NBA Speculation: Why Andrew Bynum's Erratic Behavior Will Doom L.A. Lakers

Ever since the All-Star Break, where he enjoyed the very first and well-deserved All-Star nomination of his young career, Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum has reportedly been a disruptive force on the bench and in the locker room.

His recent wrap sheet is piling up.

Shooting ill-advised three-point shots in games, getting benched and joking about it with teammates.

Insisting on taking more three-point shots when speaking with the media.

Not joining in team huddles during timeouts.

Playing loud music in the Lakers locker room and reportedly being "disrespectful" to staff and teammates for the past three weeks.

As a budding superstar, it's only natural for Bynum to clash with authority and to walk to the beat of his own drum. It's also hard to believe that Bynum, a beloved and personable character in the Lakers locker room, would be "disrespectful" to the teammates and staff that adore him.

Still, it's alarming for the simple fact that he can become completely disengaged from the team and his coach at the flip of a switch.

Call it brash immaturity or the simple growing pains of a NBA superstar, but if Bynum's recent erratic behavior becomes a repeated pattern down the line, the Lakers' hopes for another title are in serious jeopardy.

Drew is unquestionably the lynch pin to the Lakers success come playoff time.

Recall what happened to the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals versus the Boston Celtics with Bynum on the sidelines?

Remind me what happened in the 2010 playoffs when a 60 percent Bynum battled through torn cartilage in his knee to be on the court for his team until the end?

And even Tuesday night, when the Lakers squandered a huge double-digit lead to the lowly New Jersey Nets with Andrew sitting on the bench to nurse a tweaked left ankle?

His presence alone is enough to take the Lakers over the top, and his team knows it.

Mike Brown, a Lakers rookie and notorious "over-coacher," runs a fine line between disciplining the Lakers' Beast for the better and tipping the 24-year-old over the edge. Brown must cater his constant coaching activity to Bynum's youthful temperament before he completely loses his All-Star center mentally.

The Lakers simply cannot afford further defiance from Bynum as the playoffs draw closer and closer.

It's a good sign that Bynum wants to be in the game at all times and wants the ball in his hands. He unfortunately goes about expressing this desire the wrong way.

Still, given Bynum's history, I'll grant him the benefit of the doubt. 

No, I'm not talking about the J.J. Barea or handicapped parking incidents. Outliers, as far as I'm concerned.

When questions arise over his focus and willingness to win, I'm resting my hat on his desire to work every day with Lakers special assistant coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on footwork, his offseason development of a left-handed hook shot, his dedicated cross-training regiment this summer and his long battles back from rehabilitation after two major knee surgeries.

He's smarter than you think. The deep-thinking Bynum will do whatever it takes to bring home his third NBA championship and 17th title for the Lakers franchise.

If that means refraining from three-point jumpers for the remainder of the season, so be it.

It needs to be all business for the Beast from here on out. And never one to back down, Bynum is definitely up to the challenge.

Otherwise, the Lakers risk losing their All-Star center to insubordination and may face another painful offseason with no hardware to show for their shorthanded efforts.