Andrew Bynum Is the Future of the Los Angeles Lakers Franchise

Andrew Bynum is the future of the Los Angeles Lakers. The way he's played so far this season—and for a time, it was the way he played last year, too—he's proving he's capable of carrying a franchise. 

Bynum has been posting monster numbers, but that's not the only reason why. He's showing better moves and aggressiveness on the boards. He's playing like franchise player. 

There are three big qualifiers to this statement—he needs health, he needs maturity and he needs help. 

First, on the health, it's obviously hard to hang your franchise on a player who is spending nearly as much time rehabbing injuries as playing basketball. Over the course of his career, Bynum has missed 32.5 percent of the Lakers games while he's been a member of the team. 

Every year there's the sentiment that maybe this year is the year that Bynum makes it through without getting hurt. If he does it in 2012, watch out. The Lakers are going to be a team that can win it all. 

Second, he needs maturity. That kind of nonsense that happened last year with JJ Barea, (where he delivered a cheap shot on him and then tore his shirt off as he was being ejected from the game) is not the kind of nonsense you build around.

There are times when you want to respect Bynum. He was tough as nails in the 2010 playoffs, but tough is not going after a guy one-third your size and throwing cheap shots.

I know there are going to be people who are going to say "let it go, that was last year." Really though, he's been off the suspension for it for less than a week. He doesn't deserve to be suspended anymore, but serving his suspension isn't enough to command respect. 

Bynum needs to show leadership and maturity. What that means isn't as easy as "what do you want him to do." It's doing what is right. It's Kobe Bryant backing his coach when he gets criticized. It's Derrick Rose taking over the team huddle, exhorting his teammates to not get frustrated or discouraged with one another when the team is down 14 after three quarters but pulling them together for a comeback. 

Leadership is a thing that you do when the moment arises. If you have to have it told to you what to do, by definition, you're following. Bynum needs to learn to lead.

Third, he needs help. Bynum is not a ball handler. He needs someone to get him the ball. Right now, Bryant is working that role just fine,  (in spite of accusations to the contrary). Bryant's future will tail off before Bynum's, though, and the Lakers need to start looking for a perimeter replacement to complement Bynum for the future. 

If those three qualifiers are met, Bynum will be the future of the franchise. He has the ability, the strength, the size and the speed to dominate the league at the position and stand on par with Dwight Howard.

The rest is up to luck, to him and to the Lakers.