In Defense (Sort of) of Andrew Bynum

Lakers fans are still stressed despite a 2-to-1 series lead. And the favorite target of abuse is the lack of production of center Andrew Bynum. Who was supposed to cure all this "soft play" on defense and stop all those uncontested lay-ups.

This is not to say tha Bynum will ever be that force. (Or not). But we just don't know and won't know for a year or two. Early last season, the Lakers faithful (a list that changes quarter to quarter) thought they had stumbled onto a clone of Dwight Howard, Orlando's superstar. Let's use him as the comparison. A star since the day he stepped onto a basketball court, he came directly out of high school and was the overall number one pick in 2004. Bynum, an overweight, late bloomer, only came on his last two years in High School and the Lakers were roundly criticized for taking him with the 10th overall pick in 2005.

Howard started every game his rookie season and almost every Magic game since. Bynum sat on the bench his first two years. He was emerging last season when he went down with that knee injury and missed the rest of the season including the playoffs. Another knee injury in January and just four games before the playoffs.

This is a kid who is still learning to play center at any level...much less than the NBA... for the Lakers and in the playoffs. He's been under the microscope since day one while Howard honed his game in the obscurity of the Magic Kingdom.

Even if he were one of the great talents to come along in the last ten years (and he's not, though he has talent) and even if he were competely healthy (He's not. The knee is still sore) he still hasn't played enough to be anywhere near a major factor at this, the highest level of basketball.

Think of Trevor Ariza... out for the second half of the previous season... came back but was no factor in the playoffs. Compared to this go 'round.

Again, this is not to say Bynym will one day be a great player. And two major knee injuries in his only two seasons of extended play is a little too much coincidence.

But, for now, he will be an occasional contributor with the jury still out on what he will be in the long term.

I rest my case