The NBA announced today that due to the shortened 2011-12 season, the league will reduce the season-opening suspensions for Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlie Villanueva of the Detroit Pistons.
Bynum’s five-game suspension for making unnecessary and excessive contact to J.J. Barea of the Dallas Mavericks in last year’s playoffs has been reduced to four games. He will miss the first four games of the 2011-12 NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able to play.
The reduction is great news for a Lakers frontcourt now suddenly thin since the offseason giveaway of sixth man Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks.
More importantly, Bynum's return provides a reliable scoring option in the post for a lineup fraught with questions, as team leader Kobe Bryant will be dealing for several weeks with a torn ligament in his shooting wrist. Bynum played particularly well offensively in the Lakers preseason loss to the LA Clippers Wednesday night.
Villanueva’s five-game suspension for initiating an on-court altercation with Ryan Hollins of the Cleveland Cavaliers and attempting to escalate the altercation by entering the Cavaliers’ locker room has been reduced to four games.
Since Villanueva already served one game of his suspension last season, he will miss the first three games of the 2011-12 NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able to play.
By Staff of The Daily Sports Herald
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