Twin Towers of Power: Gasol, Bynum give Lakers…
Twin Towers of Power: Gasol, Bynum give Lakers a huge presence in the middle
Ersan Ilyasova #21 of Regal FC Barcelona goes up for a layup between Andrew Bynum #17 and Pau Gasol #16 of the Lakers at Staples Center during the preseason. The Lakers' two big men should form an imposing presence in the middle.
By Elliott Teaford | eteaford@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: October 28, 2008 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: August 30, 2017 at 12:53 pm
Pau Gasol wears an unruly mop of brown curls and a shaggy beard, making him look something like a towering caveman as he runs up and down the court for the Lakers.
Andrew Bynum keeps his head shaved, or at the very least trimmed so close he appears to be bald. Sometimes he lets the hair on his chin grow, but never too far.
Gasol grew up in Barcelona, Spain. He joined the local club team as a teenager and then left Europe for the Memphis Grizzlies when he was 21.
Bynum grew up in Plainsboro, N.J. He jumped from the campus of St. Joseph High in Metuchen, N.J., into the NBA draft when he was 17.
Gasol planned to become a doctor, but left the University of Barcelona when he was 18 to concentrate on his basketball career with FC Barcelona.
Bynum became the youngest player in league history to play in a regular-season game at 18 years, sixdays. He has taken classes in the offseason at Loyola Marymount University.
Gasol led Spain to a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in August. He also helped Spain win gold at the World Championships, earning MVP honors, in 2006.
Bynum has never played internationally for the United States. He was named a McDonald's High School All-American in 2005.
Gasol and Bynum will play together this season for the first time, a pair of 7-footers carrying a heavy burden upon their broad shoulders. The Lakers hope they can lift them one rung higher than last season, when they lost in the NBA Finals to Boston.
Gasol, 28, and Bynum, who turned 21 on Monday, are so different and yet so alike. They approach the 2008-09 season from different points on a compass, but their goals are identical. They speak different languages – Gasol speaks Catalan, Spanish and English and Bynum speaks only English – but nothing is lost in translation on the court.
"Pau fools you," guard Kobe Bryant said. "He's different than you think. He's got everybody fooled. He's very intense. He's a total smart ass. He's a great guy. He's outgoing. He talks a lot. He's not a quiet guy by any means.
"When he plays, he's very intense and focused out there. He has a high basketball IQ."
Gasol averaged 18.9 points and 8.4 rebounds in 66 games last season, including 27 games with the Lakers after his Feb. 1 trade from the Grizzlies.
Bynum averaged career bests of 13.1 points and 10.2rebounds in 35 games before suffering a season-ending left kneecap injury in a game against Memphis on Jan. 13.
"He was a baby (when he joined the Lakers), and now he's a man," forward Lamar Odom said of Bynum. "He had baby fat. Now he's trimmed down. He's got a little hair on his face. Andrew has turned into a man, slowly but surely, and it's good to see. He's a great player and when you're a great player, people expect a lot out of you."
In fact, Lakers coach Phil Jackson has moved Gasol from center to power forward to make way for Bynum in the middle. They had their ups and downs during training camp, soaring and slumping as they attempted to develop their games around each other.
The reviews of their play together so far have been overwhelmingly positive.
Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown said last week he believed Gasol and Bynum would form a "terrific" pairing "because Pau has such a great feel for the game. The fact that they are interchangeable, I don't think it'll be a problem at all. I don't think anyone in the league has anything like that (combination)."
Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said Gasol and Bynum made "our two big guys (Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal) look small. The good thing is we only play them twice a year. The Lakers are obviously the best basketball team with or without Bynum."
Asked for his appraisal of his tandem, Jackson said, "They're playing pretty well together." But he also cautioned, "They're still a work in progress."
Indeed, there have been subtle adjustments for the two to make.
For instance, Gasol has moved from the post to the wing, which hasn't been a big deal for him since he played away from the basket now and again during his six-plus seasons with Memphis. But he and Bynum have struggled in transition defense at times.
When one goes to chase an offensive rebound, the other must retreat in case the opposition grabs the ball and begins to run. Both big men simply can't hit the boards at the same time. It's been Jackson's biggest concern about their play together.
Bynum's recovery from his knee injury has been an arduous battle since he underwent surgery May 21, one he insists has been without significant setbacks. He did acknowledge he had a bit of swelling in his knee recently, but said it had subsided.
What's more, Bynum displayed a laser-like focus during training camp, shrugging off concerns about his status with the Lakers beyond this season.
He is eligible for a contract extension that could be worth more than $80 million over five seasons.
elliott.teaford@dailybreeze.com
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Elliott Teaford
Elliott Teaford covers the Anaheim Ducks for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group.