Andrew Bynum

In this new, young season there was a question asked that needed answered. Who is going to be the big man presence in the middle. Then the Cleveland Cavaliers answered the question when they picked up free agent, seven footer, Andrew Bynum.

Many people think that Bynum could either be a high risk or a high reward type player. I think that picking up Bynum was a smart move for the Cavaliers. NBA analyst always say, that you can’t teach size and that is exactly what Bynum provides. He is seven foot tall and over 280 pounds of muscle. His size makes it difficult for opponents to drive in the paint and score easy layups. Why not pick up a player that instantly provides good defensive productivity.

It is not hard to see why some people thought that picking up Bynum was more of a risk than it was a reward. Bynum has had issues with both of his knees having surgery on them both. The prior year  he didn’t get to play in a single game as a Philadelphia 76er. How would taking an entire year off affect his play on the court? Could he come out and still be one of the best big men in the game of basketball? With all of these questions it is not hard to see why there was some skepticism when it came to the Cleveland Cavaliers spending money on Bynum.

Bynum is a good fit because he will help out Kyrie Irving when it comes to the rebuilding process in Cleveland. Kyrie can now pass to Bynum to pick up easy assists and can now shoot shots knowing that Bynum is there to pick up the rebound. Bynum is also a big body so he can set screens for Irving making it difficult for the defender to get around the pick from the big man.

Dan Gilbert has done another great job when it comes to rebuilding after losing the best player in basketball. He now has a good point guard and a good center two essential parts in making a solid playoff basketball team. Although Bynum hasn’t made a huge impact yet in the young season, I think the day will come. He isn’t getting much playing time yet so it is hard to judge. It is hard to get him in game speed shape because anyone that follows sports knows that there is a big difference between practice speed and game speed.