Gasol's return might actually be a good thing for Bynum owners...well, if you don't own him yet. (Getty Images)

Pau Gasol returned to action last night and immediately exhibited mid-season form with 24 and 13 on 9-15 shooting.  He had been one of my top buy-low candidates the past few weeks because of uncertainty about his hamstring, and hopefully some of you were able to get him on the cheap.  But now that the “other” Gasol is back in fantasy lineups, that opens up a new buy-low window (at least the next 48 hours, maybe the next couple weeks) for another C in Los Angeles…

Andrew Bynum

First, let me just say I have owned Bynum in each of the last three years.  There’s a case he’s the most valuable C in fantasy when healthy, as he doesn’t have Dwight Howard’s FT% Achilles (Bynum is at 70% the last two years) and he gets more than Chris Bosh’s 1 bpg.  So, yes, I like the young big man.  And, yes, there will always be injury risk with Bynum (just like any other big man, really), so if you’re not into high-risk, high-reward bigs (or can’t afford one because your team already has a lot of injury risk), stop reading now.

For those of you still interested in Bynum but who don’t own him, these next 48 hours (and maybe the next few games) will be your opportunity to get him at his cheapest.  Gasol’s return last night translated into Bynum’s worst performance of the year, as Drew only chipped in 11 points and 8 rebounds with a measly block.

But if you look a little more closely at the box score, you’ll also notice Bynum only played 24 minutes, checking out with 4 minutes to go in the third quarter and never checking back into the Lakers’ blowout win.  With a 20 point lead early in the 4th against his old team, you wouldn’t think Phil Jackson would play it safe though.  And indeed, Kobe didn’t check out until 4 and a half minutes left in the game.  It turns out, Bynum sprained his ankle on his last play in the 3rd quarter.  In short, don’t worry if you own Bynum.  He didn’t sit out the 4th quarter because Gasol was being more effective (which he was), it was because of a minor ankle sprain.

If you are a Bynum owner though, it could be a rough next few games.  Bynum will likely need some time to get reaccustomed to playing alongside another talented post player.  But if last January is any indication (17 and 8 with 2 blk, including a torrid 5-game stretch before Kobe went Tonya Harding on his knee), Bynum will still thrive in fantasy and real life once he makes the proper readjustments.  Already last night, Bynum seemed to play differently.  As Forum Blue and Gold points out:

“Curiously, Andrew Bynum seemed to become an even blacker-hole than he already is (0 assists, tons of forced shots).  When he catches the ball, it seems as if the only thing Bynum is looking at is the rim; there were numerous times when Odom or Gasol were open near the basket or a kickout was available to Bynum, but he just didn’t see them.”

Curiously, indeed.  Could it be that Bynum wanted to establish dominance not only to the Bulls but to his own team?  Remember, he’s only 22 and should be a senior in college right now.  (Even Zack Morris was threatened in that “new man on campus” episode of Saved by the Bell: The College Years.)  So it didn’t surprise me that Bynum missed his first 3 or 4 shots last night, which he may or may not have been forcing.  And it wouldn’t surprise me if he looks out of sorts and forces things the next few games either, as he tries to readjust to life with Pau.  I’m not sure how long this buy-low window will last, but you have at least 48 hours until Bynum’s next game, assuming his ankle is ready to go.  (As for Lamar Odom owners… sorry.  Maybe you can convince someone they’re buying low on him while he readjusts to Pau too?)

The Schmuck Bait: You should’ve traded Bynum before Gasol came back!  But better late than never…

After he readjusts to playing alongside Gasol, I have no doubt Bynum will continue to make it rain:

...