The Philadelphia 76ers (18-26) have been waiting for this for a long time. Just five months ago they traded Andre Iguodala, Maurice Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, and a first-round pick for star center Andrew Bynum (and Jason Richardson). Yet Bynum, the reason they gave up so much in that trade, still hasn’t set foot on an NBA court.
But his return could be sooner rather than later. The Sixers have announced that Bynum could return as early as the All-Star break, which is February 14th-17th.
The link below shows video of Bynum practicing at the team’s facility, working on his agility, taking shots, and practicing post-up moves.
http://www.nba.com/sixers/video/2013/01/29/130129bynumworkoutmov-2368050
Bynum practicing at the facility.
He looks like he’s in decent shape and would be a welcome addition to one of the league’s worst offenses. In fact, the Sixers are tied for 27th in the league with 93.4 points per game.
Jrue Holiday has been able to carry the team so far with contributions from Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, and Spencer Hawes, but adding Bynum would make the offense that much more viable. It would open things up for the team’s shooters, including Nick Young and Dorell Wright, and would force teams to choose between doubling Jrue Holiday when he drives or doubling Andrew Bynum.
This kind of offensive upgrade would help the Sixers close the gap between them and the 8th-seeded Boston Celtics, who are 3 games in front at the moment.
