By: Drew Hawley
The Philadelphia 76er’s have a very big decision to make regarding center Andrew Bynum that will impact the team for the considerable future.
Over the summer, General Manager Tony DiLeo entered the blockbuster Orlando-Los Angeles deal and made a potential franchise changing deal by trading star-shooting guard Andre Iguodala to the Denver Nuggets and acquiring Lakers all-star center Andrew Bynum in return. Sensing that the team was one player away, DiLeo’s decision was a no brainer.
But, that no brainer has not worked out so far. Bynum hasn’t played a single minute this season, and the Sixers have so far under-achieved compared to last season’s success.
Bynum is in the last year of his contract, and he will be looking to become one of the highest paid big men in the game. Coming of his best year a season ago, where he averaged eighteen points and eleven rebounds, resigning him should be a no brainer.
But questions remain about his durability. In his eight-year career, he has only played one complete season, and has missed significant time due to injuries in each year. There is also a growing chance that he won’t play a single game this season. Throughout his career, and potentially for the rest of it, his knee will be a question that will hover over him, and the franchise that he is playing for.
This brings up the most important decision that Philadelphia will have to make since trading franchise icon Allen Iverson; should the team roll the dice and resign their often injured problem child, or let him walk and have him potentially become a franchise player elsewhere.
There are many reasons why the team should let him go. The first is his questionable knee, after a countless series of surgeries and setbacks. Bynum is also known to be a headache on and off the court. He had the well-known incident of viciously cheap-shooting Dallas guard J.J. Barea in the playoffs, and he has trouble keeping his cool after calls don’t go his way. There have also been reports of him clashing with former coaches Phil Jackson and Mike Brown, and with his superstar teammate Kobe Bryant.
While these are valid reasons why they shouldn’t resign Bynum, I still believe that they should resign the big man to a contract. It is a big risk, as big as his seven-foot, 285-pound frame, but it’s a risk worth taking. He has drastically improved his game every year he’s been in the league, and became arguably the second best center in the game, behind Dwight Howard. He is a proven winner, being a key piece in the recent championship success of the Lakers, and his attitude issues stemmed from him outgrowing his role as the second banana to Kobe. That issue will subside, as Philadelphia will give him the opportunity to be the central star.