You have to first accept the fact that there are two different Andrew Bynums. There is the Andrew Bynum that in 2011-12 NBA season made his first All-Star team and averaged a career high 18.7 points per game with 11.8 boards. He, along with Pau Gasol, made up the best “twin towers” since David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Everyone debated if Bynum was better than Dwight Howard, and the Lakers thought the latter.

Although Bynum was the with the Lakers his entire career since being drafted in 2005 and helping them win two championships, they decided that trying out Dwight Howard would be better than dealing with the other Andrew Bynum. The one will take a 3-point shot whenever he fells like it. The one that takes off his jersey in disgust on the court after being ejected in American Airlines Center as the Mavericks swept the Lakers in 2011. The same one that became a locker room distraction with a questionable work ethic. Many still believe that he does not like to play basketball at all. He was simply put in that role because he is 7 feet tall and  300lbs.

There is no doubt that his medical issues have dropped his free agent stock a few notches. Julius “Dr. J” Erving, a strategic adviser to the 76ers’ ownership group, does not want to see Bynum back in Philly. His quote, “It’s going to be costly if the Bynum situation is one of total uncertainty for another year. I don’t think the organization should stand for that and I don’t think the fans are going to stand for it.”

The Mavericks have taken chances on centers with medical issues in the past. A big gamble that paid off with NBA Championship via Tyson Chandler.He came to the Mavs hoping to prove to the NBA that he could play an entire season injury free. Bynum may not be the defensive presence that Chandler was, but he is big enough to clog up the lane and is going to give you a double-double every night.

Unlike Dwight Howard, he does not need 25 touches a night to be happy. He has spent enough years playing with Kobe Bryant to understand that franchise players, like Dirk Nowitzki, get first dibs. Admittedly, he has not had the best track record dealing with strong willed players like Dirk Nowizki inside the locker room.

As far as his attitude towards the game of basketball, Rick Carlisle has dealt with similar type of players in his career. He has coached Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, and even Delonte West; players that many franchises have felt would destroy a team’s locker room.

Of all the possible free agents this offseason, Andrew Bynum is the riskiest proposition and the hardest sell to the fan base. Tyson Chandler was lighting in a bottle, and lighting normally doesn’t strike twice.

Follow Rodney Fisher on twitter @RodneyRFisher

Sometimes things happen for the best.

That is not to say I’m glad Elton Brand and Derek Fisher got hurt but you know what I mean.

It hasn’t made much sense to me why Chris Kaman has been on the bench in the 4th quarter and apparently he’s been lobbying for crunch time himself.  Tuesday night he got his wish.

At first glance it looked like another night of O. J. Mayo and Chris Kaman leading the Dallas Mavericks to a victory and both certainly played well but it was Dallas Coach Rick Carlisle’s rare use of big men Kaman and Brandan Wright in the fourth quarter that squelched a Philadelphia 76ers comeback and preserved an eventual 107-100 victory.

Carlisle has been playing mostly “small ball” with a small lineup in crunch time, usually using Elton Brand at center but Brand was unavailable for the game with a groin injury and Derek Fisher went down with a knee injury as well, even though he started the game despite having the flue.

After Dallas had built a lead but had it whittled down to one basket by the end of the 3rd quarter, Wright came into the game and scored 6 fourth-quarter points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Kaman then returned to the game for rare 4th-quarter time and added 8, and Mayo and Darren Collison then joined in stretching the Mavericks lead back up to 10.

Mayo led all scorers with 26 and had another great all-around game, adding 8 assists. 3 rebounds and 3 steals while only committing 2 turnovers. Kaman added 20 points and 7 rebounds while Shawn Marion added 14/9. Wright finished with 10/6 in only 17 minutes.

Philadelphia’s Dorrell Wright almost single-handedly kept the 76ers in the game hitting 7-13 from downtown for 25 points total to keep the game close. Spencer Hawes tied a season high with 18 points and added 7 rebounds.  The Sixers played again without leading scorer Jrue Holiday who has been out with a sprained foot.   Holiday has been the Sixers’ best player while waiting for Andrew Bynum’s return.

The teams now have identical records as both are now 12-13. The game provided a needed confidence booster as the Mavs will be facing stiff competition just around the corner.  #Heat #Grizzlies #Spurs

In-depth analysis coming up on The Smoking Cuban.