Blueprint for Pau Gasol to Return to All-Star Form During 2013-14 Season

Pau Gasol never looked like himself in his first year under Mike D'Antoni, but that can change during the 2013-14 NBA season.

The last time the 33-year-old was an All-Star was 2011—a season in which he averaged 18.8 points and 10.2 rebounds and shot the ball nearly 53 percent from the field. His numbers drastically dropped in 2012-13, making folks wonder if his best days are truly behind him.

Making the All-Star team shouldn't be the goal for Gasol. The West is stacked with talented big men, and chances are the nod in February will go elsewhere.

The goal needs to be returning to championship form, as he has the skill set and IQ to succeed in today’s game.

                     

Stay Healthy



Gasol is entering his 13th season, so it’s fair to say he is a seasoned veteran. That doesn't mean he has entered the twilight of his career, though. There's plenty of productive basketball yet to be played.

Consider 2012-13 an anomaly. He saw action in just 49 contests, which equated to 41 percent of the team's total minutes, according to 82games.com. He never had a chance to find consistency, and he certainly never jelled with the new faces on the roster.

Staying healthy is the foundation of success for Gasol. In 2013-14—and every year into the future—the big man must remain on the floor. Recovery can be tough at this point in his playing days, and game-to-game maintenance is impossible when you can't participate.

But while Gasol needs to stay injury-free, it’s not just his own health that will determine his success. Steve Nash—the point guard who was supposed to orchestrate the perfect pick-and-pop/pick-and-roll game alongside Gasol—missed 32 contests. He averaged the fewest assists we'd seen him collect...

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