RealGM Articles:Bynum Darkhorse MVP?

[EArl]

I feel like the MVP criteria always seems to change. At the end of the day it seems to be the media MVP. Whoever the media likes the most will usually win it. Im not saying Lebron didn't deserve it this year (because the way he played in the playoffs he did).

[thamadkant]

So Bynum will enter Hakeem, Shaq, Admiral territory by joining an eastern mid tier team?

Bynum isn't on the same level and it's not close... He'd be 19-21 ppg but lesser efficiency since he has no Kobe, Gasol to take some defensive attention away.

He'll be a good center as he was at Lakers but with slightly higher ppg and lesser FG% I think.

20ppg 11rpg 2bpg 50FG%

Sixers 49-33

Turner, Holiday will explode next season IMO one of these two will grab first option at worst share it wih Bynum.

[lawrybeard]

I'm in the boat that doesn't see Bynum's numbers increasing much at all (if any), while seeing his efficiency dropping significantly - as you would expect with pretty much any player going from a 3rd option to a 1st option. He'll be doubled off the ball when the outside shots aren't dropping, and he has an awful lot to prove in that area. Time will tell.

[LionOfLannister]

I doubt he will play enough games to be an MVP contender.

[tsherkin]

Unless Bynum suddenly stops sucking at passing and manages to stay healthy AND the Sixers do really well, I don't see him even being in the discussion. I'm not really of the mind to believe that he's going to maintain his FTR as a primary offensive focal player and I suspect his FG% will decline, which means he should take a body-blow to his PER, TS% and ORTG all at once. Given that and his inconsistent dedication to defense, I don't see how he belongs in the MVP discussion.

Naturally, if he manages to look kind of like what he usually manages and he has the team winning, then that's something else, but Bynum has never really been the #1 on a team and actually has only a single season where he's playing notably more than 30 mpg, so how he'll handle the new load of minutes AND shouldering the full offensive burden will be interesting to see. He's a good player, but he's never really screamed "MVP" at me before.

[bebopdeluxe]

Andrew Bynum won't average 17 and 10 this season. Book it.

Because a) he''ll get less shots in Philly; b) the centers in the East will defend him WAY better than in the West; c) he has no financial incentive to do well this year; or d) all of the above?

[bebopdeluxe]

People have to realize Bynum's stats have been hindered by playing with the highest usage% player in the league the last few seasons (and of all time). His stats per minute are going to increase, that's a given. Playing with a chucker inhibits your stats. Just the way it is.

Playing with a starting lineup of Holiday/Richardson or Young/Turner/Hawes/Bynum, he's going to produce on the regular. Even if Philly plays more of a slow, grind it style (as they should) and get slightly less shots off per minute than his previous Lakers teams, he's going to be the focal point. It's a given now that he's playing for a coach that understands half court basketball and he's on a team that plays more of a team ball style.

It wouldn't be unbelievable to see Bynum's stats go from 18.7/11.8/1.9blk to 22.5/12.5/2.2blk with a couple more minutes per game.

Bynum is a #2 option

No.

2011-2012, Dwight Howard FGA per 36 minutes: 12.6
2011-2012, Andrew Bynum FGA per 36 minutes: 13.6

Bynum got plenty of shots last year. The Lakers did whatever they could to work the ball through him. In games that Kobe was out, his shooting percentage went way down.

But the Lakers TEAM shooting percentage went UP almost 300 basis points.

Imagine that.

[Ugly0598]

Well, his supporting cast is terrible so at least he'll have an argument or something for bringing a lot of wins they wouldn't have got otherwise.

He doesn't have the ability to be MVP though.

Yeah, so terrible that they were a 4-6 seed most of the year until they collapsed and then tanked out of the 7 seed to play the Bulls.

[Fred Williamson]

Possibly, needs to be a 20/10/2blks guys though to have a chance against Lebron / Durant / Howard / Love/Kobe.

Love? Love a MVP candidate? lol.

[PetroNet]

People have to realize Bynum's stats have been hindered by playing with the highest usage% player in the league the last few seasons (and of all time). His stats per minute are going to increase, that's a given. Playing with a chucker inhibits your stats. Just the way it is.

Playing with a starting lineup of Holiday/Richardson or Young/Turner/Hawes/Bynum, he's going to produce on the regular. Even if Philly plays more of a slow, grind it style (as they should) and get slightly less shots off per minute than his previous Lakers teams, he's going to be the focal point. It's a given now that he's playing for a coach that understands half court basketball and he's on a team that plays more of a team ball style.

It wouldn't be unbelievable to see Bynum's stats go from 18.7/11.8/1.9blk to 22.5/12.5/2.2blk with a couple more minutes per game.

Bynum is a #2 option

No.

there are 2 sides to that sword. being a focal point, with few if any other big scorers on the team, he will be constantly, double, somtimes tripled, and attacked constantly on the other end.

[Swish4]

Bynum staying healthy for an entire season is an abberation.

[tsherkin]

Bynum staying healthy for an entire season is an abberation.

This is true.

Bynum has ONE season with more than 65 games played, and that was his second season, during which he played 82 games.

Besides that, he's played 46, 35, 50, 65, 54 and most recently, 60 games. He does not stay healthy for a full season, and that has been with him mostly played under 31 mpg (this past season excepted).

So expecting a healthy season would seem to be an exercise in disappointment. As a result, even if he's playing at an MVP level (which is another discussion entirely), he's not going to play enough games for him to be legitimately considered (in all likelihood).

EDIT:

Things to point out.

