Dwight Howard Injured, Playoffs in Jeopardy for Orlando Center
Andrew Bynum's increasing ability as a player during crunch time paired with Dwight Howard's on-going injury, which may cause him to miss the next 10 days, could result in Bynum becoming a more valuable center.
Dwight Howard's current back injury is coming dangerously close to conflicting with the upcoming playoffs. Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith said Sunday that the team's center will be taking another 10 days to rest his back. Howard suffers from a herniated disk in his lower back which brings on persistent back spasms.
As Howard's condition has worsened, Bynum has been given the unique opportunity to portray himself as a potentially more valuable player.
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"Andrew Bynum has now played in more games than Dwight Howard this season, and if Howard's bad back is going to keep him sidelined this will be first season ever that Bynum finishes with the higher number of the two in the "G" category," ESPN has reported.
Bynum could also pack an extra bonus as his abilities to be played during crunch time have drastically improved, while Howard still lags in that area.
Playoffs are approaching and will begin on April 28. Smith has stated that he has very little sense of how Howard's situation will play out.
"It's not up to me," Smith said before Magic faced the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. "His body's going to have to pretty much tell us if he can go or not."
At current it appears that the only diagnosis for Howard's injury is rest and relaxation, which could take up time the team currently just doesn't have.
"It's the same diagnosis we had and the same prognosis we had. They probably were a little bit more conservative than we would have been, but that's normal," Smith told reporters. "We were on the same rest and rehab [regimen] that he got over there. So, he's going to rest and rehab for the next 10 days and see how we go from there."
