Yet, the Lakers have held onto the young seven-footer, despite the voices of fans clamoring to send him away.
The Lakers’ current seven-game win streak shows exactly why the Lakers were intent on keeping the budding big man.
Kobe Bryant has brought his spectacular play each night, but the Lakers’ rough stretch before the All-Star game showed that L.A. needed someone else to step up.
With Bynum’s energy on defense, the Lakers have rediscovered the stellar play that earned them back-to-back NBA titles.
It took about five months, but the 23 year old looks to have completely shaken off any remaining rust from his most recent injury. He looks comfortable with his knee, which has translated into confidence in his game.
It’s unfortunate, though, that Bynum’s impact is rarely recognized. His stats are not remarkable, but his impact on the defensive end makes beating the Lakers a tough task.
The last seven games have shown that Bynum knows his job and that job is to be the anchor of the defense.
When the Lakers finally ended their inexplicable losing streak to the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday, Bynum was the linchpin of a stout L.A. defense. His six blocks and 17 rebounds were impressive, but hardly capture his dominance.
He was aggressive, quick and downright daunting, visibly intimidating Charlotte’s ballhandlers, who for long stretches simply abandoned dribble penetration for fear of Bynum’s presence.
Indeed, Bynum has demonstrated how he can dominate a game without touching the ball much on offense.
“I’m just being active defensively,” Bynum said. “I can really, really help the team there by erasi...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
