Indiana Pacers’ Andrew Bynum not ready to play

Indiana Pacers’ center Andrew Bynum has still not been deemed as fit to play by the Pacers.

Bynum left the Philadelphia 76ers to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason, but things did not work out for Bynum in Cleveland. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls, along with picks, for forward Luol Deng and subsequently released by the Bulls.

That’s when the Pacers stepped in and signed Bynum.

One reason the Pacers and Bynum agreed to a deal was because the Pacers could afford to ease Bynum back into the lineup.

“The goal is to get him to the point where he’s able to play every night,” Pacers’ coach Frank Vogel told David Woods of the Indianapolis Star. “We don’t want him to play one game and sit three games.”

Despite the slow process, Vogel has seen good signs from Bynum.

“We know what we can expect from him when he’s healthy and in shape. He’s one of the best centers in the NBA,” Vogel said. “We’ve seen flashes of that in practice that he’s shown here.”

Bynum averaged 8.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 assists per game in 24 games for the Cavaliers.