While the foundational reason as to why the Lakers struggled so much against the Thunder was the lack of rest the Lakers had heading into this matchup, another big issue for the Lakers was the lack of a defensive presence in the paint.
Andrew Bynum's lack of defensive pressure in the paint was at the forefront of the Lakers' loss, and it goes to show just how important Bynum's complete level of play is to the Lakers' postseason success.
The Lakers can't beat the Thunder without a defensive presence in the paint
Players like Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace are certainly integral to whether or not the Lakers make it to the Western Conference finals, but Andrew Bynum is the only player on the Lakers' roster who can stop the Thunder in the paint.
In Game 1, the Thunder scored 48 points in the paint, and while that's only four more than the Lakers scored, the Thunder's ability to get into the paint without difficulty also enabled them to kill the Lakers from the perimeter.
Looking forward to the next few games in this series, the Lakers absolutely must amplify their defensive pressure in the paint, and the one player who can do just that is Bynum.
No, Bynum doesn't have to average 10-plus blocks per game for the Lakers to take out the Thunder. But he certainly needs to step up from under/around the rim and start contesting the shots of players like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden when they penetrate into the paint.
The Lakers certainly won't be able to keep the Thunder's backcourt from getting into the paint, but once they're there, Bynum needs to turn their high-percentage shots into contested, low-percentage shots. The Lakers need to make the Thunder win the series from the perimeter, and that starts with Bynum ste...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
