LakeShow
01-13-2008, 03:38 PM
Scouting Report: Examining Bynum's breakout season
Thorpe
By David Thorpe
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Insider
Updated: January 11, 2008
NBA Scouting Report: Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum has arrived as a serious contributor to the Lakers. How is he doing it? How can he continue to develop?
Let's take a look:
Early offense
The Lakers play at the fifth fastest pace in the NBA and Bynum is a beneficiary of their style and speed. He rarely races down the floor, choosing instead to run methodically rim-to-rim (even in transition) and looking to make contact with his defender inside. He occasionally sets a drag screen for the guard but even then he heads right to the paint afterward hoping for the quick lob.
Because the Lakers shoot so well -- they have six guys who shoot better than 36 percent from 3, plus Kobe Bryant at 34 percent -- Bynum is left alone in the paint. He's difficult to deny because of the threat of the spin lob (made famous by Shaq), so he can normally get to where he wants to go on the blocks.
I wouldn't label him a "bucket getter," nor is he the second-coming of the "Big Fundamental," but he is certainly capable of maneuvering for his jump hook. He is effective going over either shoulder (though he still prefers finishing with his right hand), and doesn't really favor moving in one particular direction. He faces up about 15 percent of the time, but tends to make one move before reverting back to his back-to-the-basket stuff.
Ironically, considering Bynum is not a speedster running the floor, 47 percent of his shots come within the first 10 seconds of the offense (82games.com). In comparison, consider that Carmelo Anthony plays small forward for the super-fast Nuggets (No. 1 in pace) and gets 44 percent of his shots in the first 10 seconds.
Credit Phil Jackson and the Lakers for recognizing that Bynum is most effective when the defense is still getting set, while part of that number also comes from offensive rebounds. Still, as defenses retreat worrying about Kobe, it's often Bynum who hurts them.
He has greatly improved his finishing moves, using his long arms at full extension to score or get fouled in traffic. He is not soft in the paint, and seems to prefer contact on many instances -- the sign of a maturing big.
PLAYBOOK: SIDE PICK-AND-ROLL
This is the most devastating play in the Lakers' arsenal, and it often features Bynum with Kobe. Defending Bryant is the toughest challenge on this play (see last year's Kobe breakdown), but Bynum's improved talent makes this action even more difficult for opponents to diagnose and stop.
On side pick-and-rolls, Bynum's defender must first work to slow Kobe, leaving Bynum for a moment and trusting that the second defender down low (often marking Lamar Odom) can rotate and compete for space with Bynum as he rolls.
The main challenge, then, is contending with Bynum's length -- Bynum can get his hands above the rim from a surprisingly long distance. And quickly. So as the second big rotates over to Bynum, oftentimes Kobe will immediately throw a soft pass toward the rim, where Bynum can extend his long arms and flush home a dunk. It is an exquisitely timed play, one that a player with shorter arms simply could not make nearly as often.
Bynum does not have to get the dunk off the lob to be an effective scorer. His improved hand strength enables him to make the catch in a crowd, come down while protecting the ball and then finish the play in many cases. According to 82games.com, his field goal percentage on close shots is 53.8 percent, and most of those shots are coming with bodies draped over him.
Bynum's ability to finish these passes with regularity forces opponents to be extra sharp on their rotations, and means they can't just lie in wait for Kobe's drives.
According to Synergy Sports, Bynum generates 10 percent of his offense as the "rollman." His ability to make plays above the rim sets up most of his offensive success. -- Thorpe
Intangible growth on offense
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar deserves much praise for Bynum's development. Most impressively, Bynum has learned how to use his size, speed and length in a far more productive way. Just as Shaq excelled because he had both the body and the mind-set to use his body, so it is with Bynum. He has a different body, but a similar mind-set.
