Are The Lakers Showcasing Andrew Bynum?

Andrew Bynum has been a beast since returning from his suspension and he's putting impressive numbers. In five games in the season so far, he has averaged 19.5 points, 15.8 rebounds and 2 blocks a game.

Let's look at how major those numbers are. In Bynum's last couple of seasons, he has gotten around 7-8 field goal attempts a game, and has gotten to the free throw stripe four times per game. Now, he's getting 14 field goal attempts and 7 free throw attempts per game. That's almost doubling what he has done, with the same efficiency.

It's no accident that Bynum is getting those numbers. The Lakers' coaching is giving more emphasis on Bynum's role and Mike Brown has been calling more plays on the low blocks and allotting more playing time for the 24-year old.

So, are the Los Angeles Lakers showcasing Andrew Bynum?

If you ask me, I'd say yes to that.

The team is showcasing Bynum to show the everyone in the league that Bynum is a legit equivalent to Dwight Howard (20.3 ppg, 15.9 rpg, 2.6bpg) and a Howard-Bynum trade would be a fair swap. 

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Dwight Howard to The Lakers, Part 2

A week into the 2011-2012 NBA season and the Los Angeles Lakers are a .500 team. While that seems pretty forgivable in the post-lockout context, it's quite unacceptable given the team's talent and history.

The Lakers are considered contenders, but not favorites to win the NBA crown. I feel they need a legitimate presence on both ends to improve their chances to a title. Enter Dwight Howard.

I outlined in a previous post how the Lakers could get Dwight Howard in a three-team trade with the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Hornets. But we all know how the Lakers were screwed by the NBA in the botched Chris Paul trade. Things are also a little more complicated with a key trade piece in Lamar Odom actually getting traded to the Dallas Mavericks before the season started.

I've come up with a few other scenarios where the Lakers could get Howard using ESPN's Trade Machine.

Scenario 1:

• Los Angeles Lakers get Dwight Howard and Chris Duhon
• Orlando Magic get Andrew Bynum, Derrick Caracter and Matt Barnes

In this trade scenario, the Lakers would be offering the emerging Bynum and expiring contracts to the Magic. Also, the Lakers would be absorbing Duhon's 3-year contract.

Secnario 2:

• Lakers get Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu
• Magic get Bynum, Metta World Peace, and Matt Barnes

This is not too different from the first scenario, except the Lakers would be taking in a bigger contract in Hedo Turkoglu and giving up better talent in World Peace. This seems to make more sense, but any trade involving World Peace is a reach.

Scenario 3:

• Lakers get Dwight Howard and Luis Scola
• Magic get Andrew Bynum, Kevin Martin, and Jordan Hill
• Houston Rockets get Pau Gasol and Hedo Turkoglu

This is a little more complicated and it involves the Houston Rockets, one of the principals of the failed Chris Paul trade. It's been said that the Rockets have their eye on Pau Gasol and this trade gets it done. The Lakers get to replace their starting frontline with new pieces completely.

Scenario 4:

• Lakers get Dwight Howard and Mehmet Okur
• Magic get Andrew Bynum, Anthony Morrow, and Jordan Farmar
• New Jersey Nets get Pau Gasol, Hedo Turkoglu, and Chris Duhon

This now involves teams that are in Howard's wish list and solves a lot of the teams' needs. The Nets get a better supporting cast with Deron Williams after losing out on the Dwight Howard Sweepstakes and the Magic get to shed their unwanted contracts. The Lakers get the best center in the league.

The scenarios are just,well, scenarios and this could change as the trade deadline in March.


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Bynum's Back!

So this is what the Los Angeles Lakers were missing.

Andrew Bynum returned from a four-game suspension to power the Lakers over the Denver Nuggets and he played big. Bynum scored a team-high 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, along with a pair of blocked shots.

Coach Mike Brown said that he wasn't going to ease Bynum in and was stayed true to his word. He allotted 32 minutes of playing time for the returning big man and this had effect on the Lakers prior rotation in their firs four games. This meant Josh McRoberts slid down to the bench and Troy Murphy barely played.

But Bynum's dominance offset the McRoberts/Murphy combo, especially in the low blocks. Whether it was dunking the ball over the Nuggets or altering shots, it's clear that the Lakers are indeed better with Bynum on the floor. To wit: Bynum had a +11 +/- stat with the Lakers winning by only 3 points.


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Lakers Notch Season's First Win

Finally.

It took three games before the Los Angeles Lakers got their first win of the season and avoided a 0-3 hole in the standings. They beat the Utah Jazz in convincing fashion, 96-71.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol led the way for the Lakers, combining for 48 of the team's 96 points. The Jazz played their first game of the season and looked very rusty. Thirty-two percent from the field and 7% form three-point range paint an ugly picture for the Jazz's game.

The Lakers also got key contributions from Metta World Peace (14 points and 5 rebounds) and their two new power forwards, Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts (combining for 17 rebounds). World Peace dialed the time machine a few years and showed a flash of the young Ron Artest when he drove the lane and flushed the ball through the hoop strong.

As an added bonus, the Staples Center crowd chanted "We Want Barnes,"a reference to coach Mike Brown's refusal to play the volatile Matt Barnes.


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Lakers Drop to 0-2

Two games into the 2011-2012 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers are still winless.

The Lakers lost to the Sacramento Kings last night, 100-91 and it was a mixed-bag effort. The Lakers clawed back from a double digit lead in the second half and got within two points in the last five minutes, but the Kings stepped on the pedal and went on a 11-4 run to close the game.

Folks can cite that this was the second of a back-to-back-to-back (The Lakers play the Utah Jazz at home tonight), but this is no excuse. The Kings are projected to go back to the lottery and the Lakers should be able to handle them.

Three quick notes about the past two games:

1. Kobe Bryant showed doubters that he can still put the ball through the hoop, even with an injured wrist and rehabbed knee. In two games, Kobe has averaged 28.5 points on 45% shooting.
2. Even with the addition of Jason Kapono and Troy Murphy, the Lakers are shooting blanks from the three-point range. In the two losses, the team has made 5 threes out of 32 attempts (15%).
3. Coach Mike Brown plays young guys! Devin Ebanks and Andrew Goudelock are getting a lot of burn and the results have been pretty encouraging. 

Speaking of Goudelock, this guy needs a nickname and I think it should be "Glock" (from the pistol) because he's a shooter and it's fits his name. What do you think?


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Lakers Blow Season Opener

WTH!?!

The Los Angeles Lakers practically let their season opener for the 2011-2012 NBA season slip away. In their game against the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers let the Bulls go on a 7-0 run that was punctuated by reigning MVP Derrick Rose.

The Lakers had a chance to win it but Kobe Bryant was denied on the buzzer.

How did the last-minute collapse happen? I can cite three things:

1. Luol Deng. He made nice defensive plays and a traveling violation that wasn't called.
2. The Lakers let the Bulls defense get to them.
3. Free throw. The Lakers missed 9 free throws in the game.

Sheesh. That was a tough loss on Christmas Day.


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Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Worse: Kobe Injured

Kobe Bryant. Injured.

Those are two words Los Angeles Lakers fans are dreading and those two words have managed to become a tough reality.

In the first preseason game for the Lakers, Kobe was blocked by DeAndre Jordan and Kobe fell hard on the ground. He used his shooting arm to break his fall, but in the process, injured his right wrist. Here's the play:

Kobe Bryant injured on opening night is not a good thing for the team as Andrew Bynum is also out five games due to a league-imposed suspension. With those two out, you're looking to replace 40 points worth of offense and the team's best interior and perimeter defenders.

This looks bad, real bad for the Lakers.


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