed on Bynum to carry The Lakers.
Bynum has at time looked like a bull in a china shop in the post as he
tends to “Deebo” people for whatever he wants. On April 11, The Lakers
visited The San Antonio Spurs without Bryant and Bynum grabbed 30 boards
in The Lakers 98-84 victory. Bynum has had six 30-point plus
performances this season including a 36-point performance against The
Los Angeles Clippers this month. At 24-years of age, Bynum appears to be
coming into his own. Bynum has worked with Abdul-Jabbar on his
technique and The Hall of Famer has made an impact on the young man from
New Jersey. Bynum is developing that “grown man strength” and he is
playing like a force. Bynum is alsodeveloping something that is key to
succeed in The NBA which is toughness. Bynum has six technical fouls
this season, including two in a loss this month to The Houston Rockets,
but he is showing teams that he is not a pushover.
In order to win The Western Conference, The Lakers face the possibility
of matching up against The Memphis Grizzlies and the forward Zach
Randolph, The Spurs and forward Tim Duncan, or The Dallas Mavericks and
forward Dirk Nowitzki. These big men all have different skill sets and
to get by these teams The Lakers will need Bynum to be a force and
dominate them. The Lakers have always been a team that is about winning
championships and title number 17 will be on the broad shoulders of
number 17.
Leave A Comment