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Lakers center Andrew Bynum is not your average sized man. The 7-foot-0, 285-pounder is a bruising force in the paint who, on most nights, can have his way with nearly any defender that tries to go blow for blow with him during L.A.’s offensive possessions.
On Sunday against the Timberwolves Bynum again got his points, posting 21 on the night, and the Lakers got the win. But both paled in comparison to one facet of Sunday’s contest that stuck with Bynum during his postgame interview:
“Thank god they took Pekovic out of the game,” Bynum said.
Perhaps the best way to describe Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic is consistent. The 6-foot-11, 290-pound big man doesn’t try to do anything out of the ordinary on the court. Instead, he focuses on the parts of the game he can impact and does them every night.
He’ll hustle to set picks for Ricky Rubio, battle opposing teams’ biggest bodies down low and provide a spark on both ends of the floor when he’s on the court. But the thing Pekovic has done with particular proficiency this season is rebound on the offensive end. Of his 47 boards this season, 33 are offensive—making it 70.2 percent of his total rebounds.
Forward Kevin Love, who knows a thing or two about rebounding, said it’s no surprise.
“He doesn’t know anything else but to go hard,” Love said.
Since rejoining the active roster on Jan. 6 after recovering from a groin injury, Pekovic has continued to earn his spot on the floor with that consistent play. He’s started the past three games in Darko Milicic’s absence, and over the past four games he’s averaging 23 minutes per night. On Friday, he notched his second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against the Spurs.
