Given our recent penchant for updating the Andrew Bynum injury situation in this space, the time seems right to break out the latest update and that saga. And it isn't a good one for the purple and gold.
Looks like there may be no action for the young center this postseason.
As reported by Elliott Teaford of the LA Daily News:
Coach Phil Jackson acknowledged Monday for the first time that injured center Andrew Bynum's chances of playing again this season were "remote."
The 20-year-old failed to receive medical clearance two weeks ago to begin full-contact practices, however. There is no timetable for him to start the intense workouts needed to get him in shape to play in a game.
Laker or otherwise, it's never good to see a player hurt. Here's hoping for the quickest recovery possible for the neophyte.
All that said, here's also guessing the Lakers will indeed survive without the young big man. They have played dominant basketball since the acquisition of Pau Gasol, and Gasol looked like an absolute stud in his first playoff game as a Laker (36 points, 16 boards, 8 assists). This is a very deep Los Angeles team and one that looked mighty effective in Game 1 against the Nuggets.
The fact that they may have the path of least resistance so far as opposing offensive post presences is concerned won't hurt them either. The Nuggets don't have a dominant scorer inside. The Jazz have a scoring power forward in Boozer who will be covered by Lamar Odom or Gasol, and the Rockets don't threaten all that much on the interior. Bynum or not, this team in LA remains plenty dangerous.