Monday, February 2nd, 2009 at 3:24 pm  |  181 responses

Andrew Bynum Out 8 to 12 Weeks

by Ryne Nelson

There’s no other way to spin it: the Lakers are in some deep trouble. Phil Jackson lamented Bynum’s injury after its win against Memphis, and with good reason. Bynum was coming into his own, averaging about 26 ppg in his past five. It was the most forlorn Jackson’s been in front on of the media in a long time.

Jackson as well as the rest of the Lakers had hopes of taking its Western Conf.-best record deep into the Playoffs again, but things have gotten a lot more difficult. The news of Bynum’s torn MCL, comes straight from the Lakers organization:

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum has a torn right MCL and will be sidelined eight to 12 weeks, the team announced Monday.

So suddenly, the Lakers of 2009 look a lot like the Lakers of 2008. Except this time, the Grizzlies Chris Wallace doesn’t seem to be willing to give up his big man in exchange for an expiring or two.

In a best-case scenario, Bynum returns in eight weeks on April 1. That means he would play in the Lakers’ final eight regular-season games. But don’t expect to see Bynum until the Playoffs, if at all.

(Hat-tip: Matt Moore)

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  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    The lakes did o.k without bynum last year..Who really in the West do you back to beat L.A over 7 other than San Antonio, and they barely got within earshot last year…Bynum’s injury may be the difference in the Finals, but getting there shouldn’t pose too many problems..

  • Jacob

    deja vu this is going to happen a lot to injury prone bynum

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    @ witness: Really? Name five pure centers better than Bynum right now.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    San Antonio – same team as last year,healthy Manu though???
    Denver, New Orleans – no depth
    Houston- problematic and injury prone(Yao and Tmac)
    Phoenix, Dallas – No D
    Portland – good but inexperienced
    Utah – same as last year, better Millsapp but with a banged up Deron and Boozer.

  • Witness

    Yao, Dwight, Big Z, Al Jefferson, Shaq. (Nene, Emeka, Rasheed Walace and Andrew Bogut are all noteworthy)

  • Witness

    @ jaymes

    LA Lakers – Soft and no Front court depth.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    Yeah true, missing Turiaf will only hurt if Pau gets in foul trouble though(has he ever been in foul trouble?) and who out of the contenders will knock them over, other than maybe San An?

  • tenorca

    Witness forgot Biedrins. But so does everybody.

  • tenorca

    I still think the Hornets can make some noise against the Lakers. They don’t seem as sharp this year, but they’ve got a half season to round back into form. And they’ve got CP3 going against Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar. Not a good thing for the Lakers there.
    Also: Spurs aren’t quite the same this year. Bonner’s getting plenty of PT and Hill and Mason are new (and contributing) additions. Plus, like I noted above, I thought Bynum hung with Timmy when they played a couple weeks back. Can Pau? Not really.

  • Witness

    @ jaymes : Rockets are looking good but only if yao isnt injured. And i know all you have some smart remarks about his health staus but consider that the man is carrying the weight of an entire country. Does Yi get this much attention? He is in a much larger market than Yao is.

  • Witness

    I think Marc Gasol is a much tougher plyer than his brother and he is really under rated defensively. We cant forhet that Portland has raef lafrentz expiring contract and can lure Jermaine O’Neal or Gerald Wallace to town.

  • sho nuf

    Lakers getting that number 1 seed no problem. Can’t see any problems going through the conference playoffs, but the Finals may be an issue should Bynum not come back, in which case I may want Mbenga back and playing during the regular season to prove his worth. Also, having Ariza this year is a difference maker though, not to mention his J has been improving.

    Love when the haters come out to play, btw. It’s fun to follow Utah and Golden State, isn’t it?

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    @witness…every year either Yao or Tmac goes down injured just before the playoffs, their too hard to back IMO…Too many issues in Houston….@tenorca, my only prob with the Spurs is last year the Lakers beat them looking like a younger, faster version of San Antionio…

  • tenorca

    @ Jaymes…Oh yeah: Lakers were dominant in that series, and that’s coming from a convicted Laker hater. But a real Manu and the Hill/Mason upgrade over the Big Shot Bob/Bowen geriatric brigade lets them keep up with the Lakers. At least a little.
    In the end, I’d expect it to be closer than last year’s match if it comes to it. And I hope it does. It’s always a great series.

  • Witness

    @ Jaymes: Yao has only missed the playoffs once while his has qualified and that was last season. McGrady never misses the playoofs, he actually always performs much better tahn expected. Check the stats. I dont know where youre getting your resources from.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    Yeah true tenorca, it should be closer at least…the game they played earlier this season in San An was game of the year for me!!

  • Witness

    That was the game of the year for me too. My only problem with the spurs is every team respects them. If a team tried to punk them they could easily be exposed, i mean if somebody matched bowen’s game, it wouldnt be the same story with them always getting deep into the playoffs.

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com/ RV

    Bynum is basically is having the same kind of luck bynum is having. I’m not quite sure “Yao not getting injured” is what houston is hoping for. Tmac is more likely to go down. Yao hasn’t had more than bumps and bruises this year.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    Ok my bad witness, maybe just cause they choke when it counts every year it seems as though they’re injured!..And generally, they’ve had injuries in the back half of seasons..which leaves you in bad shape leading in..

