Prove Me Wrong - Bynum's Value

I have been a proud visitor of Netsdaily for many years, though unfortunately, I think I made my biggest posting impact in what can now be considered my infamous "Fire Billy King" post. At the time, my post was more meant to identify the fact that, in my opinion, Billy King has an "all or nothing" mentality and that he is going full speed ahead at getting Dwight Howard. At this point in time, he is really not making any sort of back up plan. He's basically going big or going home, and while some can admire him for that, I said that he should be fired IF we fail to get Dwight and if D-Will walks.

This post is not about Billy King, so I digress, but the point I am trying to make is that my post was met with a ton of opposition. Many Netsdaily fans rushed to Billy's aid and said I was nuts to suggest firing him. Some Netsdaily fans even did the unthinkable and call me a Knicks fan, though I realize that when people get upset that they sometimes say things they don't mean :)

Anyway, the opposition my post received from the Netsdaily community really forced me to re-examine my thought process and admit to myself that, in many ways, Billy King has done a good job. I was fortunate enough to go to the Heat game on Saturday, and, despite the loss, I thought the young Nets team was exciting the watch. While I still think the jury is out on Billy King, all of your posts truly made me shift my perspective a little and think a lot about whether or not I am missing something as a fan.

In the same way, I would like to start an educated and objective conversation on Andrew Bynum and his trade value. Anyone who has read any of my overly sarcastic comments about Andrew Bynum in the past realizes that I do not think very highly of the guy. However, I genuinely cannot fathom how anyone can think highly of him, and here's why.

Andrew Bynum has been one big career injury. Yes, he is a large guy with a lot of potential. We have seen a lot of that potential this season. But I feel that in a league filled with Greg Oden's and Yao Ming's, potential will only get you so far. Perhaps my mindset is the biggest reason why I do not like Andrew Bynum. I played two sports in college and I could not fathom ever wanting or needing to sit out due to an "injury." Granted, I am not seven feet tall and I never will be, though I really cannot understand how someone can be paid the millions of dollars that Bynum is making and feel the need to sit on the bench rather than play. There is a difference between physical and mental toughness and while I don't mean to be too hard on the guy, I think perhaps a lot of the reason why he does not play may be because he does not have the heart, desire, or physical and mental toughness required to make it in the NBA. There are guys who go out there and play with all sorts of injuries. There are guys who go out there and play even when it isn't smart. Then there are guys like Andrew Bynum who seem to sit if the wind blows too hard. I feel that he is more hype that production, more potential than ability, and that his incessant state of being injured is the biggest reason why his value as a player is not as high as perhaps it should be.

It really irritates me when Bynum's name is thrown around as a straight up trade potential for Dwight Howard - or when Bynum's name was also thrown out there for Carmelo Anthony. I do not consider Bynum to be even half the player that either of those guys are, so for him to be considered a potential one for one trade asset is absolutely ridiculous. I realize that when trading superstars, deals are rarely fair, but I think a trade of Andrew Bynum for someone like Dwight Howard would be absolute highway robbery.

Maybe it's because I'm a Nets fan, but I would much rather have Brook Lopez as my center than Andrew Bynum, especially if I was Orlando. Despite this fluke foot issue that Lopez is currently undergoing, he is a durable center with a lot of potential. He does not sit when he has a hang nail or when he has the sniffles. Say what you want about Lopez being soft, but the guy goes out and plays hard - every single night. Bynum has the ability to dominate Lopez and be a much better player someday, but I am not confident in Bynum's desire or mental toughness. I feel that the guy is lazy and does not play at the drop of a hat. With Lopez, you would get a dedicated center who plays. With Bynum there are a lot of unknowns. Very much like the Nets trading for D-Will with no assurance of the future, trading for Bynum is an even bigger risk.

Bynum may man up and blossom into one of the best centers - if not the best center - in the league someday. Or, he can go the way of Greg Oden and be a ton of potential but never get off the injured reserve. Orlando could also potentially have to worry about Bynum leaving them for another team. With Lopez, they would have a durable, future all-star center who would LOVE living in Disney and playing alongside his best friend Ryan Anderson. I am confident when I think that playing in Orlando would be a dream come true for Lopez, which is a lot more than I can say for Andrew Bynum. Again, the choice is yours, Orlando, but if you end up trading for Bynum and he pulls the same BS where he's hurt all of the time, I will laugh. You get what you pay for and, in my opinion, the oft-injured - J.J. Barea flagrant fouling - Andrew Bynum is certainly not worth the risk.