The Lakers Will Continue to Succeed Without Bynum

Remember last season when Andrew Bynum injured his left knee in mid-Jan. against the Memphis Grizzlies? That injury occurred while the Los Angeles Lakers were atop the highly-contested Western Conference race.

The diagnosis for Bynum's injury was that he would return after eight weeks. The injury was much more serious than anyone believed, forcing Bynum to sit out the final 46 games of the season and miss the entire playoffs.

The Lakers' success did not come to a halt after that injury, however. Led by 2008 MVP Kobe Bryant and the newly-acquired Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Lakers finished the season 57-24 and earned themselves a trip to the NBA Finals.

The Lakers would not be as lucky during the Finals, losing in six games to the reigning-NBA Champion Boston Celtics. Throughout that series, the Lakers were criticized for not being physical against the larger Celtic frontcourt. Had Bynum been healthy, that could have been a different story.

The most recent injury to Bynum's right knee occurred on Jan. 31 against the same Memphis Grizzlies team. He is expected to miss anywhere from 8-12 weeks with a torn ligament, but is expected to be back in top form for the playoffs.

Many questions about the Lakers have arisen because of the Bynum injury, including:

1. Will the Los Angeles Lakers be able to hold the top spot in the West?

As you may remember from last year, the Lakers were No. 1 in the Western Conference when the playoffs came around. The Lakers managed to hold off the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Hornets when capturing the No. 1 ranking.

This season, the Western Conference has not played nearly as well as the Eastern Conference powerhouses Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando, each of which is vying for No. 1 in the East.

From day one, the Lakers have been the favorites in the West. Even with Bynum sidelined, I still consider the Lakers the team to beat out West.

The only team I could see giving the Lakers some trouble closing out the season could be the Spurs. The Spurs are now healthy, with the Big Three of Parker, Duncan, and Ginobili joining forces again. I still see the Lakers winning the West, however, as they finish strong just as they did last year.

2. What players need to step up in Bynum's absence?

One player on the Lakers roster that has yet to play his best basketball this season is Lamar Odom, who has had to adjust to coming off the bench this season after starting for most of his career.

Odom had little pressure coming into the game and backing up either Gasol or Bynum, but now his role will drastically change as he will now return the starting lineup. Last year he faded near the end when the Lakers needed him, so he must be in top form for the remainder of this season.

One other player that must step up is Bryant. You may call me crazy, but he now needs to become more of an aggressor and less of a facilitator. This can best be described by Bryant's 61-point explosion in Madison Square Garden on Monday, breaking the record for most points scored in that arena ever.

If Odom can play his best basketball the second half of the season, Gasol plays like the All-Star he has become, and Bryant plays aggressive, then there is no stopping this Lakers team.

This year's Lakers team is capable of winning it all.

They played half of last year without their up-and-coming center, and thus I believe that they can do the same this year. Their defense has improved from last year's team that made it to the Finals, and if they can play consistent D, I see no one stopping this team from winning the West and ultimately the NBA title.

Conclusion: The Lakers will make it to a second-straight NBA Finals appearance and with Bynum returning to the lineup, the Lakers will defeat the Celtics in a rematch of last year's final, 4-2.