COMMENTARY | The Orlando Magic are doing their best impersonation of the Los Angeles Lakers in the drama department given the latest developments concerning Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy.
But even the Lakers can't match theatrics of this magnitude.
Van Gundy himself said on Wednesday that Howard went to management and asked that he be fired. Howard, of course denied it, and sent the whole sports world into a frenzy in the hours following. Howard is now looks like the ultimate saboteur to many onlookers. He looks absolutely foolish to those who happened to witness the most awkward press conference ever featuring he and Van Gundy.
If anyone thought the drama with Howard was over after the trade deadline, they were mistaken. The All-Star center looks awfully bad right now given the baggage he has helped bring to his team.
Lakers fans thought Andrew Bynum's beef with Mike Brown was bad, but Howard versus Van Gundy is off the charts.
Lakers fans, players, and management, must wonder if Dwight Howard would really be worth trading for considering they currently have the second-best center in the league in Bynum, another All-Star.
Certainly, Bynum is not without his own issues. He's been on a recent streak of immature behavior that has gone back several years. Recent examples include taking an ill-advised three-pointer against the Golden State Warriors, saying he'd do it again, failing to hustle on defense, and claiming that he doesn't participate in huddles, and taking verbal shots at Brown.
Howard, on the other hand, has held his organization hostage, set himself up to do it again, blatantly lied, and undermined his own coach. Bynum's antics pale in comparison.
The Lakers have to consider steering clear of Howard and taking their chances building around Bynum at this point. Injuries are a concern with him, but he is playing at such a high level, that it's going to be difficult to get exceptional value back if they were to trade him. Fans clamoring for Dwight Howard and shipping Bynum need to reconsider and look at the potential headache for years to come.
They should also look at the numbers.
Bynum has a player efficiency rating through 50 games of 24.6. Howard's, by comparison, is 26.2 through 53 games, hardly a deal-breaking difference. Because basketball is such a mentally demanding game, Howard's immaturity makes him much less attractive. Bynum has issues of his own, but again, he has not effectively wrecked a franchise either.
The Lakers would be wise to continue to work with Bynum, who is a home-grown product of their system. He is steadily improving and happy in Los Angeles. Dominant centers are hard to find, and apparently, it's next to impossible to find one without some baggage.
Even still, Bynum is the lesser of two evils, and his differences with Mike Brown can be overcome with time and familiarity. Keep in mind that Stan Van Gundy and Howard have worked together since 2007. Brown and Bynum are just experiencing growing pains in their first year.
The Lakers plan to pick up the $16.1M option on Bynum's contract, and they have until June 30, 2012 to do it. In an offseason that was marred with difficulty following 2011, this should be welcome news for fans.
Staying out of the Dwight Howard-related chaos that will ensue when he becomes a free agent should make them feel even better.
Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Sports, southern California native, and follows all developments of the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA.
Follow Michael on Twitter: @MikeJonesTweets
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