Los Angeles Lakers' Big Man Issue: Bynum or Odom To the Bench?

It’s easy to get attached to the current roster if we simply hold onto the 13-4 record. After all, why fix something if it ain’t broken, right?

Wrong.

With the recent loss to the Pacers, many fans are desperately crying out for the return of the M.I.A. Andrew Bynum. But when he comes back, do the Lakers send him to the bench or keep him in the starting five?

It’s not rocket science to figure out what went horribly wrong in the ugly game with the Indiana Pacers. Gasol shot 5 of 15 and Hibbert marked his territory in the paint with 24 points and 12 rebounds. All this was on L.A.’s home court.

Gasol hates the word “soft.” Ever since the 2008 Finals left a hideous scar on his reputation, Gasol has frowned heavily upon that scathing remark. But he reverted back to his old ways by allowing a sophomore to score on 9 of 13 shots, and with Bynum missing, the paint was left wide open for Hibbert’s dunk in the most critical moment in the game.

What the game against the Pacers showed us was that we desperately need Bynum back. Even Phil Jackson expressed his frustrations about Andrew’s extended absence.

“We’re playing Pau too many minutes [and we] don’t have a backup for either he or Lamar right now, so that’s a real problem. We put all our eggs in the basket of Andrew coming back and we hoped he be back by this time, by Nov. 15, by Thanksgiving time, by [our last] road trip, etc. We don’t know when Andrew is coming back.” 

Gasol and Odom are averaging 38.7 and 34.6 minutes per game respectively, and with Ratliff out for another 3-5 weeks, our center position is left to hang dry with an inexperienced Derrick Caracter trying to fill in the void.

Odom was never big on post-defense (or defense in general), and Pau is not a defensive specialist either. When matched up against point-guards in a switch defense, Pau struggles greatly, as in the case of Steve Nash.

History repeated itself as the Pacers exploited a big hole in our defense by sending the smaller positions Ford and Collison to penetrate the defensive post down low. In addition, Gasol is not a true center, but a natural power forward, so in games like the ones against the Pacers and Bulls, Pau got battered on the inside by aggressive players like Noah and Hibbert.

If Odom starts and Bynum contributes from the bench, Gasol would still have to play a role he’s not accustomed to, which is not what we’re trying to accomplish at this stage of a dynasty.

Our defensive issues are still left unresolved, and with the recent inconsistent efforts that we’ve been getting from the killer B’s, we need a solid offensive pillar to hold up our second unit: Lamar Odom.

Coupled with Ratliff’s defensive stance, Odom could be free to roam the power forward territory and hopefully solidify our bench production. And on the starting five, two towering 7-footers clogging the paint are more than enough to hold our own against slashers and cutters.

Still, the possibility remains that Bynum will have his minutes reduced to save his knees; if this occurs, others will point out it will be better to bring him off the second unit. But with Gasol getting bumped around in the paint, Odom never playing defense, and Caracter not being a suitable substitution for neither, I wonder how much longer we can flirt with this idea of bringing Bynum off the bench.

Before we even worry about that, however, we’re still juggling the time table for Bynum’s return. This is, as with every season, as unpredictable as the injuries itself. And so the never-ending Lakers drama continues. Let’s hope that this time, December 25 means December 25, and Bynum will return according to plan.

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