Bynum's 10-point, 13-rebound, 10-block performance was the Lakers' first postseason triple-double since Magic Johnson accomplished the feat in 1991, and his 10 blocks ties Bynum with Mark Eaton and Hakeem Olajuwon for the most blocks in a single game in postseason history.
And if Bynum can avoid another injury, even more postseason glory could be just down the road.
In an article I said that Lakers guard Kobe Bryant would only win his sixth ring if Bynum captured his first NBA Finals MVP award, and Bynum's Game 1 performance only reinforces my theory.
Bryant was the game's leading scorer with 31 points but Bynum controlled the paint and the game whenever he was in the contest, and Denver's hopeless forays to the rim continued to grow more comical by the minute.
I'm pretty sure Bynum blocked at least one shot from each member of the Nuggets' starting five, and that rare ability to determine a contest without scoring points could be a game-changer.
Bynum has always had the size, talent and potential to be a superior defensive player, but now it appears that he truly understands how much his play on that end of the court impacts his team.
In fact, in the fourth quarter Bynum was much more concerned with adding to his blocks totals rather than his points, and that's great for the Lakers and scary for the rest of the NBA.
I know that Derrick Rose's injury gives the Miami Heat the inside track to a return trip to the NBA Finals, and the versatility of forward LeBron James makes this a likelihood.
In the Heat's Game 1 win over the New York Knicks, James scored 32 points and shot 71 percent from the field while showing the versatility that makes h...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
