Andrew Bynum is the most promising big man in the league, and he has been regarded as a center full of potential since he entered the NBA as a high school player back in 2005. Bynum can match the dominance of Howard with his rebounding and blocking ability. His brute force and presence influences many players on the defensive end by altering their shots.
Even though Bynum does not produce as many points as Howard, he makes up for that with his defensive effort. The Orlando Magic rely on Howard to produce points because of their lack of offensive talent, but the Lakers have All-Star players in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom that can compensate for Bynum’s lack of point production.
Pau Gasol has the unique ability to shoot from outside of the paint, which most seven footers are incapable of doing. In addition to his remarkable mid-range shooting, he can also knock down the ball on the charity stripe. Howard has struggled his entire career on the free throw line, only shooting 59.8% for his career, and Gasol has been able to shoot 75.1% for his career.
In addition to Gasol’s precise shooting, he also has solid passing skills for a big man. There is no other seven-footer in the NBA that can pass the ball so smoothly and make precise passes like Gasol. Howard clearly can dominant the paint with his size, but when it comes to making other players better, he lacks the passing ability to include other players in the offensive flow.
Lamar Odom is one of the most unique players in the NBA with his versatility as a big man. Odom is considered to be a human transformer because he is capable of playing every position on the floor. If the Lakers need him to play point guard, he could run plays, and if they need him to play down in the paint, he could match up with other big men in the league.
Not only can he shoot from behind the three point line, he is also a rebounding machine on both the offensive and defensive end. On top of his versatility, he can also run a fastbreak and execute down in the lane for easy layups or dunks.
Next: Lakers Offensive System
