9 replies to this topic

[magicbalala245]

Article

Fans and pundits in the City of Angels had been debating the merits of the Los Angeles Lakers
giving a 21-year-old, relatively unproven player a big-money contract extension for most of the NBA's preseason. At the start of the NBA's regular season, the Lakers did exactly that.

The extension Andrew Bynum signed is reportedly for four seasons and will keep the young big man in Los Angeles through the 2012-13 campaign.

Some have said it was a risk to give Bynum the money. However, his teammates believe the organization did the right thing.

"He develops everyday," Lakers' forward Lamar Odom told HOOPSWORLD. "He works out with Kareem Abdul- Jabbar everyday, who's arguably the best player ever... definitely the best scorer. Stats don't lie."

"I think it's important," Odom added with regard to the Lakers locking Bynum up long-term. "I mean, I don't think it's important, I know it's important. Any time you've got a player who is so dominant and so young, you want him around as long as you can have him."

Whether or not Bynum has developed quickly enough is another topic of discussion that has been making it's way around water coolers across NBA nation, especially after last season's injury.

"I think he's been growing extremely quickly, actually," Kobe Bryant told HOOPSWORLD. "Last year, obviously, having the injury set him back a little bit. But I look forward to him having a great season this season. We have more firepower than we did before he got injured. His numbers might not reflect it, but we look for him to make significant improvements particularly on the defensive end."

Kobe made a key point above. What the Lakers are going to get from Bynum in the next couple of seasons may not be reflected in his numbers. What he needs to focus on right now, as Kobe also noted, is playing solid defense. If he can do that, the Lakers will have a great shot to win it all right now.

Now is not the time for Drew to focus on putting up numbers that in some way "justify" his contract. Instead, now is the time for him to play the role he needs to play to help the Lakers win a championship.

Is $58 million a lot to give a kid who hasn't made an All-Star team, yet? Sure it is. But that's just the way the league works now days. The fact of the matter is that guys get paid on potential in modern-day NBA basketball, especially big guys because of the relative dearth of quality big men in the game today.

The move could always backfire, but it was a deal the Lakers had to get done. Had they let Bynum hit the free agent market, even as a restricted free agent, they would have ended up having to pay substantially more for his services by matching an offer sheet that was near max-money. And make no mistake, a couple of teams would have been willing to throw that kind of cash at him.

The Lakers did what they had to do and locked up big Drew.

[Game]

if you like to gamble...on his health. if he stays healthy, with kobe, and the other players he'll have around him for the duration of his contract, its hard to see him not ending being a top center in the league

[kobynum]

he's worth every penny, he alters at least 8 shots a game.

[Aceis²FresH]

We should have waited,

If he finished this year healthy - the 2 mil more or w/e it would be
we would of had to pay him would be worth it

[lakerfool]

We should have waited,

If he finished this year healthy - the 2 mil more or w/e it would be
we would of had to pay him would be worth it

Bynum is worth as much to this team as Kobe if not MORE due to his youth. Easy decision to re-sign him.

[Nirvana]

In the words of Stephen A Smith:

"He's not a scrub, his name isn't Rasho Nesterovic or Slava Medvedenko, he can actually play".

Bynum is the future, period. We needed to lock him up long term.

[netlord]

We didn't have any choice, we HAD TO do it.
He will produce.

[insert coin here]

I don't care if he doesn't score much, he have Kobe, Pau, Farmar, D-fish, Lamar, Sasha, and Space Cadet for that... we have too much offensive weapons it's almost unfair...

I want him to be our defensive anchor... but if he ends up a 20/10/3 + defense type of player, that's even better.

[kobynum]

Bynum alters enough shots to be worth that JACK as you put it

[GotKobe?]

Yeah, he's worth $$ if he stays healthy(knock on wood). The thing with this Lakers team this year is we have a lot of players who can score. The thing the Lakers lacked last season was solid DEFENSE. With Drew in the paint it will make a lot of players alter their shots. I like what I see so far...there's a good balance of scoring going on which I think is a good thing. If Kobe or Pau has a bad shooting night the others can make up the scoring.


More power to Mitch & Dr. Buss.