Bynum: Knee trouble made stint with Sixers a frustrating time

SHOULD Andrew Bynum step onto the court at the Wells Fargo Center tonight when his Cleveland Cavaliers take on the 76ers, the noise that will greet him probably will be near ear-splitting level.

It will be in stark contrast to the amount of sound Bynum made yesterday when talking to reporters after the team's practice at Temple. Speaking in a barely audible tone on the side of the Owls' practice court, Bynum answered the questions lobbed at him quickly and seemingly without much feeling.

"Just frustration," he said when asked to reflect on his time with the Sixers last season, sidelined with knee trouble the entire season after a blockbuster trade brought him here from the Los Angeles Lakers. "Just not being able to play. If I could have played, I would."

The fact that Bynum enhanced the knee pain early in the season after a bowling stint surely is fuel for the fans' ire.

Having just turned 26, Bynum is face to face with the end of his career because of problems that required surgery on both knees after last season. The cartilage damage in both very well could cost him his livelihood soon. In four games with the Cavaliers this season, Bynum is averaging 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.8 minutes a game.

"It's still career-threatening," he said. "I'm a shell of myself on the court right now. I still feel sharp pains, like after my dunk the other day. There's still quite a ways to go. Right now, it's just battling pain. The things that I used to be able to do, [he can't]. It's frustrating."

As was his time here, especially for the fans who thought when the Sixers pulled off the four-team trade that they were looking at a potential Eastern Conference contender.

"I got bad news when I got diagnosed with my knees, but I tried to get back," he said. "The frustrating part was getting almost there and having setbacks."

Bynum said he really didn't care about what the Philly fans thought of him, then said: "They're still great fans; they come out and they support the team. When I was here, they had nothing but love. I never had any animosity." He added that the team never talked of bringing him back for this season.

It seems so long ago, but it was only in 2011-12 when Bynum played in 60 of the Lakers' 66 games and posted his best season with averages of 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and shot 56 percent from the floor. Then came the blockbuster deal that August that cost the Sixers Andre Iguodala, Nic Vucevic, Moe Harkless and a draft pick. That was followed by a season of frustration and, ultimately, unfulfilled hopes.

That made the Sixers' decision not to re-sign the free agent, who then was gobbled up by the Cavaliers with a 2-year, $24.8 million contract, with only $6 million guaranteed.

"The most important thing is just getting him acclimated, getting him to get the feeling again of being out on the floor, because he hasn't been out on the floor in a while," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "As an organization, we don't want to rush him and we don't have any expectations of him right now, except to keep working, and that's what he's been doing.

"I'm not a doctor, but guys have come back from injury before. I'm assuming in time maybe he will be. The one thing that he has going for him offensively in terms of helping his numbers is a couple of things: He's very intelligent and very skilled. He can do more than just post up and be that inside presence. If the floor is spaced, he can knock down a 17-foot jump shot. As crazy as it sounds, I've seen him shoot threes in practice where he's a very good shooter from that range. His skill set is very high."

Brown knows that the prospects of having the services of Bynum are uncertain. Still, just like last year, the thought of having a healthy 7-footer with All-Star skills is quite enticing.

"If you're long, skilled and intelligent, you're going to have a chance to play many years, even if a guy like Andrew doesn't get his explosiveness back," Brown said. "Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't, but he's working hard to be the same player he was before."

Now, Bynum is mainly filled with doubts. Doubts that his kickstand knees will be able to support his almost 300-pound body, doubt that he still has the desire to play the game.

"It was a thought, a serious thought," Bynum said of retirement. "At the moment, I've stopped enjoying the game, because of how hurt I am physically. I just [want to] try and play without pain and discover the joy again."

He probably won't hear much joy tonight at the arena he never called home.

Blog: ph.ly/Sixerville