Pacers Roll the Dice with Andrew Bynum

Photo Courtesy of SportingNews.com

When you're an NBA team and you sign a dominant force at center, you drastically change your chances of winning an NBA title.

When you're an NBA team and you sign Andrew Bynum, you're not quite sure what you're going to get. Recently, the Indiana Pacers signed the former All-Star big man for $1 million for the remainder of the season. While the Pacers already have a team stacked with talent, this signing could be the one that either lifts them past the defending champion Miami Heat or it could be the signing that cost them dearly.

Photo Courtesy of NBA.com

While you could easily say that about any signing that any NBA team makes, it rings truer to me about this transaction more than almost any transaction I've seen recently (yes, including the Greg Oden signing). First off, the Pacers can't be 100 percent sure about what they're getting. On one side of the coin, you may get the guy who helped the Lakers win championships in 2009 and 2010 averaging 15 points and five rebounds. Bynum was a steady performer for the purple and gold during his final years with Los Angeles.

Photo Courtesy of PhillySportsLive.com

On the other hand, the Pacers could get the guy that Cleveland got. Bynum averaged 8.4 points this season while still dealing with a knee injury that doesn't have the center at full power. Keep in mind, he never saw time on the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers. Sure, the Pacers did themselves a favor by picking up Bynum just to ensure that Miami or no other contending team in the East picks him up. But you have to consider this. Larry Bird and his front office shelled out $1 million just to pick up a guy that is shooting only a little better this year than compared to his rookie year.

Maybe the Pacers know something we don't know. Maybe Bynum hasn't been giving it his all. There has been talk that Bynum only plays when he's really engaged. Whatever the case, it will be interesting to see how this pans out for the Pacers.