CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It took all of seven minutes and 34 seconds for Andrew Bynum to prove he can make an impact in basketball again.
Actually, it didn’t even take the Cavaliers’ center that long in Wednesday’s 98-84 season-opening win over the visiting Brooklyn Nets.
Bynum did so much more than score three points, grab three rebounds and block two shots. Those are just stats.
Instead, he helped alter the course of the game, standing in the lane and daring the Nets to drive.
They didn’t want to.
On the night before Halloween, Bynum didn’t offer any major treats. He just scared the Nets into staying away from the basket, as if they were frightened children encountering a man dressed in a ghost costume for the first time.
“We’re a different team when he’s out there,” said Cavs coach Mike Brown, and man, ain’t that the truth?
Remember, this is Bynum we’re talking about: A 7-footer, a former All-Star, and a guy whose bad knees caused him to miss all of last season (with the Philadelphia 76ers).
This season, no one knew what to expect.
Bynum went through regular practices for the past week and a half, but that can mean little. No one (outside the organization) had any idea he would play until Brown mentioned it about an hour before tipoff.
Brown said it was a team-wide decision. Bynum would go through pregame warmupsand if all went well, there was a “chance” Bynum would get limited minutes.
It went well. Both in warmups and on the floor.
Bynum blocked one shot with two hands. He swatted another from Nets guard Deron Williams into the stands. He made Nets center Brook Lopez absolutely miserable. And that last part says a lot, because Lopez dominated otherwise, scoring a game-high 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting.
The Cavs trailed 21-15 when Bynum entered the game with 3:40 to go in the first quarter. They led 34-32 when he sat for good with 8:06 left in the second.
That’s what you call an impact.
Now, this wasn’t the best of nights for the other Cavs. All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving labored most of the night -- before passing for a couple of big assists to Anderson Varejao, grabbing a huge rebound late in the game and knocking down some key free throws.
Varejao often looked winded and out of sorts at both ends (although he did nail a big jumper off one of those passes from Irving). Shooting guard Dion Waiters scored just four points in the first half, finishing with 11.
Meanwhile, Tristan Thompson was very good underneath, scoring 18 and pulling down nine boards.
But something changed when Bynum took the floor. He played well right away, and it clearly shifted the momentum. It seemed to inspire his teammates.
It seemed to make a real difference. And that’s what the Cavs were counting on all along.
So what’s next?
Brown indicated it all will be done by feel. The Cavs will monitor Bynum the day after games, check him out, see if he’s feeling OK, then decide from there. This will be a season-long process.
Bynum could even sit three straight games, Brown said, even if Bynum is healthy. It’s more important for Bynum to be available and healthy down the stretch (and possibly the playoffs), then it is to rush him back at the beginning.
"I'm going to see how I feel tomorrow, but at the moment I feel fine," Bynum said. "My timing is off right now, but that's to be expected."
Added Brown: "He still has room to grow. You only saw a taste of what he can bring.”
A taste that, on this night, was all it took.
Twitter: @SamAmicoFSO
