Los Angeles Lakers: Andrew Bynum Is the Key to an NBA Championship, Not Howard

Things have been shaky for the Los Angeles Lakers ever since the NBA lockout ended, but they now seem to be leveling out as the season progresses.

It started off with a botched trade that would have landed superstar point guard Chris Paul in yellow and gold. Then you have the fact that it could possibly take a while to adjust to new head coach Mike Brown after watching the greatest coach in NBA history retire.

But now, after losing two straight games to start the season, Los Angeles sits at 4-3, winning four of their last five games.

The biggest reason for the quick turnaround?

The return of Andrew Bynum from suspension.

With a shallow pool of talented big men in the NBA, Bynum is standing tall right now and will continue to dominate as long as he stays healthy. Thus far in the season, the 7'1" center is averaging a stellar 22.7 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks a contest.

I thought it was crazy jumping to early conclusions about how the Lakers were no longer the team to beat in L.A. and needed an immediate rebuild. The loss of Lamar Odom was a horrifying one for the Lakers, but a healthy, focused Bynum will make a huge impact in the process.

Do the Lakers have a depth issue?

I'm not sold that they have the most complete bench in the world, but they do have reliable members who can step up and play big when needed. That being said, it takes much better performances from your starting core to push you to a championship. 

In that matter, Los Angeles has no shortage of veterans with playoff experience to make the difference.

You can expect Kobe Bryant to do what he does best for now. He's one of the greatest scorers and leaders to ever play the game, as well as the best player of the past decade.

Surround him with a finesse big man who can rebound in Pau Gasol and you have a dynamic duo. These two alone can create problems for any team to plan around, but adding a third member to the equation can spell disaster for opponents.

This is where Bynum must step up.

With all of the trade talks involving him or Gasol being shipped for a superstar like Dwight Howard, Bynum's solid play can erase any potential talks of a deal and allow Los Angeles to focus on basketball.

Bynum has great touch around the rim and has a knack for big games when healthy. Along with that, he's an extremely solid centerpiece for a frontcourt defense and blocks shots at an elite rate.

So would trading away a large portion of the Lakers team to acquire Howard make THAT much of a difference in a championship run?

Not necessarily...

However, Bynum must stay on the floor and live up to his potential for the Lakers to stay dangerous and not break up the core.

No one knows just how long Kobe will last as a star in Laker Land in the future, but Bynum is a guy who can truly be built around.

Should Los Angeles shop Pau Gasol?

It's not an immediate must, but would definitely help give them some more supporting members or, perhaps, another young budding star. The Lakers shouldn't feel pressure to look into offers, but they are one serious injury away from being in desperation mode. 

If not, the Lakers can contend as is. They have the cast needed to continue to be loud in the West, and possibly win the questionable conference this year.

Don't count this team out as a whole, but saying Bynum needs to be traded now isn't exactly a must.