It may not seem like it, but it’s championship time.
Moreover, one key factor that helped bring the Lakers their most recent back-to-back championships. Pau Gasol is playing the brand of basketball Los Angeles has grown to love and expect from the Spaniard. No, the Lakers aren’t the number one seed in the West and poised to dominate the playoffs, but it’s that time of year nonetheless.
He may not be averaging the 18 points and 11 rebounds he did in 2010, but after a year filled with injuries and not being utilized the way he had liked, Pau Gasol is finally being featured as an intricate part of this team’s offense.
Many fans, media pundits and seemingly even head coach Mike D’Antoni turned their respective backs on Pau Gasol and threw him under the bus early on. (Remember one of D’Antoni’s first games as coach when he benched Pau late in the game because “I was thinking I’d like to win this game, that’s what I was thinking.”)
Well, apparently the tone on Gasol has shifted across the board–especially from D’Antoni–with Kobe Bryant giving his take on why, via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles:
During 2nd qtr, Kobe said D’Antoni told players during a timeout to “Stop trying to do things on the pick and roll, just go inside to [Pau]”
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 10, 2013
Why all this newfound love for the Spaniard? Kobe: “I don’t know. I think Mike just realized what he has in Pau.”
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 10, 2013
D’Antoni said to stop using the pick-and-roll and throw the ball into the post? What?!
Everybody please check the sky for pigs soaring through it.
This is the same Mike D’Antoni who explained to Shelburne earlier in the season that Gasol should not be in the paint because “We need this space;” so let’s everyone give the man some credit here for completely going against his philosophy for the better of the team.
Previously, he had Gasol playing along the perimeter and taking jump-shots, much to Pau’s dismay.
Even Kobe Bryant tried to go along with D’Antoni’s style of play for a while, even suggesting that Gasol had to adjust like everyone else. However, once things didn’t appear to be working out, he famously declared, “We need to go back to the basics” and gave his take on what each player’s role should be.
In the meantime, Gasol caught plenty of flack from various individuals.
—- Test your knowledge of Pau Gasol by taking this quiz about the Lakers big man! —-
For the record (and to say “I told you so!” to the many commenters who disagreed with my opinions either respectfully or otherwise earlier in the year), I came out in November and stated why the Lakers should not trade Pau Gasol.
Then in December, I explained why Pau Gasol should not be sent to the bench, either, and must be effective alongside Dwight Howard.
I later softened my stance on this as Earl Clark’s emergence drastically enabled certain styles of play for the Lakers.
Finally, in January when the Lakers were struggling and couldn’t close out games, I gave a solution to this by suggesting Pau Gasol be utilized in the half-court set.
Well, here we are in April, and while the Lakers aren’t exactly dominating the league, they’re currently in the eighth and final playoff slot. More importantly, they’re finally using Pau Gasol in a way that can actually win them ballgames in the playoffs.
Next Page: Why Running The Offense Through Pau Helps The Team
The game typically slows down in the postseason, and a go-to half-court, post-up type of player is an invaluable asset.
In this case, that player is Pau Gasol.
Gasol may not be the same player he was back in 2010, but he’s still just as smart and can make the correct decisions when given the opportunity to work on the low block.
So far since his return from a torn fascia on March 22, he’s been given that opportunity and, in turn, has been flourishing.
Okay, maybe he wasn’t exactly “given” the opportunity, as Gasol explained:
Pau: “Kobe’s telling me to just go down to the post and stay there and screw everything else”
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 10, 2013
Anyway, the first couple games he was getting his rhythm back, but over the last seven games (in which the Lakers are 5-2), Gasol has averaged 15.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists; all of this on 55.7 percent shooting from the field.
Additionally, while he’s been doing this, Kobe Bryant has averaged 26.0 points, 8.6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds while Dwight Howard has averaged 20.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks on 64.2 percent shooting from the field.
—- See Pau Gasol through the years in photos! —-
This is important.
Why?
