The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t looked their best of late — failing to beat a winning team since Nov. 23. But help is on the way for the defending champs.
Center Andrew Bynum is set to return from knee injury on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Sounds like practice went well for Bynum: ‘I’m definitely playing tomorrow,'” Bresnahan tweeted of Bynum on Monday.
During the Lakers’ rough patch, Kobe Bryant has been forced to shoulder much of the scoring load as Pau Gasol‘s and Lamar Odom‘s respective outputs have waned since the beginning of the season. With Bynum’s size, athleticism and 15 points per game back in the lineup, both Gasol and Odom are likely to be fresher on the floor, and Bryant will be able to defer to his team to a greater extent.
Bynum has dealt with knee injuries for three consecutive seasons. Despite their relative struggles, the Lakers were 17-7 without their young center.
