Andrew Bynum has much to prove at the Los Angeles Lakers next NBA season (Part 1)
When the Los Angeles Lakers picked up Andrew Bynum as the 10th overall from the 2005 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft, in the very first season, they knew that he will go on to become their future centre.
The youngest player ever to grace the NBA didn’t let the Lakers down and after having a relatively slow start; Bynum finished his third season with double-figures both in points (13.1) and rebounds (10.2) to go along with 2.1 blocks per game.
Those numbers saw an increase in the next two seasons.
However, in the last season Bynum failed to live up to the expectations. His scoring average fell down to 11.3 points per game and when the Lakers came face-to-face with the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, Bynum failed to deliver.
He not only failed to counter Tyson Chandler, his opposite number in the Mavs jersey, but what added salt to the injury was his flagrant foul against Dallas Jose Juan Barea in the game-4, an act which ejected Bynum from the game. He didn’t even show remorse after the game and had only this to say;
“For me, it was embarrassing having the smallest guy on the court keep running down the lane and then making shots. So I just fouled him.”
This came on the back of his controversial statement early in the series, in which he rued the lack of trust in the team and demanded an added role on the offense. Time and time again in the series, he showed signs of frustration, a thing which ultimately cost the Lakers.
These shameful acts took away all the good work Bynum had done, especially after the All-Star break. After a stretched injury break, he was instrumental in the Lakers surge in the second half and posted an average of 14.1 points and 9.6 boards before the post season.
His antics have led many NBA analysts in believing that the next season might be the last for Bynum at the Lakers. Kobe Bryant, the ace star at the franchise, doesn’t like him very much and had publically demanded his withdrawal in 2007. After his histrionics late last season, things are not going any better and if he fails to put up a mammoth performance, his days at the franchise might be numbered.
In the next two features, we will cover the aspects as to why Bynum will be under added pressure to retain his spot at one most celebrated franchise in the league next season.
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