Is Success is Going to Andrew Bynum’s Head?

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum is having a breakout year. Kobe Bryant is passing him the ball in clutch situations and he's delivering. Bynum's stats are up in every category; he's averaging 18.2 points and 12.2 rebounds, way ahead of his career averages of 11.4 points and 7.7 rebounds, and he's stayed healthy.

That doesn't explain why the 7-footer chucked up an ill advised three during the the Lakers' win over Golden State. Coach Mike Brown didn't like it and benched the big man for most of the rest of the game. Bynum was unfazed, joking around with teammates and mugging for the TV cameras.

Coach Brown has been trying to show he's the man in charge in his first year with the Lakers, and benching Bynum helped his cause, even if Bynum didn't seem to get it.

I guess ‘Don't take threes' is the message, but I'm going to take another one and I'm going to take some more, so I just hope it's not the same result. Hopefully, I make it. - Andrew Bynum

We'll see about that. On Sunday, Brown sat Kobe down during the fourth quarter as the Lakers were trying to come back against Memphis. Kobe remained unhappily on the bench until there were less than two minutes left, and more was made out of it than should've been. 'Kobe Bryant Benched' was even trending on Google.

The Lakers are in third in the Western conference and seem to be getting better since adding quick-as-lightning point guard Ramon Sessions. The last thing they need is a player revolt with the playoffs just a few weeks away. Here's Bynum after the game...see if he sounds contrite.

And here's the shot that started it all.

Article by Eric Gray