Los Angeles Lakers: Top Five Lakers In The Post-Shaq Era

4.  Andrew Bynum

I was always a huge fan of Bynum.  Sure he didn’t have the greatest attitude, but that did not affect his game. Bynum, when healthy, was always an above average center, and in the 2011-2012 season he was arguably the best center in the NBA.  He played 60 games, and averaged 18.7 points on 55.8% shooting, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks.

Bynum was nearly unstoppable on the block that year, and I see a little 2012 Bynum in Duke’s Jahlil Okafor.  In fact, he became so reliable down in the paint, that the Lakers started drawing crunch time plays for him not Kobe (above). That’s right. Out of a timeout, with the game on the line, the plan was to go to Bynum, not Kobe.

On the 2010 championship team, Bynum averaged a very solid 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds, and shot a team leading 57.0% from the field.

It took Bynum until 2012 to finally become a star in this league but there is no doubt that he was consistently a solid center (when healthy).  That’s the big issue here.  If not for the knee problems, Bynum would probably still be a dominant center in today’s game as he is only 27 years old.  No matter how healthy he was, however, he would probably still have been traded for Howard in 2013.

Until Randle proves something, and hopefully Karl-Anthony Towns becomes the most dominant Lakers big man ever (kidding), Bynum remains the best Lakers draft pick.

Next: 3. Lamar Odom