Bosh or Bynum

You would think I’d want to hold onto a true center on my Lakers after going through the post-Shaquille O’Neal Era. Shaq fortunately played for the Lakers at the peak of his career, which was a dominant enough timeframe that he was the primary factor for them going back-to-back-to-back in the NBA Finals.

His dismissal from the Lakers left a hole at the center position that couldn’t be filled by Chris Mihm or Kwame Brown or any of the other crappy options that were presented prior to Andrew Bynum’s arrival.

Now that Bynum has proven himself as a future star, it would seem to reason any Lakers fan should be thrilled to have the big lug in the middle. But that big lug (check out his awkward running motion to see what I mean by calling him a ‘lug’) won’t age well. The small meniscustear in his right knee is already the fourth major leg injury he’s had in three seasons. If Chris Bosh is offered to the Lakers this summer for Bynum in a sign-and-trade, I’d hope the Lakers would sign off quicker than you can say “cut the check.”

Bosh is already the type of player many hope Bynum can be. And a Bosh/Gasol combo in a Triangle offense, assuming Phil Jackson returns, makes me salivate.

I think why Lakers fans revere Bynum is because he’s viewed as a capable bearer to the Kobe Torch, which will inevitably become extinguished. To continue the Lakers’ competitiveness, the team needs a young guy to bridge the gap whenever Kobe just can’t play at an elite level day-to-day. Bynum could become that guy but that’s reliant on his ability to stay health. And the way things have been going, that looks as likely as Shaq making more than half his free throws.