Tribe Weekend Recap: Chicago sweep puts Wahoos tied atop the central
July 1, 2013Chris Perez can talk or not, and that’s all he should control
July 1, 2013
As we’ve been told, the Cleveland Cavaliers will “kick the tires” on Andrew Bynum. I know that Chris Grant likes to explore every option. That’s fine. Having done some car shopping recently, I know I kicked the tires on plenty of cars I had no intention to buy. It’s just part of the game.
Chris Grant needs to kick the tires and then walk away from this one.
I really don’t have much concern that Bynum will end up a Cavalier. My gut feeling, which was backed by this piece from Bob Finnan, is that Bynum still wants to be paid like an elite center, and will demand a multi-year deal.
“It would be a major shock if the Cavs anted up for Bynum, who could be angling for a maximum contract. Portland, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Golden State are other teams that might have interest in Bynum. Many of those teams, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, also would like to sign Dwight Howard.”
I know that Bynum supporters will argue that “when healthy his IS one of the top centers in the league”. All well and good. Hey, I’d take the guy that averaged 15 points, 8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in ’09-’10 too. Of course, that season Bynum played in 65 of the Lakers 82 games. Honestly, if you could guarantee 65 games from Bynum I might sign up for that action.
The problem I have with this argument is that he is never healthy. Oh, except right now:
Just in time for free agency, it looks like Andrew Bynum is set to hit the court. In an interview with Dan Gelston of the Associated Press, Bynum’s agent David Lee said his client is done with the rehabilitation from season-ending knee surgery and is set to begin basketball workouts next week.
Lee added that there isn’t a “concern in the world” that Bynum won’t be ready for training camp when the season begins in the fall.
Yep. He’s 100% ready to go right before owners get ready to break out the free agency checkbooks.
Of course, he never played a minute for the 76ers, the team that traded for him last offseason. As Craig’s post earlier pointed out, Bynum kept delaying and delaying when he was supposed to take the court for Philly. From the start of the season, to December, to February, to March, to “well it doesn’t make sense for me to risk a set back”. You stay classy Bynum. Keep dancing.
Aside from being legitimately hurt way too often for a guy expecting a max contract, I have issues bringing in a guy that isn’t exactly known for his locker room leadership shall we say?
Even the players that like Bynum seem to have a hard time justifying having him on the team. Take Jrue Holiday’s comments from this May. After praising Bynum for being an all around awesome dude, Holiday was pressed about bringing him back.
“Iâd love him to⊠obviously, if heâs healthy. If heâs healthy I think heâs the best big in the league, but like I said itâs tricky because of the knee injuries,â Holiday said. âThey actually havenât talked to me about [whether or not Bynum should return] so I donât know. Again, itâs a tricky situation because of his knees, his injuries. You canât really make the decision just yet.”
I will tell you who does know. Julius Irving. Ask Dr. J what he thinks of Bynum:
“The net result is Robert Parish’s old number-00. We have not benefited one degree… I guess he has.”
Watch that whole video of Irving’s comments. No way he wants Bynum on his team.
What really cracks me up is that anyone in Cleveland would want to see the Cavs lock this guy up for multiple years. I’ve even seen comments that the Cavs need to overspend to bring Bynum in. OVERSPEND? I hear you on the Cleveland isn’t exactly an ideal free agent destination argument. But Bynum is not the guy you overspend on.
We’ve been having the debate about trading Varejao for about three years now. Yes, he also has a terrible time staying healthy. Is his ceiling the same as Bynum’s? Nope. If both were 100% healthy, Bynum is a better offensive player and can guard the bigger centers in the NBA better. But they aren’t 100% healthy. Neither of them. And I’ve never questioned Andy’s heart, hustle or desire. I’d rather overpay for Varejao than Bynum.
If Bynum played in the NFL, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Teams wouldn’t be lining up to give him a max deal and multiple years. They would make him play on a minimum deal and prove that he was healthy enough to deserve more money and more years. But this is the NBA, and someone is going to open up the purse and start throwing money at Andrew.
Then there is this news today:
Bynum's people will provide medical records and MRI results, but the player will not work out for interested teams. Huge risk, huge reward.
— Scott @ WFNY (@WFNYScott) July 1, 2013
Walk away Chris Grant, just turn and walk away.
34 Comments
No they need to run away and not look back. Contact Houston about Asik ASAP!
I think with these selfish knucklehead guys, the huge risk is always huger than the huge reward, and therefore they are not worth it. Can anyone name a self-centered knucklehead who consistently made his team better? There might be some, but not many. I don’t mean guys like Albert Belle who always tried hard. I mean guys like Bynum and Randy Moss and one of my all-time favorites, Jeff George.
I will never understand how some of these immensely gifted athletes can act the way they do.
Must be because they not only keep getting away with it, they keep being rewarded in spite of it.
I think Scott’s tweet should be not only the nail in the coffin here, but the truckload of dirt that gets poured in the hole of this idea. Players who have recovered from an injury WANT to prove it to teams with impressive workouts. Bynum wants someone to blindly throw money at him without proving anything at all. The only reason someone would do something that moronic is if they have a MAJOR issue to hide.
i’m with rick.
and not for nothing, i don’t see mike brown signing on for bynum. here’s a link back to the days where bynum boycotted brown’s huddles.
…a reporter asked Bynum what Kobe was like in the huddle during timeouts?
“I don’t know,” Bynum said with his characteristic cavalier attitude. “I don’t take part in the huddles.”
Another reporter reacted with disbelief, asking why not.
“I’m resting,” Bynum said. “Getting my Zen on.”
But he has a ‘Cavalier’ attitude! He’s perfect!
lol awesome.
I didn’t know Dr. J and Kyrie were related.
