Andrew Bynum

In his first 24 games played during the season, Bynum averaged 24.6 minutes per game and 27.4 minutes in 17 games as a starter. Jackson was limiting Bynum's minutes in an attempt to minimize his risk of injury. At the All-Star break, Jackson discussed with Bynum his primary role to defend and rebound—not score. It was a role Bynum had previously resisted. On March 8, Bynum had his third straight game with at least 16 rebounds and had 50 rebounds and 12 blocks in that span. As the Lakers went 8–0 after the All-Star break, Bynum had 10 or more rebounds five times and blocked three or more shots four times while the Lakers held opponents to just 87 points per game. The Lakers revised their defense to have big men no longer were responsible for the perimeter against guards coming off screens, and Lakers' defenders would instead funnel the plays inside to Bynum. On March 14, Bynum tied his career high in rebounds with 18 against Dwight Howard and the Magic. On March 20, Bynum was suspended for two games by the NBA for a flagrant foul on Michael Beasley of the Minnesota Timberwolves. On April 5, in a loss to the Utah Jazz, he grabbed a career high 23 rebounds. On April 12 against the San Antonio Spurs, Bynum hyper-extended his right knee A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam revealed he had a bruised knee, and he missed the last game of the regular season. Read Less