An Update on the Young, Rehabbing Titans

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↵The Olympics are over, free agency is a distant memory, and even the question of LeBron’s future has lost some steam (sort of). Thankfully, bodies still wax and wane, and fans hold their breathe with every new cataclysmic injury or update on recoveries in progress.↵
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↵Two of the most notable dudes on the comeback trail are Lakers center Andrew Bynum and the equally big Blazer Greg Oden, who technically hasn’t even started yet. Both are expected to figured prominently in the West’s balance of power next season; individually, Bynum’s looking to lock up a max deal.↵
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↵Things are looking up for Bynum, who missed the second half of the season, and the playoffs, with a busted knee. The Orange County Register has Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak going to observe Bynum run, lift weights, and engage in drills. No ball yet, but Mitch is pleased: “I could see improvement in his body, his conditioning and mobility. I didn’t see any signs of effects from the surgery.”↵
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Oden’s even further along, as well he should be. The Oregonian reports that Oden’s now scrimmaging 5-on-5, showed no swelling, and got Coach Nate McMillan feelin’ groovey:↵↵⇥“The one thing he did that put a big smile on my face is he asked coach Monty (Williams) to come in at night and work with him. So, he was doing two-a-days, working with Dean (Demopoulos) in the morning and Monty at night. And he did it himself.”↵↵It’s impossible to overstate how important these two will be next year, for their teams and for the landscape of the West. If Bynum’s able to bring some power and intimidation to the Lakers frontline, they might be innoculated against the Celtics’ old school toughness. The Blazers made some noise as a jump-shooting team, but a healthy Oden and a more mature LaMarcus Aldridge could go a long way to address that. Consider this NBA karma for the tragedy of Monta.↵
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↵Hopefully, soon we can get down to the real decision of which one is better. At something other than meeting timetables.↵