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Bynum may be NBA’s biggest big man

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Others are taller and some weigh more, but is there a bigger big man than Andrew Bynum in the NBA? Bynum, officially listed at 7-foot and 285 pounds, certainly measured up against the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard, who’s 6-11, 275.

“He’s a big guy, man,” Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson said of Bynum after the Lakers rallied to defeat the Magic 97-84 on Monday night at Staples Center for their 10th victory in 11 games since the All-Star break.

“He’s a handful,” Nelson continued. “It’s like he’s out there and you think you’ve got the ball, and he has it in his hands. You’re jumping for the ball, but he’s just standing there tipping it to himself to get those extra shots.”

Bynum scored 10 points and matched his career high with 18 rebounds Monday, his fourth consecutive game with 10 or more points and his sixth straight with 12 or more rebounds. He’s had a big impact on the Lakers’ winning ways since the All-Star break.

After rounding into form slowly following offseason right knee surgery that sidelined him for the first 24 games of 2010-11, Bynum has become a force in the paint for the Lakers. His season averages have risen to 11.6 points and 8.8 rebounds.

In his last five games, he’s averaging 13 points and 15.6 rebounds.

“I think he’s just getting more comfortable physically,” Lakers point guard Derek Fisher said. “In terms of being healthy, he came off a knee surgery in the summer. Regardless of age or experience, surgeries take time to recover from.

“I think he’s feeling more comfortable physically. He’s doing some unbelievable things out there for us.

“And I keep saying it: In terms of since the All-Star break, people are asking why we’ve been so much better, and I’ll start with him.”

Bynum’s value has been evident from time to time since the Lakers drafted him as an inexperienced 17-year-old from St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, N.J. When he’s been healthy, he’s been a forceful presence around the basket.

The Lakers won back-to-back titles with him in their starting lineup, and they lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 Finals when he was sidelined by a left kneecap injury. They defeated Boston last June and Howard and the Magic in 2009.

“Andrew’s game has grown, even from when he first came back (from surgery earlier this season) to now,” Lakers sixth man Lamar Odom said. “(It’s) his understanding for the game, his understanding for what the team needs.

“When you get a guy that can protect the basket, it helps a lot.”

Mr. Annoying Guy

Phil Jackson finished tied for a distant second to Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy in a poll of players who were asked, “Which coach is most annoying during games?” by Sports Illustrated. Van Gundy earned 65 percent of the 138 votes; Jackson got 7 percent.

Milwaukee’s Scott Skiles tied Jackson with 7 percent, followed by New Jersey’s Avery Johnson (4 percent) and San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich (3 percent). The results are included in this week’s issue, which hits newsstands and mailboxes today.

The Lakers took the day off Tuesday, so Jackson wasn’t available for comment.




From www.whittierdailynews.com


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