With Bynum Down, Can the Lakers Stay Up?
By Ted M. Green | L.A. Confidential, Los Angeles Lakers, Column
Well, Laker lovers, Happy Days were Here Again.
Just like the song that was published just before the stock market crash in 1929 that led to the Great Depression, the music was cheerfully playing for the Lakers… until Andrew Bynum went down.
Sadly, when Bynum went to the floor, he took the Lakers’ chances of winning the West and/or getting a high seed with him.
Now, just making it to postseason seems like a more modest and attainable goal.
Of course, unlike ‘29, no one is jumping out of windows or lining up at soup kitchens just yet. Bynum should be back by mid-March, with a month to round into shape before the playoffs.
Yet here’s an economic indicator that foreshadows leaner times ahead:
The Lakers are 1-4 in their last 5 games and 2-4 since the big kid crumbled to the court with a temporarily dislocated kneecap that’s gonna sideline him for six more weeks (at least).
Six more LONG weeks. Weeks that include a nine city road trip that is such a marathon, I’m expecting the Kenyans to finish 1-2-3, and the Lakers to go 5-4. If they’re lucky.
Following Sunday’s great theatre between the NBA’s two most transcendent talents, with Lebron getting the edge over
Kobe, this is what we know about the Lakers at the midpoint of their Return to Relevance season:
–With Bynum, I’m with Jeff Van Gundy. They are a championship team, in my view, too.
–Without him, they’re Kwame Brown. Earnest. Hardworking. Just not good enough.
Oh, and this too:
–With Bynum no longer there to own the paint like a 7-1 Sherwin Williams, the serious shortcomings of the entire Laker frontcourt are now exposed for the world to see.
For example:
–Lamar Odom will never be a second scoring option on anyone‘s team. Plus, he can’t shoot from the outside or make a basket when it matters. For all that length and athleticism, he’s often just a big tease, promising much, delivering less, disappointing often. When Bynum was healthy, Lamar was fine as a third or fourth option. Just don’t rely on him to play a major role. Truth is, he disappears so often, he makes Houdini look like a magician who was only good enough to work birthday parties and Bar Mitzvahs. By now, Lamar’s story is so old and familiar, it almost writes itself.
–And lately, it’s been painful watching Luke Walton play. He is starting and getting extended minutes only because 1) He knows the triangle offense, 2) Vlad Radmanovic is a bust and 3) Trevor Ariza is also hurt.
With the Good Ship Lakers now taking on water, Kobe is doing everything within his nearly superhuman powers to keep it from capsizing and being lost at sea.
One night he is Jordan-esque, scoring 48. Another he reads the situation and channels Steve Nash, taking only eight shots with 11 assists that would have been 18 had teammates made their chippies. Then Sunday against Cleveland, he morphs into Dennis Rodman, glass eating for 12 boards. The 33 points, those were nice too.
Bless his maturing heart, Kobe has become the NBA’s most fascinating chameleon, blending and changing in a most brilliantly entertaining way.
But you don’t lose what Bynum brought to the party — 20 points, 13 rebounds, shot blocking, inside domination and a 90-inch wingspan — without feeling the pain, and right now the Lakers need Extra Strength Advil. That‘s how much it hurts to have lost their 20-year old phenom in the middle.
If there were easy answers, Phil Jackson and his coach staff would find them. Fact is, there aren’t.
To paraphrase Dennis Green, Kwame is who he is.
The Lakers’ best hope for the impending nine game roadie is for Lamar and Luke to step up in a meaningful way.
Except right now, to me, you can re-cue Dennis Green.
It looks we may know who they are too.
Ted Green is Senior Sports Producer for KTLA Prime News and a former sportswriter for the L.A. Times and National Sports Daily.
Discuss:
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First of all, the the nine game road trip is very over-rated…Has anyone actually checked the schedule on that trip?
1. Detroit-tough game
2. Toronto-winnable, kind of tough
3. Washington - winnable
4. New Jersey-winnable
5. Atlanta-winnable
6. Orlando-tough game, but could go either way
7. Miami-winnable
8. Charlotte-winnable
9. Minnesota-winnable
So, it would be very easy for even this depleted Lakers team to go 6-3 on that trip. They could go 7-2, or maybe, god forbid, they’ll go 5-4 or 4-5….
If they beat the knicks tonight, and go 6-3 on the trip, which is what I think they’ll go, they’d be 34-18 when they got back, with a favorable schedule the rest of the way.
The only blip on the favorable part is a tough 4 game road stretch from March 14-20 where they play New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, and Utah consecutively; but that’s when Bynum is supposed to return.
Even if he’s not back by then, and they lose all four of those games, going over the schedule game by game, I’ll predict the Lakers would still win about 55 games, which would make the playoffs in the brutal west, probably a 4-6 seed; right in time for Bynum to be back at full strength.
So if you thik the Lakers will Bynum are contendors, then they’ll remain contendors, becasue frankly, the brilliant parity in the west means that it doesn’t really matter where you’re seeded in the playoffs, every series will be tough….
Also, the Lakers are in a litte rut, but the last three games they’ve lost were all games in which they were “in” late, and were against three strong, hungry teams in SA, Dallas and Cleveland - even with Bynum, no shame in losing those contests….
Now, if you think the Lakers are a championship team, fine, but don’t misquote people to emphasizie your point: Van Gundy said with Bynum the Lakers “could” come out of the west, and on ESPN, he’s been very clear that 5 or 6 teams could come out of the west - much different than “will”…..
Don’t worry, you’ll get to see your Lakers in the playoffs, and you’ll see if your year long promise of a Lakers title run will be come into fruition….
Daniel, great response.
Yes, truly a great response.
As we have all come to find out, it is almost impossible to avoid injuries. The Lakers have one problem though, when being compared to the current championship caliber teams - they can’t seem to play the same way every night. When the spurs lose Duncan, then can still compete (that is just one example). Right now this Lakers team looks like they would not be in the playoffs, despite your optimistic outlook Daniel.
The answer is to ship out Luke, Lamar, Vlad, Kwame, and any other player who is soft, weak-minded, and/or unreliable when responsibility is placed on them. I would gladly sacrifice them for less talented players who give you consistency, no matter who is on the floor. Think the Horry for Ceballos trade in the late 90’s. I’m not going to speculate about what players we should be shopping for, but to be champions you need guys who can make shots when called upon.
Look at the Spurs - outside their core, who do they have? An old Finley, older Barry, lousy Oberto, Elson, and Matt Bonner???? We have Lamar, Luke, Vlad, and Kwame - arguably more talented, younger players. The difference is that those old guys make shots, give you the same thing nighly and rise when called upon. If you see how the Lakers 3-peat team of 2000-2002 was constructed, talented players were being traded or let go for the likes of Robert Horry, Rick Fox, Ron Harper, Horace Grant, etc. I think I’ve made my point… the problem is I don’t see Buss and Mitch making those kind of bold moves.
Yeah Daniel! Get this guy posting.