Can Andrew Bynum Replace Kobe Bryant As the Face of the L.A. Lakers?

Eventually the time will come when Kobe Bryant ceases to be the Los Angeles Lakers' top player, but when that moment arrives is there another player on the roster who is capable of filling Bryant's enormous shoes?

The obvious choice would appear to be forward Pau Gasol, but by the time Bryant's current three-year contract ends Gasol will be 33 years old, and presumably just out of his prime.

Could the responsibility of carrying the Lakers' franchise into the future fall on the shoulders of Gasol's front court mate Andrew Bynum?

Bynum has tantalized Lakers fans with his tremendous potential for the past several seasons, but his inability to stay healthy has most observers hesitant to crown him as the NBA's next great center.

If Bynum can manage to make it through an entire season healthy there are several reasons to feel optimistic about the mantle of supremacy being passed in his direction.

For instance, the lack of true, talented centers in the NBA places Bynum in a rare category in the league, and an even rarer category within the Western Conference.

Bynum is arguably the top center in the West, with the only real competition coming from oft-injured Portland center Greg Oden, and maybe Phoenix Suns center Robin Lopez.

Bynum's game is more advanced than either Oden or Lopez, and he has had the advantage of learning the nuances of the center position from one of the best to ever play the game in Kareem-Abdul Jabbar.

Jabbar's instruction shows up in Bynum's low-post footwork, his ability to spin to the basket with either shoulder, and his jump hook, which is still a work in progress.

Bynum's game has steadily progressed each season, but just as he appears to be on the cusp of realizing his potential, critical knee injuries have surfaced and Bynum seems to regress after each setback.

Last season Bynum suffered yet another knee injury in the postseason against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but unlike past seasons, Bynum found the inner-resolve to play through his pain.

Bynum's move endeared him to legions of Lakers' fans, and proved that he is much tougher than people tend to give him credit for.

Bynum's ability to play through the pain was also a major factor in the Lakers' second consecutive championship, because his presence provided the interior toughness Los Angeles was lacking against the Boston Celtics in 2008.

The 2010-11 season will represent another crucial stage in Bynum's development, because along with Gasol and Lamar Odom, they form what may be the NBA's most talented front court. 

The Lakers' five championships during the Phil Jackson era have always been achieved with the presence of a dominant perimeter player, which has been Bryant, and a superior post player, which has been Shaquille O'Neal and Gasol.

Most observers point to Gasol as the reason for the Lakers' climb back to the pinnacle of the NBA, but could Los Angeles have prevailed in last season's Finals without Bynum?

It's doubtful.

Although Gasol had a superb postseason in which he averaged nearly 20 points and 11 rebounds, he was still a physical liability once the Finals' series began with the Boston Celtics.

Gasol had mostly erased his reputation as a soft player over the past two seasons, but the only player the Celtics' interior players seemed to be intimidated by was Bynum.

Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins took turns pushing Gasol and Odom around in the post, but Bynum was the one Laker who had the size and physical presence to stand against Boston's big men.

So can Bynum fulfill the promise he has shown on occasion and finally become the dominant center that general manager Mitch Kupchak envisioned when he drafted Bynum 10th overall in 2005?

When Bryant's contract expires Bynum will only be 26 years old, and assuming he can remain healthy, Bynum should improve on his career numbers of 10 points per game and 6.7 rebounds.

Bynum has shot an astounding 56 percent from the field over the course of his five year career, and that number should also rise as he becomes more of a focal point of the Lakers' offense.

But, if the Lakers are to continue as one of the NBA's premier franchises they will likely have to find a suitable perimeter replacement for Bryant as well.

It's impossible to be successful in today's NBA without a star perimeter player, and even if Bynum does live up to his large potential it's unlikely he will be enough to continue the Lakers' championship tradition.

But, it's much more difficult to find a true NBA center than a guard, and even though Bryant is arguably one of the greatest players to ever grace the court, his perimeter scoring can be replaced.

So next season Bynum will embark on another journey which could not only help the Lakers clinch their second three-peat in 10 years, but also determine if he is indeed the future face of the franchise.

The struggle to eventually replace Bryant will definitely be a challenge for Kupchak and Lakers owner Jerry Buss, but assuming Bynum can stay healthy, he could be a great starting point for the future.