A lot has been made of the Philadelphia 76ers acquiring Andrew Bynum, yet in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t make that much of a difference.
While Bynum provides the Sixers with a low post pillar they haven’t seen in years, he’s officially become one of many. Philadelphia already has two centers in tow in Kwame Brown and Spencer Hawes, and Bynum’s addition only creates an unnecessary logjam at the 5.
While the incoming Bynum is the clear choice to start, he’s hardly ready to lead the Sixers’ charge alone. He’ll be able to handle his business in the paint—especially considering the Eastern Conference is far from laden with talented bigs—but he’s been playing in the shadow of Kobe Bryant for so long, that it remains unclear if he’s capable of actually leading an entire squad on his own.
The seven footer’s childish antics suggest that he’s not ready, and while we must try not to characterize athletes by their pasts, when it comes to leadership, Bynum doesn’t have a past to go off.
And that’s not to say he won’t rise to the occasion and become a mature, vocal leader on the court for the Sixers, but is he really ready to make the type of impact that is the difference between a perennial lottery team and bona fide postseason contender?
Absolutely not. That takes time, it takes experience and it takes a supporting cast that presents much less uncertainty than Philadelphia’s does. As talented as this Sixers’ team is, guys like Nick Young, Evan Turner, Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young and Bynum himself, still have so much to prove.
With Iguodala, that wow factor wasn’t always there in Philadelphia. Yet with Bynum, it’s quite the opposite. We see a dominant presence capable of manhandling opposing teams in the low post. That said, statistical dominance isn’t everything, sometimes you need intangible assets to win—like the leadership and responsibility of a franchise face.
Is Bynum ready to be that face? Is he ready to sacrifice his childish demeanor for the greater good of this Sixers team? And can he does all this consistently enough to rendered effective?
Only time will tell—the key word there being “time”—as Bynum’s game and persona aren’t nearly consistent, reliable or mature enough to undertake the championship aspirations of an entire team.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
