Howard, Paul, Other?

[ateamstupid]

I'm no big fan of Howard, but there's just no way you can justify calling Bynum as good as him, let alone better.

[King Glorious]

I know it's not fair to completely judge this since Bynum hasn't played yet but everything I'm seeing from Howard makes me feel I was right in what I was saying we'd see if he was in LA. He's not a dominant player. He has zero offense. Chicago single covered him with Taj Gibson at times tonight. He's a liability because of his free throws. Howard doesn't give you as much as Bynum was giving you last year.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I know it's not fair to completely judge this since Bynum hasn't played yet but everything I'm seeing from Howard makes me feel I was right in what I was saying we'd see if he was in LA. He's not a dominant player. He has zero offense. Chicago single covered him with Taj Gibson at times tonight. He's a liability because of his free throws. Howard doesn't give you as much as Bynum was giving you last year.

Really? Maybe its not really fair to judge Howard because he is coming off of back surgery and has only been back for about 90 days (he wasnt even cleared to run till the end of the preseason) or because he is playing with a torn labrum? He has no offense but somehow managed to score 19 points a game while shooting 58% from the floor for his career? His foul shooting is certainly a big issue but that isnt something new. Plus Howard is giving the Lakers ALOT more than Bynum is giving the Sixers which would be zero.

[Cannon Shell]

Not much has been said about Steve Nash who is setting all kinds of records as possibly the worst defender in the league. The Lakers bigger problem than the controversy over the offense/coach is that they are a horrible defensive team with no speed and an inability to stay healthy.

[geeker2]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Not much has been said about Steve Nash who is setting all kinds of records as possibly the worst defender in the league. The Lakers bigger problem than the controversy over the offense/coach is that they are a horrible defensive team with no speed and an inability to stay healthy.

.....and old

Nash 38
Kobe 34
Gasol 32
MWP 33

They are painful to watch.

[King Glorious]

Obviously, if you look at it from the standpoint that Bynum isn't playing, everyone that is playing is giving you more than he is. The discussion was based on if both were playing, which would give you more. Howard is extremely limited on offense. His numbers come on a lot of lobs and putbacks. He doesn't have a go-to move that is consistent. You can't need a basket in a crucial situation and just throw it down to the big man. Very rarely is he able to create a good shot for himself and since you don't have to double him, teammates are finding fewer open lanes. Dwight was only averaging around 20 as the first option in Orlando. It was clear that he would have to give up a number of shots playing with the league's top gunner and with Gasol. I actually think his average this season is higher than I expected. When I say it's unfair because Bynum hasn't played, I mean that we haven't gotten a chance to judge him in Howard's old role, as top dog. It may be a role he can't play but I'm confident in saying that Howard can't play Bynum's role as well as Andrew did.

[King Glorious]

The Lakers went out and took a weak area and made it much worse by signing Nash. He couldn't stop me from getting around him. It's a huge problem and it was made worse by bringing in a coacb that can't spell defense. But to me, the biggest problem comes from an inability to find a way to make use of two of the best big men in the game. D'Antoni has stated that he doesn't like slow, post it up kind of team and he's never coached an elite post player. He's unable to adjust. Any system that puts Earl Clark in and takes Gasol out is wrong.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Obviously, if you look at it from the standpoint that Bynum isn't playing, everyone that is playing is giving you more than he is. The discussion was based on if both were playing, which would give you more. Howard is extremely limited on offense. His numbers come on a lot of lobs and putbacks. He doesn't have a go-to move that is consistent. You can't need a basket in a crucial situation and just throw it down to the big man. Very rarely is he able to create a good shot for himself and since you don't have to double him, teammates are finding fewer open lanes. Dwight was only averaging around 20 as the first option in Orlando. It was clear that he would have to give up a number of shots playing with the league's top gunner and with Gasol. I actually think his average this season is higher than I expected. When I say it's unfair because Bynum hasn't played, I mean that we haven't gotten a chance to judge him in Howard's old role, as top dog. It may be a role he can't play but I'm confident in saying that Howard can't play Bynum's role as well as Andrew did.

If scoring and one on one play were the only measures then you'd be correct in your hypothesis. However you also just described Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell neither of whom would be to be inferior to Andrew Bynum. The fact is that pre injury Howards offensive game was evolving, he had gotten a nice post up game going and had been utilizing the 12 ft bank shot pretty effectively. The problem with Howard (like Shaq and Wilt before him) has always been that down the stretch his horrid FT shooting was a big negative. The biggest strength that Howard has always had that Bynum doesnt have is elite athletisim which made him the easily the best defender of the rim in the game and also allowed him to be the leagues top rebounder as well. He obviously hasnt recaptured that athleticism yet and who knows may never get back to where he was. His all around play at Center including things that are important to post players like defense, shot blocking, and rebounding made him a superior player to Bynum who perhaps had a bit more refined offensive game. Howard has never been the smartest player on the court but Bynum was not exactly Bill Walton either.