Lakers Coach Mike Brown: There’s ‘no problem’ with Andrew Bynum
The last two games have been, uh, active for Lakers Coach Mike Brown.
He sat Kobe Bryant for four of the last six minutes in a Lakers loss to Memphis and benched Andrew Bynum for most of the second half in a victory over Golden State.
He’s definitely putting his mark on the team in only his first season.
The latest sampling: Brown shrugged when asked if he had spoken to Bynum since benching the 7-footer because of a three-point attempt that barely grazed the rim.
“Whatever I need to talk to him about on the floor, I’ve coached,” Brown said after the team’s shoot-around Thursday morning. “There’s no problem between Andrew and I. I coached him just like I normally have.”
At least one person wanted Bynum to keep taking three-point attempts.
“Hopefully Bynum continues to have that outside shot that he has and we don’t have to guard him down low,” said Oklahoma City Coach Scott Brooks. The Lakers play the Thunder on Thursday night at Staples Center.
Despite Bynum’s benching, Brown spoke kindly of Bynum when asked about their big-picture relationship.
“He’s been great. I don’t have any complaints with Andrew,” Brown said. “He’s averaging 20-something points a game and double-digit rebounds. Production-wise, I think he’s doing fine. I think he’s flourishing in what we have planned for him.”
Bynum, 24, is averaging career-highs in points (18.2), rebounds (12.2) and minutes (35.7). He has played in all 46 of the Lakers’ games since serving a four-game suspension at the start of the season.
Brown seemed to have had enough of the Bynum questions for now.
“I know for sure I’m not on my ‘A’ game every day and I don’t know if anybody else is,” he said. “I’m not going to sit here and question this and question that of any player.”
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Lakers Coach Mike Brown: There’s ‘no problem’ with Andrew Bynum
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