Breaking Down Why Pau Gasol Is an Elite Passer out of the Post

Pau Gasol is one of the better passers in the entire NBA. His innate feel for spacing and timing, and his ability to deliver passes on target to teammates in a position to finish easily, makes him really unique for his position.

The fact that Gasol is able to make these passes from the post is what makes him even more special. In most instances, he has his back to the basket and doesn't have vision of the entire court.

Unlike a point guard, Gasol often must know where his teammates are before he's making a pass. He doesn't have the benefit of seeing all of the defenders in his line of sight.



In the video above, you see exactly what makes Gasol elite.

He quickly sets up on the left block and makes himself available for a post entry. When the ball is in the air, he's already taking note of his man, where the defense is positioned and where his teammates are going (not just where they currently are).

When the ball is nearly to him, he immediately sees the double-team approaching and that his teammate (Andrew Bynum) is breaking free under the rim.

When Gasol finally makes the catch, he rifles an over-the-shoulder touch pass that Bynum easily catches and converts with a dunk.

Passes like these simply aren't normal.

Most post players wait until the ball is in their hands before they are able to diagnose a defensive alignment. Most post players are thinking how they can score rather than if anyone is going to have an easier shot.

Gasol, though, is processing information at speeds much faster than a normal post player.



Even on plays where Gasol isn't posting up in a traditional manner, he is thinking a step ahead. In the above clip, Gasol is on the weak side at the midpost.

Seeing that his man is trying to take away a direct pass to the post, Gasol quickly cuts to the rim to make himself available for a lob pass. When the ball is i...

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