But like the run that resulted in the championship last June, the Lakers again are without their starting center.
Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced Thursday that center Andrew Bynum would more than likely miss all of training camp due to his recovery from knee surgery.
The operation to fix his injured knee was performed on July 28 and doctors discovered more damage than expected. This resulted in a longer healing period than the originally stated two months.
Why does this matter? Because Bynum waited until over a month after winning the title before he got the operation. His plan was two quick months of recovery in time for Lakers camp.
But he was wrong. And, because he waited, instead going to the World Cup matches in South Africa before returning for the surgery, he costs his team once again.
Let’s be crystal clear. The Lakers repeated last year as champs because they have weapons that no other team possesses. In no particular order, LA has Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, the triangle offense, and length.
The last reason is the most striking. The Lakers have more talent with height than anyone else in the league. When Andrew Bynum is healthy, the Lakers are superior to every other team.
But the key word in that last sentence was a healthy Bynum. He is that important to the team. And, he knows this. So do the Lakers, who are paying him more than Lamar Odom and Ron Artest, two proven players.
However, Bynum has yet to play a full season. Sure you can say he’s had back luck, freakish injuries. And, you’re right. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire and Bynum is “el fuego” (that’s Spanish for “on fire”.) Right now, Bynum’s a California forest fire with Santa Ana...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
