Recently in Andrew Bynum Category

Stock Down: Everyone in Cleveland (Including Lebron)!

I gotta hit everyone here. Lebron first, for his bush league lack of sportsmanship. Look, I know you're mad that you lost, and that your teammates aren't quite up to snuff, but you still shake your opponent's hand and gave them their respect for beating you. That's two years in a row now. If you want to blow off the media, I understand. Who wants to answer dumb questions while avoiding some gotcha attempts to bang on your teammates? But again, shake your opponents hand please. Next up, the other Cavs players. Nothing personal, just business: you guys aren't good enough. I hope Mo Williams enjoyed his All-Star trip this year, because he won't be going back anytime soon. He nor the other Cavs guards and wing players were able to get shots off against Orlando; Lebron is the only guy on the team who can create his own shot, and that will constantly doom them unless they get someone else who can. Which leads me to my next target, Danny Ferry. The GM is supposed to be the most cold blooded, realistic person in the organization. Everyone else, from the players to the owner, is prone to letting their feelings override the truth. Ferry looked at his team's record and was satisfied that the roster was good enough. Yes, there were rumors about them trying to make a trade deadline deal, but nothing transpired.

Sike.

Only if I'm bleeding from the top of my head would I seriously say something like that. Dwight Howard is better than Andrew Bynum, and if I ever change that statement, you'll know that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong in either Dwight Howard's career or my mental state.

But when I watch Andrew Bynum play, I see him doing some of the things that I want to see from Dwight Howard. No, not pouting or getting shoved out of the way. I'm talking about post moves. For the first six to eight minutes of every Lakers game, Andrew Bynum is one of the top three centers in the league.

The Lakers throw the ball into Bynum, he sets up and he goes to work. Hookshots, drop steps, up-and-unders; he's a "Dream Shake" away from being Hakeem Olajuwon. He follows shots, he rebounds, he changes the shots of opponents...and then after the first eight minutes are up, he's done for the night. If Lakers' games were only one quarter long, the Lakers would have lost about two games all season and Bynum would have been in MVP contention.

Lakers Center, Andrew Bynum's MRI revealed a torn MCL which will keep him out 8-12 weeks, which will surely test the Lakers with a tough few games with Boston up on Thursday, and Cleveland on Sunday, both road games.

More on this as it develops in the coming days.

AP Photo

Yeah, he's soft. Yeah, he's still immature. Yeah, he has been known to shy away and become non-existent when he is needed the most. And yes, the first time he played Shaq, Shaq dunked on him so hard, he will forever be on one of Shaq's greatest posters.

But Andrew Bynum is still also, only twenty-one years old, a baby to some. So sure, he's soft, and sure he gets tired and will make some careless mistakes with the ball. But if you haven't seen Andrew Bynum play basketball, then you truly are missing out on something special.

True, Pau Gasol is the second option on the team, and is the most consistent Laker on the team this year. And anybody believes Bynum will never amount to anything more than an average center int his league will be quick to point out Bynum's stat line against bigger, more physical centers like Orlando's Dwight Howard (3 rebounds).

But believe it or not...Andrew Bynum is slowly becoming the player the Lakers had truly hoped for. Andrew Bynum...is slowly evolving.

Into an idea called greatness.