At TrueHoop, Henry Abbott links to and discusses this surprising Andrew Bynum quote from the Los Angeles Times: "The second unit played well, got a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter. We were all taken out with six minutes to go in game," Bynum said. "We didn't get any rebounds [after that]. I don't know what to say about that."Basically, the Lakers got killed on the glass in the fourth quarter while Bynum was on the bench. The offensive rebounds by Indiana greatly helped the Pacers' comeback and eventual victory. Bynum wonders why, given his elite ability to rebound, he had to watch the destruction from the pine.
He has a point. L.A. is a much stronger rebounding team when Bynum is on the floor. 82games.com has the stats: the Lakers rebound 53% of their opportunities with Bynum on the court, and only 51.4% with Bynum on the bench. That may not seem like much, but it is: a team rebounding percentage of 53% is elite, whereas 51.4% is merely above-average.
Beyond the numbers or the single loss, Bynum's realization of reality is a telling lesson from the '08 Finals where Boston thoroughly whipped L.A. on the glass. For all the talk of L.A.'s new toughness these days, it comes down to Bynum. Without him, the Lakers are still "soft."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-03-2008 @ 3:11PM
frank said...
Bynum may have a point but the fact is
that last year in the 4th game against Boston, LA was up by
37 points and they lost that game and the series ;
When ahead, you close the deal, firm.
It shows that LA does not a deep bench like
they claim and Bynum is prompt to injuries
so the idea of taking him out early is to played
him on the safe side but it is the coach that has
to adjust not a single player;
It is on the coach AGAIN not MJ here!
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12-03-2008 @ 6:43PM
antonio said...
The thing about bynum was... it may have been that offensive rebound that won the game for the pacers.
But I'm pretty sure bynum cost a few turnovers that cut the lead for the pacers and gave them a chance during the beginning of the 4th.
And sure the lakers could have put it away but there was that momentum swing brewing..
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12-04-2008 @ 1:43PM
Bryan said...
frank you are an assclown
The thought that LA's bench does not run deep is utter nonsense
The Lakers are not a soft team even without Bynum, what they do lack is a killer instinct for games they feel are unworthy of their time.
Lack of defense is what lost them this game.
Being "soft" had absolutely nothing to do with this recent loss. If they are "soft" it's not solved by just the presence of one player.
Look at what happened against Detroit. Big bruisers give the Lakers problems, and physical play must be adjusted to by the entire team.
It is true that Pau no longer has to deal with more physical centers because of Bynum's return, but the Laker's still have a lot of room for improvement, improvement necessary for them to get past the likes of a tough defense oriented east coast team
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