Andrew Bynum went to Germany for radical treatment on his knees — just as Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez has — and the new Philadelphia 76ers center said he can feel a difference. As a precaution, however, Bynum will not test the knee for about three weeks.
Bynum had injections of plasma-rich platelets that supposedly stimulate healing in arthritis-affected areas in both of his knees. The 76ers said last week he was cleared to play in camp.
On Monday, however, the team announced that Bynum also had a bone bruise on his right knee. And so, while he will continue to participate in low-impact conditioning drills, all the heavy lifting will not be done for a while because he said he felt some discomfort in the knee over the weekend. That’s when the team decided to shut down their new franchise player. He said the bone bruise was unrelated to the knee treatment.
”I’m going to do everything in my power to get back,” Bynum said.
The Sixers open the regular season Oct. 31. Bynum would have about a week between his scheduled return and the opener.
”At this point, I just need to go out and work on my craft,” Bynum said. ”I should still be able to do that, even with being shut down.”
The Sixers acquired Bynum from the Lakers in a four-team deal that saw them ship Andre Iguodala to Denver. He is set to make $16.1 million this season in the final year of his contract.
Bynum was expected to soon help the Sixers win their first championship since 1983. Only 24, the New Jersey native won two championships with the Lakers.
Bynum is coming off his best NBA season after averaging career highs with 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds while making his first All-Star team, starting for the West. He was the NBA’s third-leading rebounder and 20th-leading scorer, while also ranking sixth in the league with 1.93 blocked shots per game.
Bynum also avoided the injuries that have dogged him throughout a seven-year career since the Lakers made him the youngest player ever drafted in 2005. Bynum played in 60 of the Lakers’ 66 regular-season games, missing four due to suspension.
He said this current knee ailment isn’t as bad as the issues that have dogged him in the past.
”I feel a lot better,” he said. ”The (treatment) is definitely working.”
Bynum said doctors advised he have the knee treatment – called Orthokine – closer to the season for maximum effectiveness. Bynum said he had the injections during the third week in September.
