They got Kwame Brown from Washington in a trade, and while Brown played better when moved from power forward to center late last season, no one expects the former first pick overall to be the ultimate solution.
But Bynum, the Lakers' first-round pick last season, who just turned 19 on Oct. 27, might be.
Teams were intrigued by Bynum's intelligence before the 2005 draft, thinking he'd pick things up quickly. But he struggled like most rookies, playing in just 46 games. His season was highlighted by his dunker-dunkee deal with O'Neal in January, which led to glares and an elbow to the chest from Shaq.
But after a year's tutorial from Lakers assistant coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the finer points of post play, and a year of weight training, Bynum looks and plays like a different person.
With Brown sidelined for a month with a shoulder injury and Chris Mihm out with a sprained right ankle, the 7-foot Bynum was forced into the starting lineup. He's shown good signs so far.
Throughout the preseason, Bynum was a presence in the middle when he got on the court. And despite Bryant's missing the regular-season opener Tuesday, the Lakers throttled the Suns at home, with Bynum contributing 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
"Last year, I was a lot skinnier," Bynum said just before the start of the season. "I had 12 percent body fat. Now I'm down to 10, the 9.8 area. I got in the weight room. I got a little more explosive. I got a little bit better body control. And that just came from working hard in the summer. I just worked hard. And I'm taking that same work ethic from the weight room on the court."
