Bynum Works on Finding His Place

It’s only appropriate that Laker fans’ introduction to Andrew Bynum began with ... a wait.

Fans waited in a long line Friday to enter the Pyramid at Long Beach State for Bynum’s Summer Pro League debut. Then they had to wait 35 minutes past the scheduled 7:30 p.m. start because the previous game between the Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks went into overtime.

They booed when the buzzer sounded and the scoreboard showed a tie, meaning they’ve already forgotten the first Bynum Rule: Patience.

That has to be the operating principle.

What else can it be when you keep hearing words like “learning process” (from Phil Jackson), “develop” (Kurt Rambis) and “eventually” (Tex Winter) when the Lakers assess Bynum?

The citizens of Lakerland are eager and excited to see what the 17-year-old, 7-foot first-round draft pick can do. It was standing-room only at the Pyramid and they cheered him every step of the way, from a warmup dunk to a reaching steal, during a 93-85 Laker loss to Memphis.

And they groaned when he missed his first two free throws. (It was the only time all night he reminded anyone of Shaquille O’Neal.)

Of course, a summer league game isn’t a true test. Not on a court filled with more anonymous players than last night’s Dodger lineup. After one breakaway jam the public address announcer simply said “slam dunk ... Los Angeles Lakers.”

And summer league rosters filled with job-hunting guards jacking up shots in an effort to get noticed aren’t the best place for a center to showcase low-post moves. Then again, Bynum didn’t spend much time in the low post. He was pushed out halfway to the three-point line by the Memphis Grizzlies defenders. Even Brian Shaw was able to move him when he worked with him in practice the day before.

Bynum must build upper-body strength. He must develop go-to moves. Jackson sat in the stands Friday night with Mitch Kupchak and Ronnie Lester.

“You see what we saw: he’s athletic, he’s still raw as far as polish and talent,” Jackson said at halftime, when Bynum had four points and six rebounds on his way to 12 points and nine rebounds. “He still has to gather himself a little bit to complete [plays]. But he’s competitive, he can run the floor well, he’s athletic.

“He’s got a big wingspan, he’s broad-shouldered, he’s comfortable with his back to the basket and we don’t know when he’s going to stop growing.”

Check back in three years to evaluate this pick. Yes, Danny Granger was available and his game is more NBA-ready. But he’s another small forward, and would only add to what Jackson called a glut at the position.

The Lakers should be thinking long-term, not short-term, no matter how spoiled the fans have been by success, no matter how much money they’re paying Jackson to coach them as they claw their way back.

Jackson made a point of saying that he approved of the Bynum pick. “We’re in full agreement as far as the direction our draft was going to be,” he said. “Mitch and I and Jim Buss were dedicated to the fact that we have to start building for the future with our draft.”

In case anyone still missed the point, he said later: “This is not a process that’s going to be an overnight turnaround. That would be a great fortune for us and our fans. But we think it’s going to take some time and we started in the right direction and now we’re going to build some momentum towards that.”

Remember, Kobe Bryant didn’t start in his first two seasons with the Lakers.

“There’s an apprenticeship that you must serve in this league,” Jackson said. “I don’t care if it’s three months or three years. You still have to serve your apprenticeship that gives you that experiential level that you have to have to play this level thoughtfully and professionally.”

Jackson didn’t specify how much time Bynum would play, although he did muse about sending him in against O’Neal as an “educational opportunity.”

Bynum says he’s a patient person, a trait you don’t usually associate with teenagers. Jackson said one of the qualities he liked best about him was how he’d take time to compose his thoughts before answering questions.

In the Lakers’ best-case scenario, Bynum would follow the track of Jermaine O’Neal, the previous youngest player drafted when the Portland Trail Blazers selected him with the No. 17 pick in 1996. O’Neal started a total of 18 games and never averaged more than 4.5 points in four seasons in Portland. He was traded to Indiana and since his second season as a starter he’s pretty much been good for 20 and 10.

“I have a theory,” Jackson said. “Just about everybody can learn.”

Now here’s a chance to test that theory on a mass scale.

We’ll see if Laker fans can learn to be patient.