Will Bynum stays up despite down time

Pistons guard Will Bynum sat in front of his locker, watching Washington guard Isaiah Thomas go to work on North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

"He's good, but they'll probably overlook him, too," Bynum said. "They'll say he's too short."

Bynum shares a kinship with Thomas. Bynum is listed as 5-foot-10, Thomas at 5-9. Bynum knows Thomas will struggle finding a place in the NBA.

Bynum, after a long and arduous road to get here, still doesn't feel secure in his spot. One game after leading a fourth-quarter comeback against the Knicks on Friday, he didn't play Sunday, his 15th "DNP-Coaches decision" of the season.

"I feel like I do my job every time. I'm sure the fans and everybody else thinks so, as well," Bynum said. "The things I'm not in control over, it doesn't linger in my mind more than that moment."

Keep in mind, he signed his first secure pro contract last summer and expected to be a key component in a turnaround this season.

However, things haven't gone as the Pistons expected — or Bynum. He admits to having a chip on his shoulder, but he points out that he's stayed professional throughout this tumultuous season, keeping his mouth closed.

"I'm not just representing myself but my organization and a number of things," Bynum said. "I can't be selfish, as far as me wanting to play and overshadowing everything else that's going on here."