Why Andrew Bynum May Be the Most Important Big Man in the NBA

If and when the current NBA lockout ends, there are a number of issues the Los Angeles Lakers must address before they hit the court for the first time. Unbelievably, it doesn't seem that center Andrew Bynum will be one of them.

It should come as no surprise that Bynum ended the 2011 season on a slightly injured knee, but for the first time in recent memory he should be as healthy as he has ever been once the 2001-12 regular season finally tips off.

It's a good thing for the Lakers too, because Bynum just might represent their best chance at returning to the NBA Finals, and that's regardless of whether star guard Kobe Bryant is 100 percent healthy or not.

Bryant's injured knee, along with the surprise hiring of Mike Brown to succeed Phil Jackson, are just two of the subplots surrounding the Lakers' offseason.

Throw in the Lakers' casual dismissal from the 2011 playoffs at the hands of the eventual NBA champion Dallas Mavericks and their critical need to find a competent point guard, and it's easy to forget that despite the negatives, they are not exactly rebuilding from nothing.

Bryant and forward Pau Gasol are still two of the top five players at their respective positions, and the Lakers still have the league's top sixth man and one of the game's most versatile players in Lamar Odom.

Forward Ron Artest may no longer be an elite defender, but he is still very effective on that end of the floor, and the assumed second unit of Matt Barnes, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter with rookies Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock should provide a nice infusion of youth and energy.

That roster alone is good enough to almost guarantee a 2012 postseason spot, but when you add in an aggressive, motivated and healthy Bynum, the Lakers have a chance to be great.

That's even if the Lakers fail to sign a point guard.

Coach Brown's motion offense is based on dribble penetration from the perimeter, so a point guard who can consistently get in the lane would be ideal.

Unfortunately, unless the Lakers do manage to sign a point guard, the only player on their roster who fits that bill is Bryant, and there is some doubt if he can be as effective as LeBron James was running Brown's offense in Cleveland.

But Brown didn't have a center or a power forward like Bynum and Gasol in Cleveland either.

The inability to consistently penetrate the paint may force Brown to initiate his offense in the interior, which should probably be his first option anyway.

There are few teams in the NBA who can match the Lakers' size in the paint, and even if another franchise can field two true seven-footers, they will not be as talented as Bynum and Gasol.

The Lakers' interior trio of Gasol, Bynum and Odom has been the team's biggest strength in each of the last four seasons, but whenever the regular season does start, that theory will take center stage.

In Jackson's triangle offense we were never able to see how the Lakers or their opponents would respond to a determined effort to physically dominate the paint, but due to the simplicity of Brown's offense the Lakers may have no choice but to feed Bynum.

That's not really a bad idea, because Bynum has great footwork in the paint. He can turn to the basket from either shoulder and is a pretty good interior passer as well.

That combination of skills could cement Bynum's status as one of the league's top true centers, and it can make life a little easier for his superstar teammates as well.

Bynum is good enough offensively to command a double-team, and the tendency of opponents to sag in the paint should give Bryant more space to operate on the perimeter and Gasol more room to roam in the post.

Ironically, though, Bynum's inability to avoid injury is the same thing that makes him the most indispensable big man of all the NBA's title contenders.

Bynum's 14-point, 9.6-rebound performance in the 2011 NBA Playoffs was without question the best of his young career. The same cannot be said of Gasol, who suffered through his worst postseason ever, or Bryant, who looked very ordinary by his standards.

But I would wager that the odds of Bynum suffering another injury are greater than the probability of both Bryant and Gasol enduring another mediocre postseason.

Bryant and Gasol are experienced and seasoned veterans, but more importantly they are both likely embarrassed by last season's quick playoff exit.

Pride and focus from Bryant and Gasol can help prevent a repeat of last postseason, but a healthy Bynum gives the Lakers an advantage that few teams can answer in a seven-game series.

Lakers fans have wondered how the team would look on offense if it was dedicated to giving Bynum more looks in the paint, and it looks like we may very well get a chance to see.

Hopefully Bynum can play with the same aggressiveness and passion that he displayed during the second half of the regular season and the playoffs, because the Lakers' title hopes could depend on it.