No one saw this coming. Dallas is a good team, but nobody thought they could come into L.A. and take both games. The Lakers are clearly struggling, and unraveled in the fourth quarter yesterday, giving in to the Mavs’ ball movement and going for home-run shots on the other end.
Andrew Bynum was the only Laker who exceeded expectations, rumbling to 18 points and 13 rebounds (on 8-for-11 from the field). But to the center, the problem isn’t Dallas. It’s the Lakers.
Talking to ESPNLosAngeles.com after the game, Bynum was angry and agitated, upset that he didn’t get the ball enough, and frustrated that no one helps him on defense. He says it’s a trust issue, and that it stems a lot deeper than the public realizes.
“It’s deeply rooted at this point,” Bynum said of the team’s problems. “It’s obvious we have trust issues. Unless we come out and discuss it, then nothing is going to really change. We have to come in and have a good session [Thursday], which I believe we will, and correct things. If not, we’ll go home.”
Bynum’s “trust issues” stem from his teammates’ inability to communicate with one another on the court and help each other out defensively. Bynum was often seen yelling and signaling to his teammates to talk during the game.
“I think it’s quite obvious for anyone who is watching the games,” Bynum said. “There’s hesitation on passes, defensively not being there for your teammate because he wasn’t there for you before, stuff like that.”
It’s always felt like L.A. treated Bynum as the kid brother, the young guy who was talented, but couldn’t find his own way, always had to remain subordinate. You want me to rebound? Okay. You want me to block shots and control the paint? Okay. But can I demand the ball? No. Can I play fourth quarters? No. I can see where his frustration is coming from, especially since he’s been perhaps the best Laker this postseason, and easily the team’s best big man.
Kobe Bryant actually agreed with much of what Bynum said. Bynum gets frustrated when no one helps him on defense. The Lakers count on the big man to do a lot, and yet don’t always rotate to help him the way they expect him to cover their mistakes.
“With the trust issue, everything broke down,” Bynum told ESPNLosAngeles.com. “I stopped helping my teammates because my guys kept getting lobs and easy plays, so I succumbed to not helping my teammates, so that’s something I can easily fix.”
All of that aside, there are a few things to take away. First, L.A. better start getting Bynum the ball more. No one knows where Pau Gasol went and Lamar Odom is up-and-down. But Bynum is completely focused in, and is killing the Mavs.
A team defensive improvement is obviously needed, but more importantly, how will the Lakers, and particularly Bynum, respond to this public situation? Will Bynum try to do too much to back up what he said? Will he feel more individual pressure? Will the Lakers completely disregard him or will they force feed him? Come Game 3, we’ll know.
For now, we do know that what Bynum said was right. But how he said it was wrong.
What do you think about what Bynum said? How will this affect the Lakers?
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