3 Reasons Andrew Bynum Is the True MVP of 2012 NBA Playoffs

There's no question Kobe Bryant is still the best player on the Los Angeles Lakers, but he may no longer be its most valuable.

We know that this team can still get a few wins with Kobe sitting—it did just that in April when the Lakers won five out of seven games during a stretch without Bryant. Keeping that up in the postseason wouldn't be so easy, but it's still a reminder of how dangerous a team can be when it has a couple of All-Star seven-footers and a decent point guard.

Value is a hard thing to measure in any sport.

But, there are at least a few indicators that Bynum has become the most important individual factor for the Lakers' success.

Efficiency

Andrew Bynum's 23.00 player efficiency rating for the regular season was a bit higher than Bryant's at 21.95. Of course it's a bit easier for a big to be efficient—Bynum isn't the one asked to make plays and shoot his team back into a ballgame. The numbers can be misleading in that respect.

But they also speak to the importance of big guys who can get their points on high-percentage shots. Bynum is an explosive finisher who also has a nice touch in the post. He gives the Lakers' a source of steady, safe offense.

Bryant averaged more than anyone this season except for Kevin Durant, but it took him a lot of shots to get there. That doesn't mean those were bad shots, but there's much to be said for the fact that Bynum scored on 56 percent of his attempts compared to a 43 percent rate from Bryant.

Defensive Presence

As impressive as his statistical dominance may be, it's been his presence alone in Los Angeles's paint that differentiates the Lakers from so many teams.

Sometimes that size results in 10 blocks. Sometimes it means 30 rebounds.

But, it always means the Lakers have an imposing hulk between their basket and the opponent—someone who makes guards think twice about trying to mix it up in the paint.

Just ask Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson, who shot 3-for-11 in Game 1 against the Lakers.

Controlling the Glass

The Lakers were the second-best rebounding team in the league this season, and Bynum was the NBA's third-best individual rebounder. And while the Lakers' defense can't be credited to Bynum alone, it's worth remembering that Los Angeles held opponents to the seventh-lowest field goal percentage in the league.

Quite simply, outside of Dwight Howard, no center in today's game impacts a game as much as Andrew Bynum.

While Bryant is still the league's best shooting guard, centers of Bynum's status are just as irreplaceable. They take possessions away from the opposition and constantly force opponents to change their game plans.