Will Bynum has finally broke through in his many attempts to be instilled in a roster rotation in the NBA. Bynum, a product of the University of Arizona and then Georgia Tech is serving as a guard in a rotation that poses a potent attack for the Detroit Pistons. Playing along side Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey and Richard Hamilton, Bynum finds himself in a situation where he is able to contribute.
However, my following of Bynum came long before he even stepped foot into an NBA arena or training camp. Growing up and playing high school basketball, I came across a show called, “Preps: Chicago Hoops,” in 2001. This show was a documentary of Chicago high school ball players who were destined to make it to the division 1 level and eventually the NBA. Bynum was featured along with Knicks center Eddy Curry, Iowa product Pierre Pierce and eventual Wyoming guard Jason Straight. The long practices and countless dominating performances on the floor were all documented and made known to viewers that this crop of players was in deed, the real deal.
After watching the show, I began to follow Bynum and the other three players along their chosen paths. Bynum was top priority because the game he displayed at the guard position was simply fun to watch. Upon his arrival at Arizona, he seemed to be experiencing some freshman and sophomore turbulence regarding playing time and really fitting into the system that the Wildcats were running. With that, he immediately transferred to Georgia Tech, where he would get his chance to shine on the national stage. Playing alongside Jarrett Jack, B.J. Elder, Luke Schenscher and A.J. McHenry the Yellow Jackets made it to the National Championship Game, which they fell short to Ben Gordon and the Connecticut Huskies. What’s even better is I had the opportunity to attend the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden that same year, and these two teams faced off with Georgia Tech winning the battle.
After all was said and done, Bynum took his game to the next level and played for the Boston Celtics during the preseason of 2005. He then was picked up by Golden State where he played in 15 contests for the Warriors in March of 2006. Prior to his pick up in Golden State, he played in the NBA Developmental league with the Roanoke Dazzle, where he received the NBADL Rookie of the Year Award. After this stint, Bynum then took his game over seas to Israel to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv. He ended up playing two seasons there before coming back to U.S. soil and landing his current job with the Pistons.
As you can see, Bynum’s road to success has taken many twists and turns. But last season, he was able to average 7.2 points per game during the regular season and improved that mark to 11.8 in the playoffs. This season, Bynum is averaging 26.9 minutes per game and 11.0 points per game. He is playing a vital part in their guard rotation, especially with the absence of Richard Hamilton due to injury. From the early days of his Preps debut to the current days he is serving the Pistons, Bynum certainly has experienced the highs and lows of a player on a quest to make it in the league.
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