Remember the time Andrew Bynum took a three-pointer and Mike Brown benched him? Of course you do. It was hilarious. Anyway, let's revisit it:
Mike Brown on Andrew Bynum: ‘He’s a very capable 3-point shooter’
A couple of years after benching Andrew Bynum for shooting a three-pointer, the Cleveland Cavaliers coach called him “very capable” from long range.
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Hahaha. Perfect. The lack of hesitation, the confused Golden State Warriors announcers, the immediate substitution, Bynum's smile on the bench. All of it, perfect. And while it provided entertainment for the viewing audience, you can absolutely understand why Brown yanked him.
If you recall, though, Bynum made no apologies for the shot after the benching. And now, improbably, with Bynum and Brown both in Cleveland, the Cavaliers coach is talking up his three-point shooting ability, via Jodie Valade of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
“It’s the first time he’s gotten close to showing everybody the full package of what he can do,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “He’s a guy who can post up, shoot right hand, left hand jump hooks. He can shoot a turnaround jump shot, he can shoot a jump shot. He’s a very capable 3-point shooter. That’s probably the only thing he didn’t show offensively. But just to show some of his versatility on the offensive end, we were able to see some of it throughout the course of the game.”
Brown was referring to Bynum's most recent outing, a 16-point, six-rebound effort in Cleveland's loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. By the sound of it, perhaps the big man won't be pulled from the game if he jacks up a long distance shot in an upcoming game.
Bynum has yet to attempt a three this season, though he had a foot on the line on this attempt last Friday in New Orleans:
You know, that didn’t look too bad! Maybe this is just what the Cavaliers need. They are 28th in the NBA in offensive efficiency, per Basketball-Reference, and part of that is because of poor spacing and a lack of consistency from the perimeter.
Bynum is the team's only post-up threat and Cleveland's guards aren't quite used to him clogging up the lane. I say stick him on the outside, make him a stretch-5. Pero Antic is doing it in Atlanta, Vitor Faverani in Boston. Little else is working for the Cavaliers, who have lost three in a row. Why not?
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