In his seventh season with the Los Angeles Lakers, center Andrew Bynum was on the verge of something special.
By Lori Shepler, AP
Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum gets tended to by trainer Gary Vitti in the first quarter of Sunday's win vs. the Golden State Warriors. Bynum left with a sprained ankle.
The first-time All-Star, who is averaging career highs of 17.9 points and 11.9 rebounds, was in the stretch run of completing just his second full season without major injury. He has played in 49 of 53 games this season.
And then it happened.
Bynum left in the first quarter of Sunday's 120-112 victory against the Golden State Warriors after spraining his left ankle.
X-rays came back negative, according to the Lakers, but Bynum is getting re-evaluated Monday. Coach Mike Brown said he expects the 7-footer to be fine, noting Bynum was able to walk off the court under his own power after coming down on the foot of teammate Josh McRoberts.
Bynum refused crutches and walked out of Staples Center after the game without speaking to reporters.
Bynum was coming off a productive month of March, when he averaged 22.2 points and 10.9 rebounds in 17 games.
"He's gotten better," teammate Kobe Bryant said after the game. "You see him working on his footwork a lot, he has a lot of moves in his arsenal that he didn't have before. He's much more comfortable doing it and he's gained a great deal of confidence."
If Bynum has to miss a few days, Bryant said the Lakers can adjust: "I don't think it's a championship formula, but we can for the time being.
The only season Bynum played in all 82 games was 2006-07, when he started 53.
Bynum's past injury woes have been knee-related — he has had surgeries on both and wears a brace on his right knee.
He tweaked it before the All-Star game and received an injection during All-Star weekend. He only played six minutes in the actual game, but it was stated as a precautionary measure.
The Lakers' success has hinged on his ability to play through pain and at least be a defensive presence.
•In 2007-08, Bynum went down with a bruised bone and dislocated right kneecap. He was expected to miss two months and be back for the playoffs but instead missed the last 46 games.
Without Bynum, who had the loose cartilage removed and the bone shaved under the kneecap to smooth it out, the Lakers fell to the Boston Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals.
•Bynum missed 32 regular-season games in 2008-09, after he tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee when Bryant crashed into him.
It didn't require surgery and Bynum was available for the postseason as the Lakers won the championship against the Orlando Magic in five games.
•With Bynum playing through pain and needing right knee surgery late in 2009-10, the Lakers edged the Celtics in seven games for consecutive championships.
In the past, the Lakers could rely on 6-10 Lamar Odom to fill the gap left by Bynum. But Odom was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for a trade exception before this season.
Any lengthy Bynum absence this time will be a new test for the Lakers.
For more information about
reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor
Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to
letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
corrections.usatoday.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment