Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum aren’t working well together
Pau Gasol (photo. Nike)Since last June, conventional wisdom around L.A. has been that if the Lakers had been able to utilize Andrew Bynum in the playoffs, they’d be getting ready for an Opening Night ring ceremony, not the Celtics. On top of that, it’s been almost a foregone conclusion for Lakers fans that, following his breakout half-a-season of ‘07-08, Bynum would return this season in All-Star form.
As it turns out, the kid might be more Sixth Man of the Year material than All-Star. One day after we learned Phil Jackson is experimenting with playing Kobe at small forward, today brings the news that Phil doesn’t like how Bynum and Pau Gasol are working together when they’re sharing the court, so he might be bringing Bynum off the bench until they figure it out.
“Right now, they’re very clumsy; they’re not working well together,” Jackson told the Orange County Register. Triangle guru Tex Winter has also been observing the pair and said about Bynum, “I think he just needs to play a little harder.”
What do you think is the Lakers’ best starting five?
October 7th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
SteveNash says:
curry / randolf?
October 7th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
SteveNash says:
jordan
odom
kobe
gasol
walton’s stalker (she could play the rodman role)
October 7th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
YOUNGFED says:
Phil is just a hater flat out.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Sam I Am says:
Phil got plenty of rings to prove otherwise YOUNGFED
October 7th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
it ain't easy being green says:
I didn’t think this laker team is as good as everybody makes them out to be anyway. This just makes me feel much stronger about my convictions. Pau’s softer that wet saltines, d. Fish is a shoot first dish second point, bynum’s fucking overrated, they don’t know what the duck to do with Lamar, and mamba can’t do it all by himself.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Kobeef says:
“until THEY figure it out”
Isn’t that what Phil is being paid about $10 million per year to do? I don’t get how it is up to the players to figure out how they play in this system. If they are struggling Phil should probably step in and…I don’t know…COACH?!
October 7th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Tyrone says:
It’s gonna be aight y’all. Them cats are gonna be mad tight when it’s all said and done and will lead them Lakers to a ’ship. Ain’t nobody gonna be able to stop them ballaz.
True thugz never lie.
Tryone
October 7th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Kudabeen says:
No one knows your name…
LOL. too funny. Gilbert isn’t popular among the Jeopardy heads:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/10/agent_zero_on_jeopardy.html
October 7th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
that's whats up says:
this reminds me of a dime I wanted back in college.
Everyone told me the pussy was legendary, but when I finally tapt that ass I was unimpressed. She was fine as hell, but she was nothing special in the bedroom.
Bynum ain’t done shit but give Laker fans an easy excuse for when they fucked off the ring last June.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
that's whats up says:
…pardon my language
October 7th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Everbody relax its only PRE SEASON. They will figur it out and be fine!
Biggest front court in the L, MVP, best coach…. Just sit back and watch history .
October 7th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Sweet English says:
I’m glad Tyrone showed up to give his insightful analysis.
I don’t think i would have been able to decipher this one without his help.
Thanks Ty
October 7th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
kermit the washington says:
Bring Fish off the bench and go
Farmar
Kobe
Odom
Gasol
Bynum
Assign Odom to crash boards or come off the bench for the season.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Ian says:
moxwest
phil isnt the best coach hes ok and like bynum overrated
October 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Kobeef says:
@Kermit
I heard that was Phil’s plan but he is not sure how Odom will do against elite SF’s so he talked about bringing in Ariza for D.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
johnny says:
I can’t think of a single trade rumor in the past months with Bynum.
Why not?
October 7th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
@Ian
Who’s a better coach than Phil?
And who said Bynum was great?
Bybum is a very talented young big man with lots of potential no one is saying he’s an all star
October 7th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
ALL of you that are saying that Phil is overrated or doesn’t coach… Well He’s got 9 count them 9 CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS as a Coach and 1 more as a player.
I know you all say well he had MJ and Scottie or He had Kobe and Shaq.
You know what you are correct, he did, but other coaches coached both pair before and couldn’t win.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Timmy D says:
Awesome I cant wait for this whole team to explode in Lakers fans faces. Bynum will be a huge problem if he comes of the bench and Im sure he hates Pau Gasol like most true men do. Having watched Pau play for the last 7 years Ive never seen one center seem to enjoy playing with Pau and we’ve never even had a legit center. Whoever has to play with Pau has to work so much harder to counter Pau’s weak play in the post and horrible defense. There was several times when Shane Battier had to guard the other teams better post player b/c Pau was so bad. HAHAAHAHAHA
October 7th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
j from la says:
phil jackson is overrated
October 8th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Lady Luck says:
This is why there is training camp. They haven’t played together before so there is going to be some adjustments to the lineups, game plans, etc. etc. Phil was merely answering a question, and since he is the master of all mind games, he is throwing out a new experiment to the press each day.
Besides, he has some rather favorable problems. He has guys that are capable of starting who he may bring off the bench for added punch. That’s a nice problem to have. No worries…Lakers will be fine.
October 8th, 2008 at 2:21 am
Three Stacks says:
Odom at point
Bryant
Radmanovic
Gasol
Bynum
October 8th, 2008 at 9:33 am
karizmatic says:
The Lakers best starting five is
Fisher
Bryant
Odom
Gasol
Bynum
I also actually like the idea of running Odom at point, Fisher at two, people say he can’t run two but he ran it in Utah with some success, and Kobe at three with Gasol and Bynum. Or if you don’t like Fisher they still have Vujacic to run the 2.