Does Andrew Bynum's All-Star Selection Signal His Arrival as an Elite Player?

It's not really surprising that four-fifths of the the Western Conference's starting lineup in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game will be comprised of players from the city of Los Angeles, but did anyone think LA Lakers center Andrew Bynum would be one of those players before the season began?

Considering Bynum's history of injuries, it may surprise some just to think that he is healthy at this point in the season. His All-Star selection may just be a product of his good health, since a lack of talent has never been Bynum's issue.

It has been argued that Bynum may be the NBA's second-best center behind Dwight Howard, and this season Bynum has strengthened that theory by posting career-high numbers in both scoring and rebounding.

Bynum's 17.0 points per game is second only to Kobe Bryant, and his 12.0 rebounds per game and 56.1 percent shooting from the field lead the Lakers.

In fact, Bynum resides among the NBA's top five in both rebounding and field-goal percentage, and based on his mostly consistent performances it could be argued that he has wrested away the designation as the Lakers' second offensive option from teammate Pau Gasol.

These are the types of performances most fans envisioned when Bynum was selected as a high school player with the 10th pick of the 2005 NBA draft, but each time Bynum took a step forward in his development, he took another two steps back due to injury.

But Bynum has soldiered on, and along the way the young center has helped the Lakers capture two NBA championships while growing quite the fanbase due to his heart, passion and aggressiveness.

Bynum's career seems to have turned a corner with his newest honor as an All-Star Game starter, but does it signal his arrival as one of the NBA's truly elite players?

True low-post centers have mostly gone the way of the dinosaurs in the NBA, but Bynum is a true center in every sense of the word, even more so than Howard.

Bynum is comfortable playing with his back to the basket on either side of the rim, and he has some of the best post footwork I have seen in at least 20 years.

Bynum can also score in the paint from either shoulder and shoot with his right and left hand, but more importantly Bynum is learning how to be a defensive presence in the post.

He may never be the shot-blocker that Howard is, but Bynum does average almost two blocks per game, and he probably alters at least twice as many shots with his size.

With all that has transpired during Bynum's career it's easy to forget that he is only 24 years old, and has yet to fully tap his reservoir of potential. Can you imagine how good Bynum could be in two years if he manages to take better care of himself and continues to improve his game?

Bynum is already an elite center, almost by default, since there are so few players who you can really compare him to, but this season Bynum's numbers suggest he is earning that honor based on his performances on the court.

Some people will argue that Bynum's body of work is too small for him to be called an elite player on top of being an elite center, and I would agree.

But if Bynum can stay healthy I can certainly see him earning that honor as well in the next few seasons.