Andrew Bynum: ‘We Have Trust Issues’


by Marcel Mutoni@marcel_mutoni

The first two games of the Lakers/Mavericks series have taught us a number of things: Dirk Nowitzki is a killer basketball cyborg of some sort, JJ Barea is apparently unstoppable, and the Lakers’ mini-dynasty is teetering, on the verge of total collapse.

According to Andrew Bynum, one of his team’s biggest issues is trust. Or a lack thereof.

With L.A. now staring into a daunting 0-2 hole as they head back to Dallas, Bynum points to some glaring internal team problems, but ever the optimist, he still believes they can pull themselves out of the considerable mess they’ve created.

The Daily News, ESPN and the OC Register have the quotes:

“I don’t even know the root of it at this point,” Andrew Bynum said. “Obviously, we have trust issues and unless we come out and discuss them nothing is going to change.” Bynum says trust issues have been there all season “individually between all 13, have trust issues.”

Bynum: “We have to get to the root, not candy coat or talk around issues.” What is root problem? “That’s for us.”

Despite citing team’s “trust issue,” Bynum said: “We are capable of doing what everyone deemed impossible.”

Kobe Bryant didn’t deny Bynum’s statement completely — acknowledging Andrew’s frustration with the lack of proper help defense — but he tried his best to calm the waters, and adopted his usual defiant stance in the face of mounting adversity.

The Lakers have a lot of things to figure out if they’re to get back in this series. The three-point shooting, team defense, bench production, and Pau Gasol’s production have all been atrocious.

Can the defending back-to-back champs sort out their issues in time, or is this how it ends for Phil Jackson and his squad?