Los Angeles Lakers: The Andrew Bynum Situation

Will Andrew Bynum be a major factor for the Lakers? Photo courtesy of http://www.onemanfastbreak.net

Earlier this week, Phil Jackson came out and said that if Andrew Bynum suffers another major injury, his role for the Lakers would be reconsidered. Phil said that Bynum would become a situational or role player. Andrew Bynum came back saying that he is no role player.

It is no hidden fact that Andrew Bynum has had his fair share of injuries which have plagued him throughout his career. He has still yet to be fully healthy in the finals (he’s been injured the last three years the Lakers were in the finals). If Bynum cannot be relied on when the games count the most, then I do believe what Phil Jackson is saying is correct. The team needs to be able to prepare for games that are truly important and that they must win. If Bynum is not available for those games, there is no need to prepare with the assumption that he will contribute. The Lakers would be better of preparing without relying on him for anything, using whatever he provides for the team as an added bonus.

This is the strategy the Lakers have used recently and it has worked successfully. Last year was a good sign for the Lakers and their fans to see Andrew Bynum fight through his injury during the finals. It was the first time the Lakers had seen Bynum show some fight to stay in the lineup. Bynum throughout his career has never been the most proactive player. His laziness has been well noted and he’s been called out by Jackson and Bryant on multiple occasions. This occasion was another subliminal message sent through the media by Phil Jackson. Bynum chose to get his surgery late, which pushed back his recovery time into the season.

It was nice to see that Bynum was not ready give up his position that easily, but he must fight to keep his role. Bynum has to stay healthy and show that he is capable of being a reliable starter for the Lakers in June. One of the major strengths of the Lakers is their size, especially against predicted challenger Miami. Bynum has the skill set, but its time he shows up and has a breakout season.

This is just an opinion, so please…Pardon My Bias.