The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to repeat their surprising run to the NBA Finals this season. Incredibly, their fate lies not in the shooting hand of Kobe Bryant, the legs of Pau Gasol, or even the shoulder Lamar Odom. Instead, the Lakers’ destiny rests on the knee of Andrew Bynum.

Last season, Bynum surprised many with how far his game had developed. The young post player from Plainsboro, New Jersey showed significant improvement in his offensive arsenal, defensive timing, and maturity. From his scene-stealing 28 point performance against the Suns last Christmas to his 17 rebound game against Milwaukee a few weeks later, Bynum showed all the signs of a future star.

That rising star was stifled significantly on January 13, 2008 when Bynum suffered a serious knee injury in a game against the Grizzlies. The 20-year-old pivot partially dislocated his kneecap and despite constant assurances that he would return later in the season, he was ultimately shelved for the rest of the year. In May, he underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean what team doctors described as “fraying” underneath his kneecap.

By all accounts, Bynum is now completely healthy. He is expected to be ready in October to participate fully in what will be the fourth NBA training camp before his 21st birthday, a reminder that he is the youngest player to ever be drafted or play a game in the NBA.

Bynum’s own freshness is only one part of the Lakers dynamic youth movement. He joins players like Jordan Farmar, Trevor Ariza, and Sasha Vujacic as a major part of the club’s exciting future. Energy and youthful promise, along with Bynum’s considerable raw talent and accelerated development, would typically have a fanbase dizzy with excitement over opportunity for the future.

But in Los Angeles, the future is now. League MVP and Laker immortal Kobe Bryant just turned 30. While typically NBA player can achieve considerable success well into their 30s, Bryant came into the league from high school and has already logged 12 NBA seasons. His MVP performance and good health last season suggest he has many years ahead of him as one of the game’s elite competitors, but how much longer will he hold his place as the very best player in the game? Laker fans want desperately to win immediately and maximize what is left of Kobe’s prime before he dips into the twilight of his career.

The rest of Los Angeles team is not ancient, but they are not completely without weathering. Derek Fisher remains the only team member over 30, however Lamar Odom will soon turn 29 and has suffered serious knee and shoulder problems in the past. Pau Gasol broke his foot two years ago and is already 28.

These players make up the veteran core of a team looking to win now. While they encourage the development and growth of their young teammates, their aim and goals are immediate. The trade that brought Gasol to Los Angeles instantly vaulted the team into the realm of serious contender, but it also informally put a deadline on the team’s window of opportunity.

That is not to say the Lakers are as long-in-the-tooth as their competition. They do not have nearly the same issues regarding mileage and age that San Antonio, Detroit, or even Boston does. However each of those teams can rest easy with the knowledge that they have already won a championship with their unit, whereas Los Angeles has not. Sooner, not later, these Lakers must win together or face the prospect of missing out completely.

Optimistic Laker fans are quick to assert that strong play and consistent health from Bynum is not a prerequisite to the team’s success but instead a reinforcement. After all, Bynum did not play a single game with Gasol and the pairing of the two should in theory give Los Angeles the most potent front-court in the league. If Bynum can contribute consistent rebounding and scoring, and stay healthy, it would seem that the Lakers should have no problem returning to the Finals.

This sort of optimism ignores how tragically the Laker defense failed against Boston, or how uninspired their offense was at times in that series. Bynum has a world of potential, but he has never proved himself against defenders the likes of Kevin Garnett.

As if expectations were not high enough for the young man to deal with, there is the issue of the Lakers failed attempt to add Ron Artest this summer. Artest would have given them the type of rabid defender and fierce competitor they sorely lacked against the Celtics, and the team’s failure to acquire him for Lamar Odom is already being condemned by fans. That serves only to raise the demands on Bynum. He will need to respond by playing inspired defense and teaming with Gasol to control the glass in a way the team failed to do without him.

Those worried about Andrew Bynum’s ability to respond to these heighten expectations and challenges should take heart to remember that lofty suppositions have been placed on the young center since he was first drafted. Bynum was selected 10th overall in 2005 as the Lakers’ replacement for the departed Shaquille O’Neal. He was to inherit O’Neal rank as superstar post, and join a list of Hall of Fame Laker pivots that includes George Mikan, Wilt Chamberline, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In putting that level of expectation on Bynum, the Lakers proclaimed that this was a young man they could place their future on. That future begins now and Los Angeles is counting on him, and his knee, to make good on all that promise.

Photo Credit: ICON Sports Media