Stock Watch - Andrew Bynum

Andrew Bynum has had a pretty good season so far, averaging 10.4 points and 9.4 rebounds in 24 minutes of play. Well, the injury to Kwame Brown should only help Bynum's fantasy value. In fact, he started tonight against the Pacers, here's his line:

17 pts, 10 rb, 1 stl, 4 blk, 100% FG Shooting 5 of 6 from the line in 29 mins

Granted, he played against a horrible defensive team in the Pacers with the likes of Troy Murphy and a hobbled Jermaine O'Neal guarding him, but he still impressed me. What I like the most is how BIG Bynum is playing. Yes, he's 7' and 275 lbs, but for the first time in his young career he is utilizing that size. If Andrew is within 5 feet of the basket, he's dunking it. He simply reaches over his defender or extends around him and throws it down. He also has a very soft touch around the rim and a nice midrange jumper to compliment it. He has the ability to be a force on the defensive end with his super long arms, but still has a lot of work to do there; the 4 blocks tonight are a sign of that promise. That was the reason Kwame was starting; he's the best lowpost defender the Lakers have.



We are starting to see his potential and why The Lakers have refused to trade him. I would expect Andrew to average 12 points and 10 rebounds with 1.5 blocks and good percentages with the increased role. I know that's not too far off what he's currently averaging, but I simply don't expect him to take that leap yet because he is so young and still has a lot to learn. That being said, he's improving and could be setup for a big second half, especially if Kobe gets traded.