As if teams don't have enough problems with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest, the Lakers reminded opponents what else might await them this season.
Andrew Bynum -- remember him? -- had 24 points in the Lakers' 118-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors in an exhibition opener Wednesday at the Honda Center.
He played on the second team in a scrimmage last Saturday but rewarded Phil Jackson's decision to start him Wednesday with 20 points in the first half and four dunks as he ripped through the Warriors' undersized front line.
It's a safe bet he'll start the season at center despite an unremarkable effort in the Lakers' playoff run last season.
" 'Drew will start," Jackson said. "I think that's important for him and I think it's important for us to get that big front out there that makes teams have to take a double look."
Bynum's first attempt was blocked, but he took the rebound and converted a three-point play after being fouled on a layup.
Then his first-half highlight show began.
He dunked off a feed from Gasol. Then a dunk from Odom. A short bank from the left side. A layup. A dunk off Jordan Farmar's feed.
Bynum even created points away from the ball, spinning off rookie Shaun Pruitt and dunking an alley-oop pass from Artest.
It bears repeating that Bynum did this against one of the league's softest defenses, but it was an obvious improvement from the 6.3 points he averaged in last season's playoffs, when he never quite recovered from a torn knee ligament suffered in January.
He still wears a brace on his right knee, though it's a lighter version of what he wore last season.
"I've got my legs back underneath me," Bynum said. "I don't get tired. Feelin' good. I came back in shape."
Bynum made eight of 13 shots and eight of nine free throws.
Downtown Brown
The play of the game went to reserve guard Shannon Brown, whose soaring dunk over Warriors center Mikki Moore left the crowd buzzing for several minutes.
Brown went coast to coast with the ball before taking off and beating the 7-foot Moore to the basket. Brown, 6 feet 4, landed on his behind, clapped a few times and was yanked up off the court by Bynum.
"I just tried to go up as high as I could, tried to stretch it as far as I could, and it all worked out," said Brown, who finished with 11 points in his effort to secure the backup spot at ballhandling guard.
