Apparently Andrew Bynum thinks he’s Reggie Miller all of a sudden.
During Tuesdays game against the Golden State Warriors, Lakers Center Andrew Bynum thought it was wise to hoist up a three-point shot with a huge amount of time left on the clock.
Mike Brown pulled Bynum from the court shortly after and benched him for the rest of the game.
DUH!
What else was Brown supposed to do in that situation? Give Bynum a slap on the rear as he left the court and applaud him for a job well done? Give me a break.
If anyone deserves to be applauded, it’s Mike Brown.
Good for him. Way to make an example out of somebody. If Phil Jackson had pulled Andrew, no one would have questioned it. Since it’s Mike Brown, he’s being scolded and frowned upon for something that shouldn’t have happened in the first place!
What was Bynum thinking? He’s hit ONE three-pointer since he’s entered the league. He’s nailed 1 out of 8 in his 6 year career with the Lakers. He is NOT a three-point shooter, nor should he be.
He wasn’t exactly remorseful afterwards either.
“I guess don’t take 3’s is the message. But I’m going to take some more,” Bynum said. “I just hope it’s not the same result. I hope that I make it.”
I can appreciate the fact that Bynum is trying to add another skill to his already growing repertoire. If he truly desires to add the three-point shot to his game, then spending the offseason mastering it would make more sense than just needlessly tossing it up from long-range this late in the season.
Bynum is having the best year of his career by far. He’s averaging 18.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2 blocks a game. He made his very first trip to the all-star game and has maintained a good bill of health for the majority of games. He has established himself as the clear-cut #2 Center in the league behind “Superman” Dwight Howard. He’s become a dominating low-post presence who has a great feel around the basket.
I guess he forgot what made him the great basketball player that he is.
It’s best to stick with what brought you to the dance. Andrew is 7 feet tall and 270+ pounds. He has a body that was designed to live in the paint. Becoming a spot up three-point shooter would be nice, but its the kind of shot that should only be used in dire situations (last second heaves and late game heroics) when your that big.
Mike Brown made the right move in this situation. Bynum is still rather immature and needed the hard love.
The playoffs are just around the corner and everyone needs to be on the same page. This isn’t the time to be experimenting.
Mike Brown is doing a hell of a lot better than probably anyone figured he would. Despite tiny problems with Kobe Bryant and Bynum, Brown has the Lakers playing winning basketball (31-19, third in the West).
He knows what he’s doing. If benching Bynum was the right move (which it was), then I will not complain about it.
Listen to your coach, leave the three-pointers to the professionals and keep winning games for the Lakers Mr. Bynum.
What do you think? Should Bynum be allowed to shoot three-pointers when he see’s fit? Was Brown right in benching Bynum? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
Christopher Walder is a sports blogger and lead editor for Sir Charles in Charge. You may follow him on Twitter @WalderSports