Lakers vs. Clippers: Bynum's Absence Will Doom Lakers Against Streaking Clippers
If Andrew Bynum's bum ankle keeps him out of Wednesday's showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers will be in serious trouble.
Bynum, currently listed as day-to-day per the Lakers website, endured a "moderate" sprain of his left ankle with less than two minutes remaining in Sunday's win over Golden State. He landed awkwardly on Josh McRobert's foot and exited the game to receive treatment from the team athletic trainer.
The sprain wasn't bad enough to warrant an MRI, Lakers spokesman John Black told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Brian Kamenetzky, and X-rays were negative.
If Bynum's ankle is better by the time the Lakers take on the Clippers on Wednesday night, great. And if not...well, hopefully it's better.
Although Bynum left the game against the Warriors scoreless, he's in the midst of one of the best stretches of his career, averaging 18.3 points per game and 12.1 rebounds, both career-highs. He played in his first All-Star game this year and started for the Western Conference.
The center, however, has had trouble staying healthy, most notably missing the 2008 NBA Finals which the Lakers lost to the Celtics. He was healthy for the Lakers' next two championship runs in 2009 and 2010.
Health is the primary reason this season has been so remarkable for Bynum.
Thus far, he has played in every game this season after serving a four-game suspension to begin the year. By comparison, for the last four seasons, he has averaged just 51 games.
Having Bynum's consistent presence in the lineup—offensively and defensively—has been a key for a Lakers team that, earlier this year, had trouble forging an identity. Kobe Bryant is well aware of Bynum's impact on the team, telling Kamenetzky:
"He's gotten better. You see him working on his footwork a lot, he has a lot of moves in his arsenal that he didn't have before. He's much more comfortable doing it and he's gained a great deal of confidence.
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In two games against the Clippers this season, Bynum, has averaged 15.5 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game. Not only could his absence be damaging to the Lakers' chances against their division rival on Wednesday night—it could hurt their chances of making a run toward another championship.
Though Bryant told Kamenetzky the Lakers could deal with Bynum's absence for the time being, he admitted that his long-term absence could hurt the team's chances this postseason:
"I don't think it's a championship formula, but we can [compensate] for the time being. [Ramon] Sessions is one of those players who can carry a game offensively, he's a great scorer. And Pau [Gasol] can obviously do what he does.
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For now, the Lakers can get by without their prize center. But Bynum's health will be crucial to the Lakers throughout the rest of the season if they want to make another deep run in the postseason, and it all starts with Wednesday's battle for dominance in the Pacific Division.
