The L.A. Lakers dropped an absolute dud in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, getting blown out by 29 points.
While the foundational reason as to why the Lakers struggled so much against the Thunder was the lack of rest the Lakers had heading into this matchup, another big issue for the Lakers was the lack of a defensive presence in the paint.
Andrew Bynum's lack of defensive pressure in the paint was at the forefront of the Lakers' loss, and it goes to show just how important Bynum's complete level of play is to the Lakers' postseason success.
The Lakers can't beat the Thunder without a defensive presence in the paint
Players like Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace are certainly integral to whether or not the Lakers make it to the Western Conference finals, but Andrew Bynum is the only player on the Lakers' roster who can stop the Thunder in the paint.
In Game 1, the Thunder scored 48 points in the paint, and while that's only four more than the Lakers scored, the Thunder's ability to get into the paint without difficulty also enabled them to kill the Lakers from the perimeter.
Looking forward to th ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Peter Emerick
L.A. Lakers: Why Andrew Bynum Is the X-Factor for the Lakers in 2012 Playoffs
May 15th, 2012 by Peter Emerick Leave a reply »
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