In listening to Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins’ rant earlier this week, it was easy to get the impression that he is not holding out hope that Andrew Bynum will be able to play his first game as a Sixer this season. Bynum and his insane hair recently told reporters that he is positive he will play this year, but there are only 26 games remaining on Philly’s schedule.
On Friday, CSNPhilly.com’s Dei Lynam and John Gonzalez shared some comments from Bynum that indicate he realizes his season is slipping away.
“Bynum said ‘I really don’t know’ when asked if he’ll play this year,” Gonzalez wrote on Twitter Friday afternoon. “Knee is swollen from last Friday’s practice. When asked if he’s worried about the perception that he doesn’t want to play in pain, Bynum said ‘that’s true, I don’t want to play in pain.'”
Lynam shared more of the same from Bynum, adding that he said his health is more important and that the season is running short on time.
As Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk pointed out, Bynum is an unrestricted free agent after this year. His knees are obviously a major concern, but he’s only 25 years old. Some team is going to be willing to open their checkbook and give him a solid amount of money whether he plays a game this season or not.
Will that team be the Sixers, or will Bynum never play a game for Philadelphia? You could argue that the Sixers wagered their entire future to acquire Bynum in hopes that he becomes the cornerstone of their franchise, so they almost have to bring him back. Otherwise, they’ll be getting literally nothing in return on their investment. Well, aside from a few laughs on account of his hair.
Photo via Twitter/Jordan Raanan
