Andrew Bynum

The Los Angeles Lakers have always been one of the elite teams in the NBA. All-stars such as Jerry West, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant have all played very important roles in the franchise’s success. However, even with the success those athletes achieved, the cornerstones of the Laker dynasties have always been their big men. Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Shaquille O’neal.

Since the O’neal trade in 2004, the Lakers have lacked a big man to return to their elite status. Fortunately they have not sat down and whined about it. Instead, they rehired the greatest coach in history, Phil Jackson. Have arguably the best guard in the NBA in Kobe Bryant, and acquired a versatile, although inconsistent triple threat in Lamar Odom.

In the 2005 draft, the Lakers made another bold move by selecting the youngest player in NBA history to be drafted, Andrew Bynum. Bynum, standing 7′0 tall and weighing in at 285 pounds was drafted at just the tender age of 17 years and 8 months. Coached by the legendary Kareem Abdul Jabbar this past season, Bynum has developed better interior post moves and improved on his overall defense.

Two nights ago, Bynum put up his best numbers in a preseason finale against the Denver Nuggets. He scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and handed out five assists in the thirty minutes he saw on the floor. What was even more impressive was his lack of turnovers. He did not turn the ball over once the entire game.

Due to injuries of starting center Kwame Brown and backup Chris Mihm, Bynum will be making his first regular season career start against the Pheonix Suns. At just 19 years of age, and possibly without starting guard Kobe Bryant at the wings, Bynum will jump start the 2006-2007 Laker season. Let the new Laker Dynasty Begin!