UPDATE: PUT THOSE ALL STAR ASPIRATIONS ON HOLD. WITH LAST NIGHT'S INJURY, AB WILL BE OUT 8 WEEKS. YIKES!
The progress of Andrew Bynum is now apparent to everyone. Chided by Kobe Bryant last summer while Kobe was lamenting on why Andrew was not traded for a better player, Andrew has not only won over Kobe but the entire NBA. How could a kid so young be so good?
Having the job of impressing one Kobe Bryant is motivation enough. So last summer AB went to work with a personal trainer to increase his strength and endurance. He continured his work with the greatest center of all time, Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The results are unmistakeable.
Last season AB was not one of the primary or secondary scoring options. Now, everybody looks to lob an alley oop pass into Andrew's hands around the rim. Why? It is one of the most unstoppable plays that ends with one of the most unstoppable shots in all of basketball. He is just taller, longer, faster, and more athletic than everybody else around the basket.
Andrew Bynum is now tied with Andris Biedrins (depending on who played last) to lead the NBA in field goal percentage with 63.4% from the field. On a per minute played basis, he is 8th in rebounding, and 3rd in blocked shots. He now averages a double double With 13 PPG and 10 RPG and has 18 for the season to place #5 among centers and #11 in the league.
This all translates into a rising EFF rating of 21.91 (Kobe is at 24 EFF) to make him the 6th best center in the NBA. Those are All Star numbers, but what will keep him from being an All Star? Only 1 of the 6 centers rated ahead of him is from the East, Dwight Howard. But 4 centers from the West have a better rating Yao Ming, Amare Stoudamire, Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman.
If AB were in the East, one would argue he should be an All Star. But most of the best centers in the NBA are in the Western Conference so AB loses the numbers game. The top 6 centers should go to the game and he is #6. But he is #5 in the West. Too bad! At the ripe young age of 20, his day will come.
Meanwhile, who do you think Kobe would trade AB for now? There are other great players in the NBA who could help the Lakers, but it could be AB who has helped the Lakers become one of the premier teams in the league. His departure could mean the Laker slide backwards no matter who he would be traded for. Who would replace him? Certainly not Chris Mihm or Kwame Brown. He is now one of the most untouchable players in the NBA. He is not going anywhere. He now represents the best trade that was never made. He sells tickets!
JamFan
