Cleveland Cavaliers center Andrew Bynum said he's still experiencing pain in his surgically repaired knee, though he expects to have an increased playing time as the season goes on, the former NBA All-Star told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

After a skipping a season due to nagging knee issues, the 26-year old Bynum is once again active on the floor as he plays for his second team in two years - The Cavaliers.

Bynum, just two years removed from his All-Star season with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaged 6.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 12 minutes per game. However, the big man said that he's still experiencing little, sharp pains in his knees after playing three games this season, adding that he's not sure whether or not his explosiveness and athleticism will be back again.

Nevertheless, Bynum is expecting to jack up his playing time in both halves as his role continues to evolve for this up-and-coming Cavaliers squad. He also plans to rely on his footwork, becoming more of a finesse player to keep himself injury-free for the rest of his career.

Tristan Thompson On the Rise

Another reason to be excited about this season for the Cavs is the improvement of third year power-forward Tristan Thompson.

Thompson, the 4^th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, is averaging 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per game. Through the first four games, the 6-foot-9 Canadian has already racked up two double-double games, including a 21-point, 11-rebound performance in a 90-84 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.

Trying to reach his full potential, Thompson knows that he needs to deal with the best big men for him to be on the same level. Apparently, Thompson got a taste of that this past week when he was tasked to guard Indiana's two-time All-Star David West and Minnesota's Kevin Love, who is considered right now as the best power forward in the game.

"Most definitely,'' Thompson told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Me being one of the young bigs, I take this as a challenge. Kevin Love and David West -- those guys are All-Stars. Me being an up-and-coming big, that's the platform. Every night I want to go out there and compete, earn my respect, make a name for myself.''