According to 82games.com, Bynum dunked for just 15 percent of his baskets last season, and 81 percent of those were assisted. This means he was set up for the dunk most of the time. This year, he's getting 30 percent of his baskets off dunks, and only 68 percent are assisted. Simply put, he's hunting dunks on people and doing it effectively.
Big men who like to play inside should prefer dunks whenever possible, it is the highest percentage shot and draws the most fouls. Settling for anything less in many cases is a sign of physical or mental weakness.
Bynum is not an overpowering athlete, but he has learned that his long arms can reach the rim quicker than defenders often realize. Watch the accompanying video and you'll see some examples.
In John Hollinger's pre-season scouting report, he wrote this about Bynum: "… he'll pass out of the post even when he has an advantage, and needs to learn to get more aggressive." Not anymore.
He's also been impressive in his ability to make plays with the ball as a passer or dribbler. Bynum can now score from almost anywhere inside the 3-point line by using just one dribble to get to the rim. Or escape trouble.
According to Hollinger's stats, his turnover ratio is down and his assist ratio is up, helping to build confidence both within Bynum and his teammates. He still makes the unfortunate pass sometimes, looking for the "special" play instead of the steady one, but in time he'll play with more discipline and connect on the special play a little more often too.
On defense and the glass
The Lakers were a poor defensive team last season, 24th in defensive efficiency. This year they rank No. 7 (allowing five fewer points per 100 possessions compared to last year). All good defenses start with a strong interior presence; Bynum is making a difference on both ends of the floor.
Players as talented as Bynum must learn that their teams need them in games and not on the bench sitting with foul issues. This is a difficult challenge to navigate for young players, especially 7-footers who are expected to be a force inside. But Bynum is performing beautifully in this area.
Compared to last year, he's playing almost seven more minutes per game and getting almost a half a block more per game (up to 2.09), while his fouls are down to less than three per game. He's not a shot-blocking phenom, yet he ranks ninth in the league. More importantly, as the best shot-blocker/alterer the Lakers employ, he's staying out of foul trouble and on the floor.
He's improved in the area of defending ball screens as well, using his massive wingspan to slow down the dribbler and cut off passing lanes without being foul prone.
On the glass, he's active and his strong hands enable him to pull down 50/50 balls with regularity. He also seems to be more engaged in the whole process -- rebounds start with "want to" and Bynum has that now. His rebounds per game are up significantly, as are his rebound rates, and he's averaging a double-double for the first time in his young career.
Andrew Bynum is on the rise and has the league on notice.
How good can he be?
Bynum is 21st in the league in PER at 22.08. He's ahead of stars like Tracy McGrady and Shawn Marion. And he's sixth among centers, behind only two other players who play exclusively as 5s (Howard and Yao). Oh, and he just turned 20 in October and is at least two years younger than everyone above him on the centers list.
If Bynum makes just marginal strides in his next two years, he could grow into a dominant player. And if, by 21, he makes the same phenomenal jump he's made this season, we could be talking about one of the top two true centers in the league next year.
In what areas can Bynum improve? For starters, he never runs a pick and pop; he always rolls to the rim. But that can change. He's also not an explosive leaper, though he's far from growing into his athletic peak.
And while he's improved in his ability to get buckets, we can expect better scoring numbers as his playing time increases and his experiences and reference points expand. He's averaging 12.9 ppg and getting only 27 percent of his shots after the 16-second mark of the shot clock. As his game grows, so will his opportunities as a go-to guy in crunch time.
Lastly, big men almost always develop late. So imagine if Kareem, who averaged over 26 ppg at the age of 33, can school his most successful pupil on the game's deadliest offensive weapon -- the sky hook. With the skyhook, and more of the offense flowing through him in the years to come, Bynum has the potential to become a big-time scorer.
But in the meantime, he'll be a very strong force on a very strong team, making his fans, coaches and one teammate in particular very happy.
David Thorpe is an NBA analyst for ESPN.com and the executive director of the Pro Training Center at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., where he oversees the player development program for NBA and college players. To e-mail him, click here.
