Sure, the Spurs inevitably pulled away with a 33-22 fourth quarter to stretch their winning streak to 11 games, but this Lakers team is no longer about the results. Seeing as how they've already been eliminated, the players accomplished enough by not embarrassing themselves in yet another nationally televised Staples Center massacre.
As their season draws to a close, each player on the club is playing for an uncertain future. That is especially true for the their best (healthy) player, franchise stalwart Pau Gasol.
The veteran Spanish big man's performance on Wednesday was representative of what Lakers fans have come to expect from him. He wasn't terribly efficient from the field for a center, shooting just 8-of-18 for 22 points. But he made up for that with his crafty all-around game, grabbing 10 rebounds, blocking four shots and dishing a team-high six assists.
This season has been a 180-degree about-face for Gasol, a player who built his NBA resume as an elite wing man. From the moment he was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to L.A. in the 2007-08 season, he was the second-best player to Kobe Bryant.
That secondary role worked out beautifully for both Gasol and the Lakers, as the team made three straight NBA Finals, winning the trophy in 2009 and 2010.
This season, however, he has been thrust into a starring role, leading the team in both points and rebounds per game. Perhaps he could have led the team to a few more wins in his prime, but the 33-year-old Gasol is no longer the kind of player who can carry such a mediocre roster on his shoulders night in and night out.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
