INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Andrew Bynum isn't mentioning anything about retirement these days, and that's good news for the Cavaliers.
They need him.
Instead, Bynum is saying he's ready to see how far he can go.
"I think I can play 20 minutes a game pretty comfortably at this point," Bynum said from the Cavs' practice facility Monday. "I feel good."
Not long ago, the 7-foot center indicated he sometimes thinks about leaving the game for good. Bynum talked about the pain in his surgically repaired knees, about how difficult it is to have lost so much of his agility. At the time, he was clearly frustrated, and understandably so.
We're talking about a guy who averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds and made his first All-Star appearance two seasons ago as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
But he missed last all of last year with the Philadelphia 76ers, before signing a free-agent deal with the Cavs over the summer.
Just this past weekend, Bynum played in back-to-back games (at New Orleans and at San Antonio) for the first time since returning to the court.
The Spurs pummeled the Cavs, but Bynum had his best game of the season. He finished with 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting, and grabbed six rebounds. Bynum has played 21 minutes in a game three times already.
"My touch is coming back," he said. "I just played free (vs. the Spurs). That's all I'm going to keep doing, just go out and try to score in the paint. Then, defensively, try to get better on that end."
Meanwhile, the Cavs (4-10) have struggled mightily as of late. With exception of a win at Washington more than a week ago, they just keep finding new ways to lose. Most of the defeats have been ugly, maybe even a little embarrassing.
A healthy Bynum could help change all that. And if not healthy, then at least a regular dose of playing time.
"I obviously saw him at his height when he was an All-Star," said Cavs coach Mike Brown, who coached Bynum in LA. "He was great offensively, very skilled, but he had an explosiveness to him, too, that we haven't seen yet."
Brown added: "Whether we see it or not it doesn't matter because he's so big and so strong and so long and very intelligent that his offensive game will always be there. Nobody is ever going to block his jump hook. He'll always be able to step out to 17 feet and knock that shot down."
As Bynum continues to heal and play his way back into game shape, his defense is likely to improve, too. Bynum and Brown agreed it's something that needs to happen.
Then there's the pain in his knees. It still exists. But Bynum has learned to live with it, and is finding a way to play through it.
"Whenever I try to do anything explosive, it's (painful)," he said. "I'll just stick to the floor -- ground game. Position defense and position offense on the ground."
Cavs Notes
• Backup guard Jarrett Jack returned to practice after straining his neck vs. the Spurs. He is expected to play in Wednesday's game vs. the Miami Heat (7:30 p.m., FOX Sports Ohio).
• Cavs guard C.J. Miles (strained calf) also took part in practice Monday, although he did not participate in contact drills. His status for Wednesday has not yet been determined.
• Five Cavs have played in all 14 games -- Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, Alonzo Gee and Jack. Irving leads the team in scoring at 21.4 ppg.
• Wednesday's game is the first of three between the Cavs and Heat, and first of two in Cleveland (March 18 is the other). The Heat (11-3) swept all four meetings last year and have won seven straight in the series. Heat star LeBron James has scored in double figures in 509 consecutive games.
Twitter: @SamAmicoFSO
