For all the pre-season hype, the $17 million a year asking price by his agent for an extension, for Charles' pre-game idiocy about Bynum not getting love and Oden getting all the attention and how Bynum had to say "Whoa, big fella, you still have to earn it around here! I'm the older guy here", or something to that effect, Bynum appeared to have laid a giant egg in his return last night.
I will admit, I didn't see the game and only the box score. I will also admit that I am not the biggest believer in this kid's game just yet. Yes, he oozes potential but until I see some production during big games late in the season versus good teams or in the post season, color me unimpressed.
Considering he didn't play against Oden in the second half and against a hobbling Oden for much of the first half, I'm pretty sure the pre-season prognosticators did not have this opening night box score in mind when they were lavishing praise on this kid all offseason and crowned the Lakers 2008-09 Finals Champions because of his return:
28 MIN, 4-10 FG-FGA, 3 REB, 5 PF, 8 PTS.
Yeah, probably not!! Wonder what will happen when he has to play against a center with experience who doesn't break down physically at a moments notice?