Pau Gasol has had a fairly disappointing season thus far and people are hoping he can eventually return to his championship form. Gasol was the Lakers’ second option in their recent title run (2009-10) and opponents had trouble containing Gasol on the offensive end.
However, this season Gasol have been essentially non-existent and rumors about his future in Los Angeles have sprung once again. The front office has stayed back from trade proposals for Gasol in hopes that point guard Steve Nash can get him back on track. Nash spoke to ESPN LA and he talked about Gasol and his ability to be a dominate player for the Lakers.
“I think Pau is a tremendous basketball player,” Nash said. “I need to see him get his health and his confidence back. Even when he has been inside this year he hasn’t looked very confident. For me, I really want to see him really feel better physically, mentally, confident and enjoy the game because I don’t know if he’s been himself this year. If we can get him back to himself, it doesn’t matter where he plays. He’ll be great.”
It seems as though the Lakers will not make any major changes to this roster, something that Gasol will surely be relieved to hear. The Lakers could very easily conjure up a trade involving the Spaniard, but the front-office has shown trust in Gasol during this tough time.
If there is one player that can get Gasol back to his previous form, it’s Steve Nash. Nash has a knack for finding teammates open looks at the basket, and Gasol should be able to dominate inside the paint if Nash is feeding him the ball.
In the 2012-13 season, Gasol has averaged 12.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.