He's partially dislocated his left knee cap and had arthroscopic surgery on that knee in May of 2008. Kobe fell on him the next season, causing a right knee sprain that later turned out to be a torn MCL. The next year, he played in the playoffs on a torn meniscus in his knee, then had surgery to fix it after the season. He was roundly criticized for delaying his surgery until after his vacation events and such (reminiscent of Shaq, to some extent, for those who like to lambaste O'neal for his decision to delay toe surgery). Hyper-extended his right knee in 2011.

So, apart from missing a ton of games, he's had surgery on both knees and has had some significant injuries to each of them. The concerns about his health are thus rather well-founded.

[Joao Saraiva]

Are people even serious about the 22/12 and 2.5blks being the stats he needs to be MVP? I don't expect anything less from LeBron than a 27/7/7. And from Durant a 30/7/4... or at least they'll be close to this, or even surpass! Bynum needs to put almost 30 PPG and 12 RPG, as well a top seed in the league. Now, I'll be very surprised if he can make Philadelphia be ahead of OKC, Miami, Lakers...

And for the people putting Bynum as #3 in this run... have you forgot about Dwight, Kobe or Chris Paul? Wow I think you are really overrating Bynum on this one. Maybe between 7th and 10th in the run for the MVP. And that's it.

[Sedale Threatt]

Unless Bynum suddenly stops sucking at passing and manages to stay healthy AND the Sixers do really well, I don't see him even being in the discussion.

LeBron and Durant would probably have to die, too.

[nykballa2k4]

man the bynum is inefficient without kobe crowd is so annoying. that is such a weak unproven claim.

Hey Sixers fans wait to see how he handles double teams. Awful! You can seriously frustrate him like crazy with constant doubles. Without Kobe and Pau that's pretty much all he's going to see!

Pretty Sure Doug is going to iron those Kinks out. That's what good coaches do. Sixers surrounded Bynum with shooters. It's going to be an amazing season. I expect Turner/Holiday/Bynum to be a very formidable trio.

The only thing you said there that is true is that you implied Collins is a good coach. If we are talking about Kinks.... Collins was Kwame Browns first coach, Collins was Brenden Haywoods first coach, also most recently Mareesse Speights and Spencer Hawes. Moral of the story: What kinks has Collins been the one to fix??
Which of Holliday, Turner etc is known as a good shooter?? The best one you have is JRich. Your starting power forward will be sharp shooting Spencer Hawes...

Sixers fans have reason to be happy, but you are in the same situation the Magic were in talent wise. You have a center, but you need a superstar guard to go with him.

[Joao Saraiva]

I feel like the MVP criteria always seems to change. At the end of the day it seems to be the media MVP. Whoever the media likes the most will usually win it. Im not saying Lebron didn't deserve it this year (because the way he played in the playoffs he did).

Now that's a stupid statement. It's a regular season award. What don't you get about that? LeBron deserved cause he got a regular season like no other player. That's just what it is. And like he deserved this one, the other MVPs were all right. I don't remember a year that the MVP did not deserve his award.

[LApwnd]

think his ppg/reb will def. go up but his fg % will go down with higher fga/gm. He'll play more minutes but not drastically more, he does get tired easily and can become more inefficient as the game progresses.

[Doormatt]

I feel like the MVP criteria always seems to change. At the end of the day it seems to be the media MVP. Whoever the media likes the most will usually win it. Im not saying Lebron didn't deserve it this year (because the way he played in the playoffs he did).

Now that's a stupid statement. It's a regular season award. What don't you get about that? LeBron deserved cause he got a regular season like no other player. That's just what it is. And like he deserved this one, the other MVPs were all right. I don't remember a year that the MVP did not deserve his award.

da **** are you talking about. theres been plenty of questionable MVP winners, just as recent as a few years ago with rose. and of course theres the obvious one with Iverson where there were clearly better candidates no matter the criteria.

[Joao Saraiva]

I feel like the MVP criteria always seems to change. At the end of the day it seems to be the media MVP. Whoever the media likes the most will usually win it. Im not saying Lebron didn't deserve it this year (because the way he played in the playoffs he did).

Now that's a stupid statement. It's a regular season award. What don't you get about that? LeBron deserved cause he got a regular season like no other player. That's just what it is. And like he deserved this one, the other MVPs were all right. I don't remember a year that the MVP did not deserve his award.

da **** are you talking about. theres been plenty of questionable MVP winners, just as recent as a few years ago with rose. and of course theres the obvious one with Iverson where there were clearly better candidates no matter the criteria.

D. Rose was a top player in the league exceeding all expectations with the 1st seed. LeBron had a better statline but the Heat were way below expectations. Yes, D. Rose deserved that MVP award. And who did you want instead of AI? Shaq?

[desertlakerfan]

2011-2012, Dwight Howard FGA per 36 minutes: 12.6
2011-2012, Andrew Bynum FGA per 36 minutes: 13.6

Bynum got plenty of shots last year. The Lakers did whatever they could to work the ball through him. In games that Kobe was out, his shooting percentage went way down.

Howard - 10.6 FTA per game
Bynum - 5.6 FTA per game

As you can see from the entire picture(not just FGA), Howard got more touches last year as the number one option on a team designed around his strengths(he was surrounded with outside shooters). That should be common sense to people who watched Laker games since Kobe was obviously getting the majority of the looks last year with Bynum eating second.

Bynum will now be on a team like Howard's, one that will have him as the focal point on offense and a team that will have plenty of shooters for him to kick it out to on double and triple teams. I have no doubt that he'll put up better numbers, especially being in the Eastern conference which has fewer quality front courts to face.

He's 24, played 35 mpg last year and didn't miss any games due to injury in a condensed lockout schedule with less time to rest between games. It's his chance to dominate, and if he can lead Philly to a top 3 seed he'll easily be a MVP candidate.