General Consensus

[kman1023]

Not trolling or anything, but wanted to learn more about Bynum from Laker fans perspective. I'm a Magic fan, Dwight is still the better center IMO but learning about Bynum could help envision what the future of Orlando might be like.

Just opinions on Bynum, apologies if this thread has been made somewhere else, not a native to this board.

[EArl]

When Bynum comes, boy does he come to play! He is great at pretty much every aspect of the game.
His problems are his attitude. He can play defense, but when he gets lazy he won't run back or won't commit on the pick and roll.
Other than that he is great and getting better.

[crazy8ights]

When Bynum is focused (maybe 3 out of 8 games ish) he's an unstoppable force.

[PurpleMamba]

IF(big IF) someone can get him to lock in and not take games off he's great. But that's the main problem most of his issues are on the court opposed to D12, i know a lot of Laker fans want to still give him the benefit of doubt saying "he's still young", but that should no longer be an excuse for his immaturity. He's been in the league going on 8yrs now, and if it's still an issue now, it'll continue to be an issue going forward. All in all the talent is most definitely there, but it's his mindset that should be the biggest question mark with drew

[Levity]

he wants to be a first option. if he went to ORL, i can see him having his best year, yet. He's a beast in the low post with his continually improved foot work and post moves. he can be an absolute monster on the defensive board and on defense, but, only when he wants to be.

basically, hes a giant spoiled baby in a 7 foot frame. give him what he wants and he'll give you what you want. stray from that path, and he'll be an absolute headache. can potentially be teh best center in the league. but still needs to prove it to everyone.

[ennui]

Pros: Dominant on the low block, commands double teams. Plethora of post moves including both left and right handed post hooks, single/double shimmy or windshield moves he can leverage into up and unders or lesser developed dream shakes. Elite low post defender but simply decent help defender and anchor only when motivated. Has championship experience and a lot more room for development.

Cons: Has a history with injuries, specifically knee related (look up his Q rating). Has trouble handling double teams and finding spot up shooters to kick to (although some of that has to do with our incapable shooters). Range is limited to 15 feet and in. Immaturity coupled with entitlement issues. Very low motor, especially when it comes to hedging on PnRs.

[desertlakerfan]

The bad

1) Immature. Pretty much all of his non physical issues, whether it be with his head coach, the refs, or the media; stem from his lack of maturity. He's thankfully still young enough to fix these issues, but it's not a lock that he'll do so by any stretch.

2) Health. He's had a history of getting injured, but in his defense they have been mainly freak accidents of teammates falling into his knees/legs. The last 2 seasons he's avoided the bug during the year, but neither were a full season's worth of play.


The Good

1) Arguably the best offensive center, easily the best under 25 center in the game. Can also be a defensive force and excellent rim protector when he's mentally focused. Best part, he hits his free throws at a good clip.

2) He's a young first time all star with championship experience. Not many players get to enjoy such a distinction. Not only is he young(24yo), but he's also a vet with 7 years in the league. Unlike someone like Kobe/KG, he doesn't have the miles most get when they enter the league at a young age.


I hope he stays in LA, but Im likely in the minority.

[Gek]

Bynum sucks, but **** hedo or jay rich.

[swag2011]

When Bynum's hot, he's damn near unstoppable. Alot of it comes down to his mood or not lol. I personally don't think he respects Mike Brown. All the stuff he did, such as saying "i doesn't participate in huddles i just get my zen on" or saying how "there's a bank in every city, i don't care where i play", or shooting 3 pointers, etc shows me he doesn't respect Mike Brown, cause he NEVER pulled that **** with Phil Jackson. You think Bynum would DARE not participate in huddle with Phil? Heck NO. I think he wants more touches and stuff too, cause i remember our 3rd game against the Mavs this year, at the end of regulation he didn't get to touch the ball on the last 2 plays and he complained to Kobe about not even getting the ball and having a chance to win (that was win Kobe was sitting out).

Defensively, he's NO WHERE NEAR howard. That's a fact lol. But i like Bynum more offensively. I love his post game. Plus he can shoot free throws, which is a PLUS for a big man. I'm not too concerened with injuries b/c he played every game except 1 due to an ankle sprain this season and you would think with games and practices and travel every day that he would be more likely to get injured in this lockout season but he didn't.

Here's some of his best games this season. The Clipper game is my favorite though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2zuhhJv-8I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SyNbF9awiE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUV2jIK8 ... re=related

and of course the 30 rebound game against the spurs. I will say though he is a bit SLOW lol, and sometimes he doesn't even try to rebound the ball.

[salmahayek]

Bynum's injury history is a legit concern when talking about max years and max dollars...

Has he been inconsistent? Yes. However, I lay a lot of that at the Lakers offensive inconsistency in terms of both systems and execution. The Lakers really didn't run plays for Bynum in the triangle and playing with Kobe, Bynum doesn't really know how much and where he'll get the ball.

I think if Bynum played in a system like Pat Riley used to use, where feeding the post is the primary threat then hitting cutters or shooters off of the block, and playing with a good, consistent point guard, Bynum would put up 25.0 ppg averaging less than 20 shot attempts per game.

If able to average 34 - 36 minutes a night, he would pull down 12+ boards and 2+ blocks per game, not to mention change and alter a lot of shots while anchoring a team defensively.

As far as maturity, I just don't think you can worry too much about that, as established vets do things on and off the court that make us all scratch our heads and confound NBA front offices. That said, I think Bynum has and will continue to make strides in that area.