Why should I be any different than Andrew Bynum?
As embarrassing as the Lakers were in struggling to beat the worst team in the West — a New Orleans team playing without eight of its players — I was stunned to hear what Bynum had to say in the locker room.We already know maturity is not one of his strengths, but how ominous is it to hear him show such little respect for his head coach?
Kobe Bryant missed his first 15 shots, and so a reporter asked Bynum what Kobe was like in the huddle during timeouts?
"I don't know," Bynum said with his characteristic cavalier attitude. "I don't take part in the huddles."
Another reporter reacted with disbelief, asking why not.
"I'm resting," Bynum said. "Getting my Zen on."
Maybe that's what happened before the game, Bynum trying to channel Phil Jackson. He certainly wanted no part of Brown.
Brown made a move to say something to Bynum just before the start of the game, but got Bynum's back.
Credit the coach with being determined. He tried again, but Bynum walked away. It took three attempts before Brown managed to get a second or two of Bynum's time.
How would it look if Mike the Bencher started the game with Bynum sitting beside him?
But then what does it say about the Lakers when one of their youngest players shows such a lack of respect for the coach?
"I saw everybody there all night [in the huddles]," Brown said when told of Bynum's remark.
But later he said, "In Golden State there was some stuff that went on [with Bynum] that I didn't see. There was some stuff said after the game and I don't read [the papers] so I didn't know. It was dealt with internally."
The Lakers appear to be leaning more and more on Bynum these days. But as weak emotionally as he has been at times, and erratic in behavior, can they count on him?
He took one shot and scored in the first half against New Orleans, which had nothing inside to stop him.
The jury of Lakers fans still seems undecided about Brown. Does he have control of this team? Where's the energy and fire, after some folks concluded the Lakers were championship-challenged after losing to Oklahoma City?
Are the Lakers so weak-minded that they cannot bring themselves to play hard against teams that are not any good?
