NBA Playoffs 2012: Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum Will Get Kobe Bryant 6th Ring

While all the attention in Laker Land is going to the impending suspension of Metta World Peace, the championship hopes of the Lakers lie with their Twin Towers in Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

For the next couple of days, we can see if Kobe Bryant will win his third scoring title and if World Peace will be in uniform for the playoffs, but once all the chips are on the table and the games start counting, the Lakers' best chance to add another championship to their collection is in the hands of their big men.

More importantly, Kobe knows it. 

Hopefully for the Lakers' sake, head coach Mike Brown knows it as well.

Playoff basketball is much different than regular season basketball, and the Lakers have an advantage with Bynum and Gasol that few teams are equipped to deal with.

The Lakers' superior length will carry them to a chance at a sixth ring for Bryant.

If Bynum’s head is screwed on straight and Gasol is getting touches around the rim, it’s better for everyone in a Lakers uniform, including Bryant.

The two monsters in the middle will be able to force opposing coaches' hands.

If they elect to guard each big man with one guy, then the chances are that they will get eaten alive. If they elect to start doubling quickly, both Gasol and Bynum are good enough passers to find open shooters. That means easy looks at the basket for the likes of Bryant and point guard Ramon Sessions. They just have to knock down shots.

Of course, the success of Bynum and Gasol can force teams to zone the Lakers often, but that’s where Bryant comes up big.

Shooting the ball from the outside hasn’t been strength of this Lakers team, but if Kobe and company can shoot teams out of the zone, it will force opposing teams to pick their poison on who they want to beat them on each night.

Kobe, Gasol and Bynum have proven throughout the season that they can come up big when needed.

It’s not just on the offensive end of the floor where Bynum and Gasol will impact the Lakers in the playoffs. They will be a handful for teams to deal with on the defensive end as well. The duo has combined to grab 22.2 RPG and block 3.28 shots per game. Attacking the paint is not easy when the Lakers duo is playing well at the defensive end.

So, while people like to talk about a sixth ring for Kobe, the easiest way to do that is to ride the big men.

People will point out that the Lakers' depth and lack of shooting will cost them in the long run, and that’s entirely possible. But they have something that no one else has, and it should be a major strength of this team when the playoffs begin.

There’s a reason Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak didn’t trade either Gasol or Bynum during the season, and that’s because he knows what kind of advantage they bring the Lakers in a seven-game series against anyone. Now, all the Lakers have to do is ride them and reap the benefits.