Andrew Bynum

An enraged Mike Brown put an immature Andrew Bynum in timeout. The Lakers center had just taken an ill-advised three-pointer at the top of the key with several seconds left on the shot clock. Yet, Bynum hardly showed remorse during the Lakers' eventual 104-101 victory Tuesday over the Golden State Warriors. Once he sat down with 9:33 left in the third quarter, Bynum smiled and mimicked his release. With exception to a two-minute fourth-quarter stint that featured two more missed jumpers and a free throw, Bynum remained on the bench.

Dwight Howard's future is the key to almost everything the Lakers do moving forward. The free-agent center can re-sign in July for five years and $118 million or leave for another team for four years and $88 million. Howard insisted after his exit meeting with General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Mike D'Antoni that he has earned the right to be happy. His choice is a personal one but will have a wide-reaching impact. The season ended early for Howard with an ejection in the third quarter of Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, but he started the year much earlier than expected.

It sounded like a trick question to many. Which Andrew Bynum would the Lakers prefer? The one who posted his first career triple-double in the Lakers' 103-88 Game 1 victory over Denver with 10 points, 10 rebounds and an NBA playoff-record 10 blocks?  Or the one who posted 27 points and nine rebounds in the Lakers' 104-100 Game 2 win over the Nuggets? The Lakers had varying ways of wiggling out of their answer. Lakers power forward Pau Gasol pointed out with a smile that "both Andrews are good.

The free giveaways made sense, handed off to all Lakers fans as they entered Staples Center. White towels to wave. The Lakers completed the symbolism by waving the white flag, throwing in the towel, whatever metaphor you chose in a season-ending 103-82 playoff loss Sunday to the San Antonio Spurs. BOX SCORE: San Antonio 103, Lakers 82 Even the fourth-quarter "We Want Phil" chants weren't very forceful as the Lakers got swept in the first round for the first time since 1967.

There's apparently another way that Andrew Bynum wants to expand his game. And we're not talking about shooting three-pointers. We're talking about his fashion look. After sporting an afro while attending St. Joseph High in Metuchen, N.J., Bynum said after Thursday's practice at the team's facility in El Segundo that he wants to rock that look again. "I want to grow it," Bynum said. "I want to get it back. " Even though Bynum wore a comb pick in his hair following practice, Laker fans shouldn't get their hopes up for the Lakers center to feature the afro during the postseason.

Among all the head-scratching elements concerning Andrew Bynum's recent behavior, there's at least one thing that's clear. After missing Tuesday's game against New Jersey because of a sprained left ankle, Bynum will start Wednesday against the Clippers. It was yet another day in which Bynum continued his weird behavior. He declined to talk to reporters about his health before the game, his usual custom, but he then blasted Warren G rap music through his headphones. The Lakers forbid players to play music loudly in the locker room.

Somewhere in Andrew Bynum's bookshelf sits the title that perfectly encapsulates his improvement in the 2011-12 NBA season. The book, "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell, delves into how "little things can make a big difference," a subject Bynum read at length last season while rehabbing his surgically repaired right knee. Regarding Bynum's development this season, Lakers fans might see that tipping point in various places. They saw it in his aggressiveness, where his larger post presence ensured a career-high 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds a game.

Among the highlights of my breakdown of the Lakers' 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors: The Lakers don't expect Andrew Bynum's injury to be serious. He suffered a left ankle injury that the team described as "moderately sprained" after he received X-rays that turned out negative. He will be reexamined again on Monday We've seen Kobe Bryant back from shooting slumps and it's amazing to see him bounce back so quickly. Besides from his never-ending drive, it's pretty simple.

Among the highlights of my conversation with the Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman on the Lakers-Nuggets series: --Hochman jokingly laments Metta World Peace's six-game suspension because that also means Hochman can't perform standup comedy with him anymore. The two apparently fed off one another, and Hochman remains unsure how he'll adjust: --Hochman explains the Nuggets' 11-4 record to close out the season --Hochman believes Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari will benefit from World Peace's absence.

-- The Times' Mike Bresnahan provides an injury update on Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who is considered day-to-day because of a "moderately sprained" left ankle. Bresnahan mentions it's possible Troy Murphy may start at center in his place. -- The Orange County Register's Janis Carr mentions Jamaal Wilkes' Hall of Fame induction. -- ESPN Los Angeles' Brian Kamenetzky believes Bynum should sit if there's any ounce of doubt about his injury. --Check out one of the NBA's promo ads featuring Bryant (H/T to Forum Blue and Gold's Darius Soriano )

Losing to the Houston Rockets and missing the playoffs isn't the worst thing that could happen to the Lakers. Not even close. There are far more disconcerting scenarios that could unfold in the coming months. For starters, Dwight Howard could sign with another team this summer, leaving the Lakers without a franchise cornerstone next season with Bryant's status in doubt because of his torn Achilles' tendon. Maybe point guard Steve Nash, whose skills have already shown a precipitous decline, decides the aggravation of constantly battling through injuries with a team fighting just to make the playoffs isn't worth it anymore and decides to retire.

