Lakers vs. Celtics Post-Game Report
Lakers Defeat Celtics, 92-83; Is Andrew Bynum the Difference?
The Lakers had lost last year, a heartbreaking finals, to the Celtics, but this highly anticipated regular season game saw the two teams with slightly different lineups. The Celtics had lost veteran players James Posey and PJ Brown, while the Lakers saw the return of a healthy center, Andrew Bynum and a healthy forward, Trevor Ariza.
Many touted Bynum as a reason why the Lakers lost to the Celtics in the finals. To be more specific, it was because the Lakers were missing Bynum (due to his knee injury) and his defense and shot-blocking ability that they lost to the Celtics.
After their Christmas game ended, Kevin Garnett was asked if Bynum made a difference.
"No," Garnett said.
Compared with last season's (Lakers) team?
"No."
While, there is a degree of truth to Garnett's reply, there is no doubt Bynum's presence for the Lakers' starting rotation, has helped the Lakers.
Bynum's final numbers after the game: 9 points on a 4 for 7 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 blocked shots, 2 personal fouls in under 36 minutes.
While his numbers were nothing spectacular, nor were they shoddy, Bynum's presence, as evident over recent games, have made a difference for the Lakers.
When Bynum is rotating correctly, helping out defense, and not getting into foul trouble, his presence improves both the Lakers defense and offense, as illustrated in the Lakers' road win over the New Orleans Hornets . But when Bynum gets into early foul trouble or loses focus and doesn't rotate on defense, the Lakers miss his help defense and his ability to block and alter shots, as evident by their recent road losses to the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic .
Of course, Bynum's performance each game does not determine if the Lakers win or lose. Basketball is still a team sport. Yet with Bynum in the Lakers' lineup, he provides the Lakers an additional shot blocking, shot altering, shot contesting, and rebounding big man. After all, a crucial blocked shot or rebound can always alter the final results of a game.
So is he the difference between last year's Finals Lakers team and this year's Lakers team? Is he the key piece to what was missing for the Lakers? Will he help the Lakers win a championship?
Well that remains to be seen.
Last season, Bynum showed he had the talent to become a good center, but with his season ending knee injury, he never had the chance to fully develop into his potential. There are still many NBA regular season games to be played, Bynum's development and potential still remains to be seen, which is why Garnett can say "No" about Bynum's difference making in the Lakers victory over the Celtics because Bynum hasn't been asked to make crucial plays down the stretch of a close game. And a time will come when he will be asked to be the deciding factor. How he'll perform, no one knows. But for now, he doesn't need to, yet. His presence alone gives the Lakers more options than last year's Lakers squad.
Last year, the Lakers did not match up well with the Celtics. One of the many reasons the Celtics beat the Lakers was that their bench depth was superior to the Lakers'. Not only did they have power forward, Garnett and center, Kendrick Perkins start, they had veteran forwards like PJ Brown and James Posey coming off their bench. That's a whole lot of valuable big men relieving Garnett and Perkins that can defend, hustle, shoot, and rebound very well.
With Bynum back in the starting rotation this year, the Lakers have Gasol and Bynum to counter with Garnett and Perkins. And since Brown retired and Posey left Boston for New Orleans, the Lakers now have Lamar Odom coming off the bench to contest with Leon Powe coming off the bench for Boston.
It's all about the potential match ups and regardless the opponent, having a healthy Bynum back certainly doesn't hurt the Lakers' chances.
But Bynum is still a young player (only in his fourth season), who hasn't played a complete full season. He is prone to commit silly fouls and miss rotation assignments, and hasn't been tested in crucial playoff minutes, yet there's no doubt that his presence has given the Lakers a much needed "talented" big man to aid Odom and Gasol offensively and defensively.
After all, Bynum is the Lakers only true center. He can cause mismatches against other teams and advantages for the Lakers. He can help contest the Yao Mings, the Dwight Howards, the Shaquille O'Neals of opposing teams much more effectively than either Lamar Odom or Pau Gasol. Or at least, he provides the Lakers with more options.
In the end, it depends on Bynum's development. Only time will tell if he'll truly be the difference for the Lakers, in the regular season, in the playoffs, in the finals, or just maybe against the Celtics.
Published by Alexandra Lang
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13 Comments
Post a CommentTo reader, Bulldog (continuing from by last comment):
So yes, it sucks for the Celtics that they were missing Perkins in Games 6 and 7 of the Finals (because it's unfortunate for any team not to be 100% healthy during the playoffs - but it's nearly impossible to be 100% healthy if you've played 82 games and counting), but that has nothing to do with this article and in the end, that's the game. You deal with the injuries. No excuses. You don't hear the Lakers players bemoaning the fact they missed Andrew Bynum for the entire series in the 2008 Finals.
