Ice Cube questions commitment from Andrew Bynum, Dwight Howard

The Lakers have provided plenty of reasons for Ice Cube to rap his famed classic “It Was a Good Day.”

The Lakers have acquired veteran elite point guard Steve Nash. They haven’t broken up their core roster. And they upgraded their bench by acquiring Antawn Jamison and keeping Jordan Hill.

Still, the actor-rapper and Lakers fan appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” filled with reservations about the Purple & Gold. Cube told it like it was just as he did on NWA’s albums.

“I feel great about the perimeter,” Ice Cube said. “I’m still worrying about what’s happening in the frontcourt. I’m still worried about what’s up with my bigs. Do ya’ll want a ring or not? Are ya’ll full? We need to see them battle. We need to see [Andrew] Bynum. We need to see Pau [Gasol]. We need to see ya’ll battling for position, and then Steve Nash will deliver you the ball.”

The Lakers might bring more clarity to that position. They’ve been in ongoing talks with the Orlando Magic to secure Dwight Howard in exchange for Bynum. The deal could hinge on what other contracts the Lakers would have to absorb, or if they can get a third party involved as a possible destination for Bynum. But regardless of the scenario, Ice Cube doesn’t believe it fundamentally solves the Lakers’ issues.

“Right now, I keep Andrew Bynum,” Ice Cube said. “Dwight, you have to want it, man. You have to come and want to be a part of the legacy. You got to want to have your jersey up on that wall.”

For those keeping score, former Lakers James Worthy and Cedric Ceballos have also told The Times they’d prefer that the Lakers keep Bynum. Meanwhile, a certain influential ex-Laker named Magic Johnson has touted the need for Howard to come to L.A.

Ice Cube’s preference for Bynum, however, hardly sounds like a ringing endorsement.

“It’s really about how he wants to play and what he’s playing for,” Ice Cube said of Bynum. “Is he playing for the ring and the ultimate prize, or is he just running around? Sometimes they talk about Kobe not giving him the ball, but dude, you have to fight for position. You got to be in the paint fighting for position to get the ball. You can’t get the ball standing around behind players waiting for the rebound to bounce.”

So there you have it.

The man who brought us N.W.A and a whole lot of summer blockbusters also brings unfiltered and thoughtful Lakers analysis.

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