Andrew Bynum: Trade to Philadelphia 76ers Means Huge Year For Him
Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
Andrew Bynum was being talked about in trade rumors for months, but getting traded to the Philadelphia 76ers was a surprise. This is a huge year for Bynum on many levels and not only will he make his second All-Star appearance in two years, he’ll take over as the best center in the Eastern Conference.
Bynum made his first All-Star game last year at just 24 years of age. He set career highs in minutes, points and rebounds and drastically cut back on his personal fouls. Let’s take a look at his career numbers.
| Season | G | GS | MP | FG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 46 | 0 | 7.3 | .402 | .296 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| 2006-07 | 82 | 53 | 21.9 | .558 | .668 | 5.9 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.8 |
| 2007-08 | 35 | 25 | 28.8 | .636 | .695 | 10.2 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 13.1 |
| 2008-09 | 50 | 50 | 28.9 | .560 | .707 | 8.0 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 14.3 |
| 2009-10 | 65 | 65 | 30.4 | .570 | .739 | 8.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 15.0 |
| 2010-11 | 54 | 47 | 27.8 | .574 | .660 | 9.4 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 11.3 |
| 2011-12 | 60 | 60 | 35.2 | .558 | .692 | 11.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 18.7 |
| Career | 392 | 300 | 26.0 | .566 | .687 | 7.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 11.7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/15/2012.
All of those stats point towards the same thing – he’s improving and just about to hit his prime. We know Bynum is an emotional player and being traded away is going to light a fire under him. He’s going to play with a major chip on his shoulder this year and will give a full, focused effort all year long.
Another big reason for Bynum to have a huge year is that he’s in the last year of his contract. The better he plays, the more options he’ll have and more money he’ll make. The 76ers will likely have the inside track on signing him as long as Bynum doesn’t clash with teammates or management.
To recap, Bynum was shunned by his former team. Bynum is going to a young team that will feed him the ball and depend on him to produce. Bynum is playing for his personal pride AND a big payday. Add all of that up, and we’re going to get 24 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks per game in 2012-13.