| 01 July 2010
Chris Bosh.
I wonder if Andrew Bynum's heart sunk a little when he saw Bosh sitting courtside during the playoffs. If what we, John Q. Public, know about Bynum, I doubt it. It probably just made him more determined.
Still, the Bosh-for-Bynum trade possibility was oft-discussed on the Laker-chat-boards at various times during the playoffs, and his appearance at LA games certainly was fuel for the fire.
It's died off a little now, but with the Free Agency period starting tomorrow - inevitably the rumours will spark up again... even if it's just some wishful thinking on the part of some Toronto/LA fans.
So how about that... a sign and trade: Bosh for Bynum?
Ignoring the actual mechanics of how it would work, I want to simply focus on as to whether it makes sense for LA. And there are definitely more than a few Laker-fans who'd welcome this.
I get the frustration that many have with Bynum.
This is the third straight season that he's been at least limited by injuries once LA hit the post season. The fear has to exist now that he might well be somewhat injury-prone.His gameplay at times can be inconsistent - sometimes he's the 20/10 beast we fans pray for, and sometimes he's... not. He makes the odd bone-headed mistake, and is occasionally foul-prone. Andrew Bynum seems to always 'just miss' in terms of getting to where we all feel he should be.
And on the other side of the equation stands Chris Bosh. A five-time All Star. All NBA Team member. He has length, he has a good outside shot, he has skills. Soon-to-be courted by every team with cap space, he's going to be given a max-deal somewhere. He's one of the "Big Three" (with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade - apologies to Amare!) that are the biggest stars available on a free agent market that hasn't been this exciting in... well, ever.
What's more, Chris Bosh has stated that he'd be amenable to a sign and trade to help Toronto out, it is a real possibility that the LA Lakers would be able to obtain Bosh, should they so desire. Toronto have stated that if any such deal were to occur with any team, they'd prefer to get a young big in return.
There are a lot of basketball fans who would consider landing Bosh a real coup for LA.
So... my thoughts on this? Trade Bynum for Chris Bosh? ARE YOU NUTS?
Andrew Bynum's 22 years old. He'll turn 23 at the beginning of the 2010/11 season. Many forget (or don't even realise) that he's only 3 months older than Greg Oden. The Blazers would be ecstatic if they'd had the production from Oden as LA have seen from Bynum, and all and sundry would be declaring that he was worthy of his #1 draft status (even in a draft that included Kevin Durant).
Yet with Bynum, we tend to focus on what he's not able to do, rather than what he has been achieving.
Andrew Bynum's a skilled, tall, long, big-bodied center that comes around only rarely. It's impossible to look at his statistics and have that as the full story of what he brings to the court. Bynum's mere presence changes what teams can do, what teams will try to do, in ways that LA having someone else at the anchor could never do.
Sure, Gasol's a phenomenal fill-in. But LA are able to do so much more with Pau at the 4.
And whilst Chris Bosh has many admirable qualities, he lacks the physical presence on offense that Bynum does, and can't even spell "D", much less play it. Sure, he has range... but trade Andrew Bynum for someone that amounts to Gasol-lite? Forget that. The big thing to remember is Bynum's age. It's altogether possible... even probable that he's going to improve his strength - and with that hopefully the injury issues should subside. The same could be said for his game - it's going to improve with time. That is simply inevitable.
Whilst Bosh is only 4 years older than Bynum, physically he's not going to change. He's always going to be long and wiry. He simply doesn't have the body type/frame to bulk up. His game may alter a bit, improve a smigeon... but nothing like what we could see with Andrew Bynum.
And Bynum's tough. I loved that he chose to work through the pain of his knee injury this playoffs. Sure, it may not have been the best idea as far as effectiveness, but there was no guarantee that he would have been back for the Finals, nor that LA would have made it that far without him. What I saw was a guy doing something hard for the sake of the team. And that was both admirable and fantastic.
Yes, the future's not certain... but I like the Bynum the Lakers have now more than Bosh anyway - at least as a fit for the LA roster as currently configured (and I can't see Pau Gasol moving any time soon).
To be sure: it's a bit of a roll of the dice as far as injuries go... but I'll take that.
Chris Bosh to LA?
At the expense of Andrew Bynum?
Just say no. Hell no.
