The Lakers’ 103-89 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night was more significant than your run-of-the-mill win because it marked the return of Andrew Bynum from injury. Bynum had offseason knee surgery and missed the first 24 games of the season due to a slow recovery, but he was back in the lineup on Tuesday, playing 17 minutes off the bench.
Lakers Vs. Wizards: Andrew Bynum Returns, Fares Well In Limited Minutes
His production wasn’t particularly impressive: seven points on 1-5 shooting against a very weak Wizards front line. However, the Lakers did fare better with him on the floor, as he brought a presence in the middle the Lakers have not had much this season. Coach Phil Jackson said Bynum and power forward Pau Gasol combined to form a “dynamic kind of feel,” and Bynum himself said he felt “light years” better than he did in last year’s NBA Finals, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
SB Nation’s Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll was also impressed with Bynum’s performance.
Initially the most striking thing about seeing Drew again is how big he looked. Not Kirstie Alley big or Shawn-Kemp-after-the-1999-lockout big, but big like my ripped quads and 17-inch biceps. (*flexes in mirror before returning to keyboard*) During his convalesence Drew clearly worked hard to stay fit and maintain his upper-body strength. He also seemed pretty mobile tonight, getting up and down the floor well and sliding laterally in the paint. He made his presence felt around the cup with a couple blocked shots and a few others that he altered. Drew missed four of five field-goal attempts and three of eight from the line, so his shooting touch isn't quite there yet, but that should come around soon.
The key for the Lakers now is keeping Bynum healthy. If he can get all the way back to being himself, it cements them as the favorites to win it all in June.
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