While it was great to see team victories earlier this season after Kobe switched into facilitator mode (and eventually went into complete beast mode), and the likes of Antawn Jamison, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, Jodie Meeks, and/or Steve Blake would have big games on given nights, nothing beats consistent play from a team’s All-Star caliber players.
Essentially, you knew the Black Mamba was going to show up, but you didn’t know who else was going to.
Most nights it would be Steve Nash. Some nights it would be Dwight Howard. Other nights it would be Antawn Jamison, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, Jodie Meeks, Steve Blake or a combination of all of them.
While that’s encouraging to see, it isn’t necessarily the best way to consistently win.
Although it was great seeing different players step up and the team was winning, with the playoffs approaching, a team serious about competing for a championship needs its stars to be playing at a consistently elite level.
Essentially, on this team, the players who need to be playing consistently well are Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash.
That appears to finally be taking place (minus Nash due to injury), and the Lakers are capitalizing on the biggest advantage they’ve had over the last five-six years: Size.
Next Page: How The Lakers Can Sustain Their Advantage, With Pau
A big part of the overall improved play down low has started with Gasol’s positioning on the court, the Lakers’ willingness to run the offense through him, and his renewed confidence.
No, the 15.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists aren’t much higher than his season averages of 13.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists; but the change in field goal percentage from a season average of 46.4 to 55.7 certainly is. This is directly due to him operating closer to the basket; as 66.0 percent of his shot attempts have come from nine feet or closer to the basket as opposed to just 51.2 percent coming in that range prior.
In turn, the Lakers have finally managed to develop a solid inside-out game after trying to run pick-and-rolls down to Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant’s respective last bone.
When Gasol is utilized as the offensive hub down low, good things seem to happen for everyone.
Take for example the assists distribution between the team on Tuesday night’s victory over the New Orleans Hornets:
- Kobe Bryant: 6 assists
- Steve Blake: 6 assists
- Earl Clark: 5 assists
- Dwight Howard: 4 assists
- Pau Gasol: 4 assists
I’m a strong believer that using all players’ strengths and abilities gives a team the best chance to win, and this particular team has multiple scorers and multiple play-makers.When Steve Nash returns (which will hopefully be soon), hopefully the Lakers can continue to use Gasol as the hub down low, and also use Nash’s pick-and-roll prowess as well.
Prior to allowing the ball to run through Gasol, the big men down low (Gasol and Howard) simply weren’t consistently getting enough shots.
Now, with them looking to facilitate through him, everybody is getting quality touches. I’m not just talking about shots, either. When Kobe or Nash dominate the offense, they either take a shot or get one of theirteammates the ball in position to score.
However, that doesn’t always develop the best rhythm as not all players are catch-and-shoot guys or just want to catch and finish a play. Some want to be involved in other ways as well.
With Gasol facilitating down low, he simply keeps the ball moving around and allows others to make plays off of his decisions as well; as witnessed by the assists distribution above.
—- How well do you know Pau Gasol? Check out his player bio here! —-
Certainly, the whole team can get used to this, and it can make things much easier for everyone.
Nash and Kobe won’t have to do all the work breaking down defenses, and the big guys down low can literally touch the ball more–which always boosts energy on both ends of the floor.
Similarly, this inside-out play leads to even more cutting to the basket and popping out for long range shots–which plays to the strengths of guys like Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks.
Final Thought
It’s nice to see Pau Gasol in his comfort zone out on the floor. While he isn’t the sole key to the Lakers’ success or offensive fluidity, he’s certainly an intricate part of it–or at least should continue to be, going forward.
Once Nash returns, if the team can build upon the style of play they’ve developed over the past seven games, the possibilities can be endless on the offensive end.
Nash has already become more of a scorer than a passer on this team, but perhaps feeding off Gasol as being the hub in the middle can create avenues for him to make more plays for others as well.
With just four games left in the regular season, it certainly took a while to finally get Pau Gasol healthy and comfortable on the offensive end, but thankfully he’s being utilized correctly and performing well at the right time.
Now, the Lakers just have to focus on playing solid defense for 48 minutes at a time.