Before Shaquille O'Neal's jersey was retired Tuesday, he took a few digs at the current Lakers' big man. O'Neal was asked whether he thinks that Kobe Bryant will win another championship before he retires. His response was aimed directly at Howard. "I hope they will, but I'm a big-man guy," O'Neal said. "The other guy needs to step into his own. " O'Neal went on to say that he'd like to see Howard average 28 points and 10 rebounds a game.  "That's the number that was thrown in my face, 28 and 10, so that's the number I'm always going to throw in his face," O'Neal said.  After the Lakers beat the Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Howard was told about some of O'Neal's comments.

No pressure Philadelphia guard Evan Turner, on the possibility of Andrew Bynum returning to the 76ers after sitting out this season because of knee injuries: "I don't want to sit here and scream out, 'Come back, come back, come back.' Dude's going through surgery, know what I'm saying? It's going to be tough enough rehabbing and everything. " Comes with territory Denver guard Ty Lawson, on the evolution of Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant, currently featured in a Nike campaign dubbed "K.D.

Poor Jason Terry. A week after Detroit's Brandon Knight was mocked far and wide all over social media for  getting laid out on a dunk by Clippers' center DeAndre Jordan, now it's Terry's turn. And for the Boston Celtics guard, it might be even worse because the guy who threw down the monster jam at his expense was the Miami Heat's LeBron James, a megastar whose name gets searched on a regular basis even when he doesn't produce a highlight of the year. In a sequence that started at the 5:27 mark of the second quarter, Terry stripped the ball from Miami's Dwyane Wade, who instantly stole the ball back.

PHOENIX - Andrew Bynum spent all last season showing he was an All-Star talent and done with the durability questions that plagued him throughout his Lakers career. On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers announced he would undergo surgery to clean out loose cartilage in both knees. It was described as season-ending surgery, though Bynum never played a minute for the 76ers this season. Bynum, 25, is getting $16.1 million in the last year of his contract. He becomes a free agent in July.

GOLDMEMBER 1. MIAMI (46-14)    Like Dr. Evil, Magic Johnson must boost $1-million offer to LeBron James. (1) NUMBER 2 2. SAN ANTONIO (48-15)    Spurs' success despite injuries means only Gregg Popovich is indispensable. (2) 3. OKLAHOMA CITY (46-16)    Protective cup sales “Serge” nationwide after low blow to Blake Griffin. (3) 4. DENVER (42-22)    Kosta Koufos dunk around Blake Griffin is payback for Timofey Mozgov. (5) 5. CLIPPERS (44-20)    Hey, Charles Barkley: Matt Barnes is as soft as industrial-grade carpet.

This hardly provides any solace to the Lakers after losing in five games to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. It might even frustrate them even more, considering they had the talent to go farther in the playoffs despite an aging roster. Kobe Bryant made the All-NBA first team for the 10th time in his career and seventh consecutive season. That honor reflects how Bryant proved once again that age (33 years) and basketball mileage (42,377 minutes) haven't significantly sapped his dominance.

The goal remained clear-cut in Andrew Bynum's eyes. Playing in the NBA All-Star game would validate his arrival as an elite center. Yet, that distinction eluded Bynum through six NBA seasons because he couldn't stay healthy.  Bynum's moment finally arrived Sunday when he appeared in his first All-Star game, a 152-149 West victory over the East. But a familiar story ensued. Bynum's zero points on zero-of-three shooting, three rebounds and a block on Dwight Howard revealed little.

It could be the countdown to nothing for the Philadelphia 76ers, the way each breathless update is offset by another discouraging development. Andrew Bynum will be ready for the start of training camp after receiving injections in his arthritic knees in Germany! Actually, it's auf Wiedersehen until late October because of pain in the center's right knee. Once the discomfort in Bynum's knee subsides, he'll be rolling toward a quick return! Well, that is until he put his left knee in the gutter in November while bowling.

The ring's the thing Kobe Bryant's disapproval brought a smile to the face of Derek Fisher on Friday when the newest member of the Oklahoma City Thunder was told his former teammate was miffed Fisher had become another impediment to a sixth championship ring. Fisher is also going for his sixth ring, so let the chase commence. "I think at this point that's what it's about," said Fisher, 38. "I think I heard him say it a couple of days ago and it's no different for me. That's why we play, to win. "For me personally and for this team, of course we want to win a championship.