Thorpe
By David Thorpe
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Insider
Updated: January 11, 2008
NBA Scouting Report: Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum has arrived as a serious contributor to the Lakers. How is he doing it? How can he continue to develop?
Let's take a look:
Early offense
The Lakers play at the fifth fastest pace in the NBA and Bynum is a beneficiary of their style and speed. He rarely races down the floor, choosing instead to run methodically rim-to-rim (even in transition) and looking to make contact with his defender inside. He occasionally sets a drag screen for the guard but even then he heads right to the paint afterward hoping for the quick lob.
Because the Lakers shoot so well -- they have six guys who shoot better than 36 percent from 3, plus Kobe Bryant at 34 percent -- Bynum is left alone in the paint. He's difficult to deny because of the threat of the spin lob (made famous by Shaq), so he can normally get to where he wants to go on the blocks.
I wouldn't label him a "bucket getter," nor is he the second-coming of the "Big Fundamental," but he is certainly capable of maneuvering for his jump hook. He is effective going over either shoulder (though he still prefers finishing with his right hand), and doesn't really favor moving in one particular direction. He faces up about 15 percent of the time, but tends to make one move before reverting back to his back-to-the-basket stuff.
Ironically, considering Bynum is not a speedster running the floor, 47 percent of his shots come within the first 10 seconds of the offense (82games.com). In comparison, consider that Carmelo Anthony plays small forward for the super-fast Nuggets (No. 1 in pace) and gets 44 percent of his shots in the first 10 seconds.
Credit Phil Jackson and the Lakers for recognizing that Bynum is most effective when the defense is still getting set, while part of that number also comes from offensive rebounds. Still, as defenses retreat worrying about Kobe, it's often Bynum who hurts them.
He has greatly improved his finishing moves, using his long arms at full extension to score or get fouled in traffic. He is not soft in the paint, and seems to prefer contact on many instances -- the sign of a maturing big.
PLAYBOOK: SIDE PICK-AND-ROLL
This is the most devastating play in the Lakers' arsenal, and it often features Bynum with Kobe. Defending Bryant is the toughest challenge on this play (see last year's Kobe breakdown), but Bynum's improved talent makes this action even more difficult for opponents to diagnose and stop.
On side pick-and-rolls, Bynum's defender must first work to slow Kobe, leaving Bynum for a moment and trusting that the second defender down low (often marking Lamar Odom) can rotate and compete for space with Bynum as he rolls.
The main challenge, then, is contending with Bynum's length -- Bynum can get his hands above the rim from a surprisingly long distance. And quickly. So as the second big rotates over to Bynum, oftentimes Kobe will immediately throw a soft pass toward the rim, where Bynum can extend his long arms and flush home a dunk. It is an exquisitely timed play, one that a player with shorter arms simply could not make nearly as often.
Bynum does not have to get the dunk off the lob to be an effective scorer. His improved hand strength enables him to make the catch in a crowd, come down while protecting the ball and then finish the play in many cases. According to 82games.com, his field goal percentage on close shots is 53.8 percent, and most of those shots are coming with bodies draped over him.
Bynum's ability to finish these passes with regularity forces opponents to be extra sharp on their rotations, and means they can't just lie in wait for Kobe's drives.
According to Synergy Sports, Bynum generates 10 percent of his offense as the "rollman." His ability to make plays above the rim sets up most of his offensive success. -- Thorpe
Intangible growth on offense
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar deserves much praise for Bynum's development. Most impressively, Bynum has learned how to use his size, speed and length in a far more productive way. Just as Shaq excelled because he had both the body and the mind-set to use his body, so it is with Bynum. He has a different body, but a similar mind-set.
According to 82games.com, Bynum dunked for just 15 percent of his baskets last season, and 81 percent of those were assisted. This means he was set up for the dunk most of the time. This year, he's getting 30 percent of his baskets off dunks, and only 68 percent are assisted. Simply put, he's hunting dunks on people and doing it effectively.
