Good news is on the horizon as Gasol returned to the lineup on December 18, and Yahoo.com’s Marc J. Spears reports that Steve Nash is hinting at a Saturday return against the Golden State Warriors.
The pieces are coming together and with a little momentum and a complete reshaping of Gasol’s attitude toward the D’Antoni offense, the Lakers could be playing at a level that everyone thought they would be heading into this season.
Against the Philadelphia 76ers, Kobe took the role of facilitator, a role that will eventually assumed by Nash, and made the whole team look a lot more efficient. Six Lakers ended up in double figures as a result of the ball sharing.
However, in order for this team to continue its momentum, Coach D’Antoni needs to figure what rotations to use and what units give him the highest productivity.
The most widely used lineup so far this season has been Darius Morris, Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. That lineup has been average at best by coming up with a plus/minus of -14 points.
Here is a video clip of that lineup where Morris drifts off into the corner where he is wide-open. He takes the ball and nails a three pointer.
Although Gasol has been a disappointment this season by not being able to mesh with Dwight Howard, Pau currently has a +100 plus/minus ratio. Howard, on the other hand, has only a +26 plus/minus ratio.
With the return of Gasol to the lineup, he will need to provide the Lakers with evidence that he is still a productive asset, instead of playing like he...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
