L.A. Lakers: What Andrew Bynum's Benching Really Says About Himself, Mike Brown

Let's rewind the clock to 2007.

The Los Angeles Lakers were playing the Atlanta Hawks and held an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter. After a change of possession, the Lakers went down the court and Andrew Bynum received a pass on the near perimeter.

After missing an unnecessary three-pointer, he starts laughing as Phil Jackson scolds him. 

Back then, Bynum was a budding star. He was just 19 years old.

Naive.

Ripe.

Juvenile.

We'll give him his mulligan on that miscue and blame it on youthful stupidity.

Fast forward five years.

In the dying seconds of a blowout loss against the Memphis Grizzlies at home this past Sunday night, Bynum took a three-pointer at the buzzer and swished it. 

On Tuesday night, he did it again, but this time in the middle of the game when the game was far from being decided. It was an ill-fated shot that had KCAL 9 broadcasters Bill McDonald and Stu Lantz dumbfounded. 

It just didn't make sense.

Perhaps it was Sunday's shot that inspired him to take the shot, or maybe it was the fact that his teammate Pau Gasol has drained five three pointers this season.

Or maybe I'm trying to give a logical explanation for an illogical act.

Bynum may vow that he's trying to expand his game, but to take a three-pointer in the middle of the shot clock when it's not even close to expiring, is foolish. That's not his specialty. He needs to be in the paint, banging against bodies, and slamming home some buckets.

He's not 19 anymore. There's no excuse for this one. He should be more mature and recognize his role on the team. Trying to expand your play while hurting the team's chances to win a ball game is unbelievably selfish and arrogant. Bynum could work on his three-pointers during practice if he wants it to be a part of his game. Making a lucky, meaningless three in a blowout loss shouldn't inspire him to become a three-point shooter.

But forget the three-pointer for a second.

Bynum's selfishness was exuded to a greater extent while he was on the bench. He wasn't participating in team huddles and he refused to celebrate with the team when the Lakers were on a roll. It almost seemed like he wanted his team to lose so he can stick it to Mike Brown and say, "Shouldn't have benched me, coach."

There was another instance during the KCAL 9 telecast where the camera panned on Bynum, and he started shrugging his shoulders and pointing at the jumbotron as if to say, "Take the camera off me, the game is going on."

Amidst Bynum's breakout season this year, it hasn't been difficult to ignore his arrogance skyrocket, too.

Just last week he was ejected from a game and he started giving high fives to fans sitting in the front row before exiting the court with a huge grin on his face. It was childlike and highly juvenile.

Then last year, everyone remembers how he failed to channel his frustration properly and took it out on J.J. Barea in the playoffs. Bynum's stupidity there earned him a four-game suspension at the start of this season.

Bynum is turning into a headcase and this could become an absolute nightmare for the Lakers if Kobe, Pau and the Lakers organization don't keep him in check. Even Metta World Peace, who has a history of behavioral problems throughout his career, could advise him to channel his emotions positively. 

Mike Brown's bold move should not be criticized. Bynum had it coming. 

Had the Lakers lost against the Warriors, Mike Brown would've been thrown under the bus because of his decision. However, win or lose, Brown made the right call. Much has been made about his ability to lead a bunch of egos the way Phil Jackson did, but Brown has made two bold moves in as many games, benching Kobe on Sunday and now Andrew. He's attempting to show that he's in charge of the team and that foolery will not be tolerated. 

It's better to do this now, so that the team is completely focused on the task at hand during the playoffs. They can't afford this kind of drama in a seven-game series. 

Brown wants to make sure everybody is on the same page, and sometimes a drastic and radical move like the ones he has made in the last two games can do the trick.

Hopefully for the Lakers and Bynum, this is just a minor bump in the road. They've done an excellent job in dealing with adversity thus far, and they can't afford to have internal strife become a major roadblock in the locker room.