Back Off Bynum!

Clothesline!

Well well well, look who decided to show up. Do I really have to praise the Lakers after doing what they should've done in Game 4? Seriously, do I have to explain that playing with heart, passion and desire on the defensive end generally leads to wins? Honestly, do I have to try to get into the heads of these millionaires, and come up with an answer to why they take nights off when they have no right to?

Well, I'm not going to break down the game, but rather one player in particular. A player who is has been unfairly maligned in these playoffs, and that's Andrew Bynum.

Right out of the gate, there were changes for the Lakers. Lamar Odom was not inserted into the starting lineup, because of back soreness, and that allowed Andrew Bynum to go to work early. He scored six quick points in the first 3:07 of the game, and he did it by being assertive.

He scored off an alley-oop dunk, a put-back dunk off a Fisher miss (what a surprise the way he's been shooting), and a nice bank job from 8 feet out. The big man picked up points instead of picking up fouls, which was refreshing, since he's been channeling Greg Oden in the playoffs.

Bynum ended up with 14 pts (4-4 FTs) and 6 Rebounds. Most of those points just came out of hustle plays and being in the right place at the right time. This is what he needs to do more of. Stay in front of the basket, and let things come to him, rather than try to do something fancy out of the post, and run into an offensive foul. If he can do the easy things, the Lakers could advance to their second straight NBA Finals.

The Lakers should seriously think about starting Andrew Bynum from here on out. He's a player that plays better with more minutes played, and while I also feel the same way about Lamar Odom, he is more accustomed to coming off the bench and doing work with the second unit. It isn't even really about who's starting anyway, because L.O. usually finishes the games, but with Bynum starting, he can get a feel for the game early, score some easy baskets, and regain that seemingly lost confidence.

However, with all this good Bynum news coming in, there is some bad to report. He was seen grimacing in pain with Lakers trainer Gary Vitti on the bench, while trying to adjust to his new knee brace/sleeve. He is still having problems playing with that chronic knee problem of his. His movement is clearly not where it needs to be, but maybe with more time, he'll adjust to the knee brace.

But in the meantime, can we all chillax and remember that this is his first playoffs! He's never had experience in big games. Bynum has never handled the ball in the post, with 60,000 screaming fans in the Final Four, let alone trying to play against the best of the best in the NBA playoffs.

Let's get this straight right now: He is not a savior. In the condition that he is in now, he cannot provide the Lakers with the toughness they need. He is more or a less a scorer, who can get some rebounds, but his lateral movement on the defensive end is deplorable. At times, he moves like he's 31, rather than 21, but hopefully with a strong off-season, Bynum will become the great defensive player that the Lakers need.

Until then, let's appreciate this young basketball sevant, who will only get better with time. This organization is known for building around big centers (Wilt, Jabbar, Shaq). The Lakers are hoping that Bynum is the next BIG Laker legend.

Yay! I'm happy again!