Andrew Bynum vs. Dwight Howard: Which Star Center Presents Bigger Health Risk?

The Los Angeles Lakers waited through seven seasons in which center Andrew Bynum's development was frequently derailed by injury, but that patience paid off when the 24-year-old broke out with his first All-Star campaign last season.

His ability to duplicate that performance with the Philadelphia 76ers will depend on his health. There's no doubt about Bynum's skill and ability to impact the game. The only real doubts surround the durability of his knees.

Nevertheless, Bynum is coming off an injury-free season, and Dwight Howard is the one whose 2011-12 season was cut short by back surgery.

Did the Lakers just trade one injury risk for another?

Not quite.

Howard will reportedly miss the start of the regular season, but he shouldn't be missing for long. As Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register explains, Dwight has consistently earned a clean bill of health:

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Howard hardly vowed he'd be there for the Lakers on opening night, but for a guy who loves to talk about being Superman, he has been a reliable, responsible Clark Kent in punching the clock in his career:

The back pain flared up three months into his seventh NBA season. In his first six seasons, Howard played 624 of 631 possible games.

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Based on their comparative track records, Bynum would appear to be a far greater risk. Though he doesn't suffer from chronic conditions that will doom him down the road, his body and lack of mobility might make him more susceptible to the kind of injuries he's suffered (e.g., someone running into his knee).

On the other hand, as they age, Bynum may be better able to avoid excessive contact than his Lakers-bound counterpart.

Bynum's ability to shoot from mid-range and approach the paint with finesse could mean a bit less banging in the painted area. Howard won't have that luxury–a physical approach to the paint is his bread and butter.

And he's built for it.

Thanks to his strength and agility, Howard's far more likely to hurt someone else than suffer an injury of his own. 

As he gets older though, that style of play could begin to catch up with him. We've seen a number of big men (Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, most recently) drift to the perimeter as they age into their 30s. But Howard may struggle to do the same, given his lack of success anytime he strays more than five feet from the basket.

It's hard to imagine him turning fragile anytime this century, but it's equally hard to imagine him moving so well when he's 33 or 34.

He may not have a permanent back condition, but his style of play unquestionably puts a lot of pressure on his body. It might be a mistake to equate his injury-free history with a similarly spotless future.

Ultimately, though, all we can do is guess.

And, our best guess has to account for the fact that Bynum suffered serious knee injuries in three consecutive seasons. You can chalk that up to terrible luck, but there may be more to it than that.

Bynum has steadily added weight to his frame, and he's probably sturdier now than he's ever been. He's having his knees treated in Germany, availing himself of the same procedure Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez have famously used to (hopefully) prolong their careers.

There are reasons to believe Bynum will be just fine. 

But, the empirical record suggests otherwise, and that's why the Lakers have to feel pretty secure about Dwight Howard's health going forward.