Can you hear it? That deafening roar overtaking the greater LA area has a brand new sound to it. “BY-NUM, BY-NUM, BYYYY-NUM!” is not the sound Lakers fans are used to uttering. Especially, with the ‘reigning’ fan/media favorite still hobbling though 37-point, 8 rebound, 6 assist games. Especially, when that same ‘aging’ star has the ‘will’ to overcome ANYTHING, and takes everything as a personal challenge. As I’m typing, I’m realizing this is a perfect opportunity to write another (future) article highlighting the irony of an emerging Bynum being in the exact position a (then) emerging Kobe was in about a decade ago…but back to Bynum.
On the heels of 3 dominant games in the post, Bynum is back (4-game suspension), and in the best shape and position on his life. I mentioned the ‘shape’, because he reportedly “exercised the demons” throughout the summer with famed trainer Freddie Roach (Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan). Not only did he go from about 10% body fat to 5.1%, but he looks to have improved his agility and overall body dexterity. For the first time, Bynum looks poised to finally step into the forefront and lead a team. Lakers fans are drunken with giddiness over this prospect, but I’m here to tell them to “slow down” when it comes to celebrating titles 5 games into the year. You saw what happened to the Heat after a certain someone made bold predictions of “not 3, not 4″… not any. We’ve all seen the promise. We’ve seen the potential. Any basketball enthusiast would fall in love Bynum’s offensive array, his defensive plays, the big rebound games. Yes, I have personally watched his last 3 games, just as I watched him show enormous growth for about a month before Pau was added for the equivalent of 2 empty Coke bottles and a pocket full of lint. I was right there, front and center, during an impressive 17-1 stretch for the Lakers just after the All-Star break (Feb 2011) in which Andrew Bynum played with such ferocity that he actually made Jimmy Buss start to look like a genius for not only drafting him…but also holding onto him like a ‘thirsty’ groupie at the mere mention of a potential trade.
We’ve also watched Bynum look lifeless/listless at times on the court, and essentially disappear (tough to do, at 7′ plus, 285lbs of chiseled stone). Notice how I didn’t even mention injuries? That’s because injuries are a part of professional sports, cannot be predicted, nor should they be factored into the evaluation of Bynum. Effort, heart, and tenacity are what we should be judging Bynum by, because those are the only things standing in the way of Bynum being in a legitimate conversation for the proverbial “Best Big Man” in the league. The true test will be how he plays in games 25, 45, and 65 (on into the playoffs). Will he play with the same passion night-in and night-out? If so, the Lakers (and fans) have their ‘next’ franchise player and we can end this ‘conversation’ right here. Problem is, Bynum’s propensity to be so inconsistent in terms of productivity opens the door for legitimate speculation.
There is a growing amount of chatter about the ‘pecking order’ of the Lakers, what player needs to shoot more/less, and which players could/should be traded. The reality (for Lakers fans…and players) is, you have Kobe Bean Bryant on your team. With all he has done for the organization (and continues to do), his remaining skills/ability, and his absolutely immovable contract, he is going to retire in a Lakers uniform. Until he takes that jersey off for the final time, he’s going to be shooting, looking for ways to score, and relishing the opportunity to cut the opponent’s collective hearts out. He isn’t going to change his philosophy, nor is he going to change his approach to the game. In all honesty, that’s part of what has made Kobe great. His undeniable, unstoppable, unrelenting drive is what separates him from a guy like Vince Carter. That isn’t intended to be a diss to Carter, rather it is more indicative of abnormality of a player like Kobe. That type of tunnel-vision, determination, obsession is not for everyone. There’s a reason why Jordan won 6 rings, and why Kobe is obsessed with passing that marker. Bynum has shown that type of fire over 3 games. If he can focus on being the most dominant force on defense and with his rebounding on a nightly basis, then his offensive role and Kobe’s trust level will inevitably increase. That’s the million dollar question…or maybe even 80 million dollar question, since Bynum is essentially playing to be the franchise player in LA (or, maybe even Orlando).
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