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    Yeah witness, if the Spurs don’t do it this year they may be headed down Detroit’s rebuilding path..

  • tenorca

    If somebody tried to punk the Spurs they’d be exposed? As what? Perenial contenders? Winners of 40% of the NBA trophies in the last decade? Most people hate Bowen, admittedly, but you’re just talking nonsense over there.

  • Witness

    jaymes dont turn this into a debate. the rockets are a much different team with the culture that brent barry and ron artest have brought. i think they are a rocky regular season team who can become a threat when the playoffs come around.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    Ok cool, your opinion Witness..No debate here pal. My opinion is just different to yours..I hope for Tmac’s sake your on point!

  • Witness

    The spurs dont have the toughness other teams have. they are filled with a bunch of players who are respected by referees and opposing players. the spurs are a team who tries to exploit weaknesses of their opponent. beat these guys at their own h=game and forget they are the san antonio spurs. pretend they are the mavericks.

  • Witness

    so do i, jaymes. so do i. but with bynum i still think the lakers are the best team in the l. without him i dont know what to think.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    Dunno bout the Spurs havin no toughness though witness..big call dude..

  • Cp34mVP

    Well, Welcome to the real word Bynum.. I think he be like Amare Stoudemire, he got probs with his knees in his first few seasons then he gets dominant.. yah digg.. Anyway.. this chills the lakers so my Hornets can win!

  • tenorca

    Not feeling you here Witness. They aren’t outwardly thuggish, true, but they got a pair of great players who drive constantly and take heaps of abuse for it. And Timmy simply doesn’t get pushed around. They’re not the late ’80s Pistons or anything, but they are far from soft.

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    no comment besides i am sorry to see any player injured.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    Say what you really want BET?..Your in danger of becoming another partial observer, instead of a Bobcats fan…

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    well, i am the same BETCATS that defended Bynum from the ‘karma is a b!tch’ comments, HOWEVER i am also the same BETCATS who is not sad to see Bynum out a few games.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    Very diplomatic BETCATS…

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    i am on a site run by Laker fans, on a post by a Laker fan, and have made enough reckless plays at the park myself to adjust my views to such jaymes.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    I think if anyone who plays the game with spirit has given a cheap foul thier not to proud of..Some lads on here need to keep that in mind when they tee off on someone for comitting a hard, and maybe harsh, foul..

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    take out the *if..

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    BETCATS: this site is far from run by Laker fans. The comments section at times, sure, but not “the site.”

  • Witness

    but he commited a similar foul to lebron james this season.

  • http://jamescleaton.ning.com jaymes

    So, Shaq has comitted stacks of hard fouls, same as alot of players..We just focussed on Bynum ’cause wallace’s injury was so bad, not the actual foul.

  • ClydeSays

    Here’s hoping Bynum can heal and come back strong next season. This season seems like a stretch for him to return.

    Comparing him to Stoudemire? I’d say Bynum has more upside at this point. Ama’re has offense but he seems to forget about defense every other trip down the floor.

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    Ben!!! I thought you were in some cave hiding! Well Holly, Myles, and Marcel are all Laker fans, and most of the staff here (and myself) picked them to win it all and expressed admiration of them at one point or another, but i see what your saying. Farmer Jones is still ‘the biggest boss that we have seen thus far’, and he is the opposite of a Laker fan.

  • http://iwantoutofokc.com/ James the balla

    Kobe drops 34 in first half!!! :D … guess whoooooo’s BAAACCCCKKKKKKKK!!

  • http://iwantoutofokc.com/ James the balla

    Kobe drops 34 in first half!!!

  • http://iwantoutofokc.com/ James the balla

    Guess whooooo’ssssss BAACCCKKKKK

    And why do my comments keep getting “awaiting moderation”!!

  • Jess

    Im not a Bynum and especailly not a Lakers fan, but that hurts LA. It too bad this happened to him, I hope he has a full recovery.

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    James: Because you had to much Canadian-style sex with each of them?

  • http://iwantoutofokc.com/ James the balla

    Thanks BET … that is a possibilty!! But your gf is alot better for that!!

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    your in Canada. She doesnt like round shaped bacon for breakfast, which means she wont spend the night with you.

  • http://iwantoutofokc.com/ James the balla

    I know you miss my BURRRNNNN’s lol

  • http://iwantoutofokc.com/ James the balla

    Good thing I didn’t ask her to spend the night!!! I kicked her the eff out of my house after I got what I needed!!! Holla at me if and when the baby comes out white or black!!

    :D

  • http://www.alllooksame.com Tarzan Cooper

    bynums foul on wallace wasnt just another hard foul, it was beyond that and past harsh. it was a dirty play. he saw wallace driving, knew he couldnt get there to make a play on the ball, so he jumped into his body elbow first. sure, it doesnt look really dirty to the untrained eye, but it was worse than it looked. when shaq dropped stuckey, that was a hard foul by a giant human. bynum knew he couldnt block wallace so he gave him a flying elbow, thats extremely dirty

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