Watching this, he looked like a combination of Townes and Embiid. Hard to believe had he stayed healthy he would just be in the prime of his career now having turned 30 in October. So skilled.
Athletic and improved Bynum at the start of the 07-08 was FUN to watch . Not sure we would have traded for Pau if he didn't get injured though
Two Pete Newell Big Man Camps and Kareem for a personal tutor helped develop that. He was something all right.
He had stretches where he was the best big man in the game. Freak injuries derailed him, but he gave me one of my all time favorite plays -- dunking on Shaq.
One of the few plays I remember getting me to jump off the couch...I think that dunk, the 0.4 shot, the kobe pass to shaq, and the horry shot being the others off the top of my head
Bynum as truly awesome before his injuries, great athleticism and post game, rim protector, shot threes (that one vs Atlanta) Also Domenic ridiculous dunks like the one against Philly.
true. that dunk on nash definitely had me up. also those 2 kobe 3's vs portland. especially that 2nd one. woke the whole house up after that haha
I just went looking for the clip but couldn't find of Bynum on defense right side of basket facing it, before his injuries, jumping high in the air with his legs crossing to block a shot. And pre injury I remember those crazy improvement runs he would get on where he just kept getting better and better.
One of the last pure low post back to the basket bigs that can score in the paint... Unfortunate rash of knee injuries derailed what would have been a very good career. The first paving the way for the Gasol trade. Not a liability at the charity stripe either. Played with an edge (see Beasley and Barea incidents). Best thing about Bynum I always thought of was that he NEVER complained when he wasn't there during crunch time where Jackson preferred the Ariza (Artest)-Odom-Gasol frontline. Computer geek, handicap zone parker, Fruit Loops for breakfast and socks in the shower.
In 2008 there was a stretch of like 10 to 15 games where he averaged double digit scoring AND rebounding...then the first knee injury happened against Memphis. A season later same thing. On those highlights, amazing how Bynum could score with either hand. A rarity nowadays... Once yelled at Vujacic for not passing him the ball in the post. Good times.
I would have definitely taken Bynum as the best big man in the league during that stretch over Dwight any day, and twice on Sunday. Bynum had a back to the basket game and his length altered so many shots on the other side of the court. Dwight was just super athletic and those volleyball blocks. I remember it wasn't until Pau got here but Bynum learned to keep the ball up instead of bringing it down when he got a pass attacking the basket. Good luck blocking that from 20 feet in the air. Things would have been so different had he stayed healthy, such a shame.
I’ll always appreciate Bynum for battling back from knee injury after injury and giving us whatever minutes he could. For all the shots he took about being a knucklehead, he gave 100% when he was only 70% in big games in the playoffs. One of my favorite Bynum sequences (At a time when he wasn’t 100%)...
Man, there were some times when Bynum was just absolutely unstoppable. It was so fun when he was healthy and dominating. Unfortunately it just didn't last. Those knees. Bummer. He did help us get the W over Orlando for sure even in limited minutes.
the look on (is it jeff green?)'s face--that's physical and psychological dominance. just accepting the inevitable. kobe caused a lot of those looks, as does lebron now. what if bynum cared a bit more? i can't really fault him (other than the handicapped parking)--sometimes we're born with gifts that don't excite as much as they would others.
such a shame that his body broke down on him and drove him out of the league so early. he really was the last true back to the basket center and so much fun to watch in his prime. from 08-12 i'd say he was the best C in the league for sure. he had the footwork down pat AND he could actually make his free throws crazy to think that he's still only 30. such a wasted talent
