Regular-season games might not be worth it for Andrew Bynum

April 4th, 2008, 7:14 pm · Post a Comment · posted by KEVIN DING, OCREGISTER.COM

LOS ANGELES — Andrew Bynum has a bundle of curly hairs sprouting from the bottom of his chin these days. Maybe it’s the start of a playoff beard for the 20-year-old.

Bynum said he will not play before the last two regular-season games and would like to get in there for a “tuneup” at that time before the postseason. But as I mentioned in my story for the Thursday paper, the Lakers are prepared to wait on Bynum’s return until the playoffs. Bynum is looking more forward to what is likely a three-day layoff for the Lakers before the postseason as a time he can really gear up with proper work, rest and instruction. Bynum said he wants to “get a bunch of hard practices in” at that time.

“I want to get out there not only for myself, but to get used to playing with Pau (Gasol),” Bynum said.

I asked Phil Jackson if that alignment of Gasol moving from center to power forward to make room for Bynum is more conceivable now that center-only Bynum is nearing a return. And Jackson acknowledged he has begun working on that formation in practice — putting Chris Mihm or DJ Mbenga at center so Gasol can play forward.

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