What Has Derailed Andrew Bynum From Becoming a Star?

Andrew Bynum has been one 7-foot mystery. The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bynum 10th overall in the 2005 NBA draft and yet he is still only 22 years old.

Bynum has improved every year he's been in the league but hasn't taken that next big step.

Bynum hasn't been a disappointment, but Laker fans expect so much of the giant. He's a dying breed of centers who play a back to the basket game.

He is a true center who can play in the post, defend the post, block shots, and rebounds.

Despite having these tantalizing skills, Bynum hasn't reached his full potential. Here are some of the reasons as to why Bynum hasn't become the star everyone expects him to be.

Injury Prone

Injuries happen in the game of basketball and Bynum could tell you he's had a few of those especially deal with the knee.

It's pretty scary for Laker fans to always see Bynum going down with a knee injury year after year.

These injuries would always appear at about halfway during the season.

Usually the rehabilitation process takes several months and that's just to return to basic activities like running/drills.

It then takes Bynum a while to get back into basketball shape and into a rhythm. This happened twice right before the season would end and the start of the postseason.

How is Bynum supposed to regain any semblance of dominance heading into the postseason?

Bynum's presence in the paint could have made a huge difference for LA when they faced the much more physical Boston Celtics two postseasons ago.

There's no way Bynum can continue to improve in strides if injuries continue to cut into the season and affect his postseason performances.

Star Teammates

Could Andrew Bynum play along side Pau Gasol? That was the big question when Bynum returned following the beating the Lakers received in the finals against the Celtics two postseasons ago.

Gasol is a very skilled and versatile 7-foot forward/center who has become the best big man in the game right now. He has become Kobe's Robin and plays that role perfectly.

How could two 7-footers play together if both of them get most of their points in the paint? Gasol is versatile enough to be able to play in the high or low post area, which has helped Bynum tremendously.

Bynum can only play in the low post and isn't effective away from the rim but Gasol on the other hand can consistently hit jumpers from 16-17 feet and has a great face-up game.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol have found a way to play off each other, but you have to wonder if Bynum would be more effective in the post by himself.

Everyone one got a taste of that feeling when Bynum manned the post by himself because of Gasol's injury in the beginning of last season. Bynum put up close to 20 and 10 in those games and looked dominant.

Bynum is overshadowed by Gasol and on the team, he's the third or fourth option. Kobe Bryant will get his shot attempts and so will Gasol but Bynum's attempts fluctuates from game to game.

This Lakers team is loaded with offensive talent and since Bynum isn't considered as a top two option on offense, his performances have been up and down.

Lack of Aggression

Laker fans have always harped on Bynum for not showing any emotion on the court. At times, it seems like Bynum doesn't care and his face would clearly show it.

Not wearing your emotions on a sleeve can be a good thing because it helps with the tense situations but there have been many great players who aren't afraid to express what their feeling (this is still basketball, not romance).

Centers are supposed to be intimidating and menacing, but all I see when observing Bynum is a gentle giant.

Everyone wants to see Bynum screaming his lungs out after dunking on someone or make a face like Kobe's unpleasant jaw/teeth showing.

Centers might look at Bynum's frame and shiver a little but then look at his face to reassure themselves that he can't hurt a fly (Gerald Wallace will tell you otherwise).

I'm not saying Bynum isn't tough but there would be times where I don't think his heart is into doing the right things on the court.

He's not aggressive on the boards at times and that hurt LA in some games last season. If you look at all the great players in the league right now, they are all aggressive.

Bynum can't be passive in certain aspects of his game if he wants to be considered a star in this league.

Inconsistent on the Defense End

This has been a troubling aspect of Bynum's game since his injury two seasons ago.

Before Gasol was acquired midseason, Bynum was a defensive menace in the paint. He was the defensive anchor of LA's front line and had improved dramatically since being called out by Kobe Bryant.

When Bynum came back from injury, his mentality and focus changed from the defensive end to improving his offense. Bynum made great strides on the offensive end but his defense was lacking effort and refinement.

Ever since, he's just been very inconsistent in defending individual post players and his help defense.

He's always going to be a big presence in the paint but in order for his game to be more appreciated, he should focus on being more consistent on the defensive end.

Bynum can bring along his offense slowly while having Kobe and Pau around but LA would be even better off if Bynum could be that shot-blocking menace he was two years ago.

Having a better two-way game will make Bynum a better player overall now and in the future when he becomes the "man."