Big men who like to play inside should prefer dunks whenever possible, it is the highest percentage shot and draws the most fouls. Settling for anything less in many cases is a sign of physical or mental weakness.
Bynum is not an overpowering athlete, but he has learned that his long arms can reach the rim quicker than defenders often realize. Watch the accompanying video and you'll see some examples.
In John Hollinger's pre-season scouting report, he wrote this about Bynum: "… he'll pass out of the post even when he has an advantage, and needs to learn to get more aggressive." Not anymore.
He's also been impressive in his ability to make plays with the ball as a passer or dribbler. Bynum can now score from almost anywhere inside the 3-point line by using just one dribble to get to the rim. Or escape trouble.
According to Hollinger's stats, his turnover ratio is down and his assist ratio is up, helping to build confidence both within Bynum and his teammates. He still makes the unfortunate pass sometimes, looking for the "special" play instead of the steady one, but in time he'll play with more discipline and connect on the special play a little more often too.
On defense and the glass
The Lakers were a poor defensive team last season, 24th in defensive efficiency. This year they rank No. 7 (allowing five fewer points per 100 possessions compared to last year). All good defenses start with a strong interior presence; Bynum is making a difference on both ends of the floor.
Players as talented as Bynum must learn that their teams need them in games and not on the bench sitting with foul issues. This is a difficult challenge to navigate for young players, especially 7-footers who are expected to be a force inside. But Bynum is performing beautifully in this area.
Compared to last year, he's playing almost seven more minutes per game and getting almost a half a block more per game (up to 2.09), while his fouls are down to less than three per game. He's not a shot-blocking phenom, yet he ranks ninth in the league. More importantly, as the best shot-blocker/alterer the Lakers employ, he's staying out of foul trouble and on the floor.
He's improved in the area of defending ball screens as well, using his massive wingspan to slow down the dribbler and cut off passing lanes without being foul prone.
On the glass, he's active and his strong hands enable him to pull down 50/50 balls with regularity. He also seems to be more engaged in the whole process -- rebounds start with "want to" and Bynum has that now. His rebounds per game are up significantly, as are his rebound rates, and he's averaging a double-double for the first time in his young career.
Andrew Bynum is on the rise and has the league on notice.
How good can he be?
Bynum is 21st in the league in PER at 22.08. He's ahead of stars like Tracy McGrady and Shawn Marion. And he's sixth among centers, behind only two other players who play exclusively as 5s (Howard and Yao). Oh, and he just turned 20 in October and is at least two years younger than everyone above him on the centers list.
If Bynum makes just marginal strides in his next two years, he could grow into a dominant player. And if, by 21, he makes the same phenomenal jump he's made this season, we could be talking about one of the top two true centers in the league next year.
In what areas can Bynum improve? For starters, he never runs a pick and pop; he always rolls to the rim. But that can change. He's also not an explosive leaper, though he's far from growing into his athletic peak.
And while he's improved in his ability to get buckets, we can expect better scoring numbers as his playing time increases and his experiences and reference points expand. He's averaging 12.9 ppg and getting only 27 percent of his shots after the 16-second mark of the shot clock. As his game grows, so will his opportunities as a go-to guy in crunch time.
Lastly, big men almost always develop late. So imagine if Kareem, who averaged over 26 ppg at the age of 33, can school his most successful pupil on the game's deadliest offensive weapon -- the sky hook. With the skyhook, and more of the offense flowing through him in the years to come, Bynum has the potential to become a big-time scorer.
But in the meantime, he'll be a very strong force on a very strong team, making his fans, coaches and one teammate in particular very happy.
David Thorpe is an NBA analyst for ESPN.com and the executive director of the Pro Training Center at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., where he oversees the player development program for NBA and college players. To e-mail him, click here.