As the masses of Lakers’ fans are clamoring for a big trade that will send Laker’s big man Andrew Bynum to Orlando for Dwight Howard, I’m one of the fans that is opposed to the potential trade. I believe in Mike Brown’s San Antonio styled Laker offense, Bynum has the tools to put up Tim Duncan like numbers. Dwight Howard is the smaller man with a questionable free throw stroke and a limited post repertoire. Andrew Bynum is 24 years old with championship experience (2 NBA Titles) and has a career 83% playoff free throw average and is a 57% career from the field. Bynum is thought of being a lesser player to Howard but he only averages under 8 shot attempts per game compared to Howard’s 13 shots a game. But as Bynum’s role increases and his shot attempts rise don’t be shocked if he averages over 17 points and 11 rebounds this year. Mostly due to more shot attempts and touches due to the nature of Mike Brown’s offense. Might I add that players that handled and shot the ball a lot last year Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown have moved on.
While Dwight has more flash to his game and is one the best athletes , with athletic ability on par, with the likes of Lebron James. But, he relies on his immense athletic gifts and not on basketball skill and proper footwork. It will be easy to reason that Bynum will be good a lot longer than Howard can be great. But that is not to say that the 26 year old Howard would not improve under the direction and tutelage of the game’s apex predator Kobe Bryant. Kobe will be able to clean up Howard’s footwork and post repertoire along with Laker’s greats Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul -Jabbar. Dwight also will benefit from the Laker’s Mystic and tradition. But as a ready made product Bynum right now with tweaks to his footwork and Mind state projects to be a better long term player.
If anything the Lakers should focus on acquiring Mo Williams(Los Angeles Clippers) who is a starting quality guard who has been very productive in Mike Brown’s system or trading Pau Gasol. The pieces that teams will give for Pau will complete the Lakers and make them a championship team. Teams like Houston and Minnesota will offer players like Kelvin Martin or Michael Beasley who will score points in the San Antonio like offensive system used in Los Angeles. Players like Sean Elliot, Steve Smith, and Bruce Bowen have had lots of wild open in that system over the years. A package of Scola, Martin, Dragic or Terrence Williams and a pick will be impressive haul for Pau and fill out the thin Laker’s roster. Then the Genius Mitchell “Mitch ” Kupchak will have three 2012 draft picks to play with and use for future moves. But Andrew Bynum at this point should be untouchable because once he decides to be a force and is given 12 or 13 shot attempts per game he will be a Tim Duncan like force. Bynum is a really good NBA center and Howard is a great athlete that happens to play center. Once Bynum becomes more of a focal point of the Laker’s offense we will readjust the consensus view of Howard being the better player