No need to run. With Bynum’s knees you could stroll away and he still wouldn’t able to catch you.
Yeah, don’t see the Bynum thing happening with Mike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GEbgtvOfr8
These “knucklehead” athletes can act the way they do because every paycheck they receive further validates their behavior. If Bynum can act the way he does and still make ~$10 million each year, why should he change? As long as some team takes a risk and hands him a big fat sum of cash, he’ll be the same old Bynum we’ve always known.
“I will never understand how some of these immensely gifted athletes can act the way they do.
Must be because they not only keep getting away with it, they keep being rewarded in spite of it.”
Professional sports – gotta love em!!
How long a reach does he have tho? đ
Mo $ Mo problems!
Be afraid. Be very afraid…
Manny Ramirez, maybe.
i don’t think Moss should be on this list. That dude tried hard for most of his career. and even if he didn’t he still put up all-time numbers. You can make a case he is the best all-time receiver.
anyways, i don’t think we need to hijack this thread – just my 2 cents
Gotta disagree, sag. If you work hard only some of the time, you’re not a hard worker. Moss was not only a loafer, he was a quitter too.
Sheer talent got him big stats, but he could have been so much better if he had wanted to.
I have to hugely disagree. Sheer talent, by itself, doesn’t get you to a Hall of Fame, where Moss belongs. Hugely talented guys wash out in college and their first few years of pro ball all the time. It takes a lot to hone those skills from a five star recruit into a full career. Moss may not have given off the appearance, but that guy had to bust his butt to be that good.
“He’s a bargain at $20 miilion a year,” said agent David Lee, “because he’s infinitely better than Ryan Hollins, even if he never suits up. Multiply whatever Hollins is making times infinity and it’s way less than $20 million.”
Chronic knees, chronic entitlement issues, high salary expectations … if Grant pops the hood it’s probably just for some FO kicks and giggles to keep his overworked assistants entertained.
He was good when he wanted to be. He might have trained hard, but he certainly didn’t always play hard. The same knock on him in HS (didn’t want to go over the middle, loafed when he wasn’t the #1 option, didn’t participate in the running game) pretty much followed him throughout his career. (I was a sophomore in high school when he was a senior, and our team played him.) He had Hall of Fame talent, but Hall of Shame heart. Can’t stand the guy. He is probably the one guy who I felt really had a chance to break Jerry Rice’s plethora of records…why didn’t he? He had more physical talent than Jerry did. Unquestionably so. He wasn’t injured a bunch in his career. It’s because he quits.
David Lee is one of my favorite players!
Rick, your last line reminds me of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ttKJwvFIgw&noredirect=1
bynum doesn’t like to play basketball, he just wants your $$$$$$$$$$
according to the crawl on ESPN this morning, Bynum isn’t going to work out for any teams that may want to sign him. Wow. This guy acts like he Wilt Freaking Chamberlain. No thanks.
Yup…which is why I think only a failing organization will sign him to a big contract. While I’d like to have a healthy Bynum…I trust that to happen about as much as I’d trust in a healthy Oden.
Agreed. I’d so much rather pay Oden a million or so than give Bynum 10-12
Pek&Oden>Bynum. It would probably be cheaper to sign those two over Bynum, and they don’t have the leadership or locker room concerns that AB has. Of course I’d love to have the dynamite duo of PG and C for years and years (both guys are young and could be elite at those positions), it’s just not worth the risk
This man is playing his cards right. Andrew Bynum not only recovered by taking the entire season off & Bulking up in the gym, he tricked people into thinking is he a Weirdo+Confident(aka Rodman/Artest like player) with his wacky hairdews & his louder tone of voice, instead of his usual dull soft spoken voice NBA… I’m assuming he talked to a sports psychologist. He gained some serious attention Love him or Hate him
~~~~~ #1 Bynum #2 Dwight – why?
Bynums wingspan makes up for Dwights blocks …Imagine shooting over a 8ft ladder that is jumping
-Bynum makes his freethrows … Dwight doesn’t
-Bynum is the best post up center in the league hands down
-Bynum may not seem like the sharpest tool in the shed when he talks but I strongly believe his IQ in general is higher than Dwight’s .. I’ve seen both players play & I heard Dwight is hard to play with(Kobe doesn’t lie) MamBa
-Dwight is one Athletic Freak, Bynum has heart … Pushing Shaq around in his rookie year , Playing on one leg winning 2 rings , Very starting fights like RonRon(Name of the Game imo) If your soft you don’t win rings do your research (Dwight Mr Nice Guy)
I think The Laker should sign him back(Chemistry) & now LA has Nash in the mix ~~~ 2 slow players who score & one of the best @ making others score ~~ I can picture Nash in a wheelchair lobbing dishes to Big Drew ..Can You ?
In the 2010 NBA playoffs, Bynum injured his knee in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.[41] It was the third consecutive season his knee injuries impacted the Lakers postseason.[39] However, he kept on playing, and the Lakers won their second championship in a row.[42] Postponing surgery until after the playoffs, Bynum appeared in all 23 of the Lakers’ playoff games, averaging 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds. Teammate Pau Gasol called Bynum’s “tenacity remarkable. He gave his best. He sacrificed himself in order to help the team and have a better chance to win the championship.”[43]
cpy/pate
Suit up & risk he rest of you career for a team that isn’t even in the playoff picture?
Caught 2 rings on one knee , I Guarantee you LA wouldn’t have won those 2 rings without his presence
Greg Oden = unrestricted veteran’s minimum
Andrew Bynum = Potential Gold
I think that Bynum’s bust potential is higher than his “Gold” potential…significantly so. He has major re-occurring knee issues.
according to the players who watch him work out daily.. he doesn’t show any problems working out and running the court