Thank you for the comment, but please reserve what bitterness you have for the result of Game 7 in another article related to Game 7.
To reader, Bulldog:
Please read the article carefully, less you sound like a bitter Celtics fan, because if you had read the article carefully, you would have noticed that this article was about December 25th, 2008 game between the two teams.
Next, if you're going to be begrudging Perkins missing in 2010, then please extend the same courtesy to the Lakers missing Bynum in 2008.
Finally, even if Kobe Bryant did play poorly in the 7th Game of the 2010 NBA Finals, he made up for it by rebounding out of his mind - fun stat: Kobe by himself out-rebounded Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace. Combined with Pau, the two of them outrebounded the Celtics' starters.
And as for the erroneous suggestion that the Lakers were entirely healthy - not true. Kobe was nursing a banged up knee that required surgery in the offseason and an arthritis shooting finger. Bynum was equally injured and had surgery in the offseason, but for the playoffs, they bore through the pain.
So yes, it s
"...And as my article above illustrated, having a healthy Bynum makes a world of a difference for the Lakers."
Bynum was invisible that series, Gasol was the MVP...and you still needed 7 games IN L.A. with less than 2 minutes and Bynum didn't even score.
Dude, the Lakers were AT HOME and Kobe was playing like crap and you still had Bynum! So you have your whole team healthy, our center is gone for the biggest game...and that is even? Um...yeah.
(continuing from my previous comment) ...
Ron Artest's defense on Pierce was primarily the reason why Pierce couldn't even have a "best game."
If you want to give the Lakers an asterisk for their 2010 victory, then you better give the Celtics an asterisk for their 2008 victory because the Lakers were without two of their starters as well. Trevor Ariza and Andrew Bynum would like to bid you a hello.
If the Celtics showed you what a real championship team was, then the Lakers took that mantle from them. Down 13 in the 3rd quarter, shooting like crap, and they still manage to win because of defense and rebounding, essentially beating the Celtics with their own game? Heck yes, the Lakers deserved to be champions because I don't remember the Celtics crying over the Lakers missing Andrew Bynum during the 2008 Finals. And as my article above illustrated, having a healthy Bynum makes a world of a difference for the Lakers.
To J. hernandez.
It's easy to speak in hypotheticals, but the truth is, when the Lakers did have every player in their team playing their best, the Celtics lost by a blowout. I doubt the Celtics would win "every game hands down" if every player from both teams had their best game. First, Kobe Bryant is a head and above every player on the Celtics team. This is the man that scored 81 points. In his match up with Ray Allen, he would win. Pau Gasol is now better than KG. Rondo would win his matchup with Derk Fisher, but even Rondo has limits, like finishing around the hoop or shooting the jumper. Defend him right, as the Lakers did, and his assist and scoring went down during the series compared to his numbers against the Cavs. Kendrick Perkins doesn't have the same offensive skill sets as Andrew Bynum. If both of them had been healthy and playing, Bynum could have easily won his matchup. As you could see, Paul Pierce couldn't even have a decent game most of the series because of Ron Ar
if every player from both teams had there best game in the same game, Celtics would win every game hands down. although they lack the defensive rebounding perkins gave them, the celtics showed me what a real championship team is. lakers took advantage of perkins injury ( like any team would and capitalized on it ). everyone knows the results would have been differ if perk was in game. lakers won wit second, third shot oppurtunities ( y: cuz no perk ) unfortunatly for celtics.
HELL YEAH! BYNUM IS A VERY GOOD PLAYER, HE LOVES TO PUT THE BALL ON TOP OF MANY HEADS. KOBE BRYANT IS KEY PLAYER, I SO HEART THIS MAN. HE PLAY TO SHOWOUT AND BLOWOUT. HE MAY HAVE HIS BAD GAMES, BUT HE ALWAYS COME BACK AND DOMINATE TO TERMINATE. LAKERS ARE A VERY DEDICATED PREPARED TEAM DATS WILLING TO TAKE ON WHATEVER AND WHOEVER.KOBE BRYANT,BYNUM,ODOM,FISHER,S.BROWN,L.WALTON. AND SASHA V.
Thanks, Mr. Dave for the comment! I appreciate it! February 5th, pencil it. It'll be another rematch.
Great article on a not-so great outcome :)