Bynum hoping for return after break, no setbacks

The Sixers aren’t winning many basketball games right now.

Despite an exciting comeback Monday night — the team erased a 17-point deficit, but still lost to the mighty Spurs — the Sixers have dropped seven of their last nine games. Doug Collins has been getting testy with reporters. Jason Richardson is injured. And broadcast crews, mainly old friend Charles Barkley, are poking fun at injured center Andrew Bynum’s choice of hairstyle.

So, with the sky falling around them, all eyes are fixated on Bynum’s knees. The 25-year-old center has targeted a return for after the All-Star Break.

Bynum participated in a recent shootaround, but he has yet to run at full speed on the basketball court. He still hasn’t tried doing any cutting or lateral movement.

“The knees feel good,” Bynum said. “I’m not feeling any pain. It’s just all good. Everything’s picking up.”

Bynum came to Philadelphia as the center piece in the blockbuster trade that sent Andre Iguodala to Denver. He’s been nursing bone bruises in both knees all season. Finally, the news sounds good. But Bynum wants to remain cautious, and not rush back too soon.

“I don’t want any setbacks,” Bynum said. “I’m going to let the team and the doctors tell me exactly when to take the next step because if I go out there, I’ll do something stupid.”

Meanwhile, the Sixers (17-24) played the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night (too late for this edition) and get a few days off before returning Saturday to host the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center. They sat ninth (at press time) in the Eastern Conference standings, right behind the Boston Celtics for the final playoff spot.