Andrew Bynum hasn’t made it through a season the past two years without a major injury. It looks like he may have dodged a bullet and be on his way to a (mostly) full season.
We told you last night Bynum suffered what was diagnosed as a strained Achilles tendon. The sound you hear whooshing last night was the collective breath of the Laker nation. That breath can now exhale as Brad Turner of the LA Times is reporting that Bynum’s MRI results were negative for a tear, and confirmed the strain.
Bynum’s expected to miss two weeks according to Turner.
It’s good news for Bynum and good news for Lakers fans who depend on Bynum’s size as a deterrent inside where they’re not exactly tough as nails. He’s part of the formula along with a suddenly restrained Ron Artest and a smarter Lamar Odom that puts the Lakers into a league of their own.
The only concern is Bynum’s recovery time. He’s notorious for taking far longer than originally diagnosed to come back from injury. His work ethic has been questioned by both his head coach Phil Jackson and legend Tex Winters, so we’ll have to see if Bynum makes it back within the time frame projected or if it lingers. Then again, with the number one seed in the West all but locked up, what’s the rush?