Even though Gasol didn't seem to fit into D'Antoni's system last season, he is the only big man on the roster with the skills to thrive in D'Antoni's system.
While Chris Kaman has a decent mid-range jumper that could help space the court, Gasol has a mid-range game that is just as good, while also being more proficient at almost every other aspect of basketball.
That's not the say that the two can't thrive together; this just means that Gasol's minutes won't be in question.
An influx of young talent and the chance for Mike D'Antoni to run a full training camp means that the players who fit in with the system will garner more minutes while the players that don't will be riding pine more often than not.
D'Antoni's system emphasizes an up-tempo, high-octane pace that requires athletes and shooters. Three-point shooting is meant to stretch the floor so that the pick-and-roll can be emphasized in the half-court offense.
Alongside not fitting into the system, factors such as depth, age and injury-prevention could come into play for some players who fans should expect to see on the pine more than usual.
Kobe Bryant
Having just turned 35 years old, the Black Mamba has a lot of mileage on his legs. Couple that with his current sojourn back to full health after an Achilles tendon injury, and you have a player that is definitely looking at some restricted minutes.
Like Michael Jordan before him, Bryant has relied more on his post game and his jumper as his athleticism slowly diminishes. Recovering from a severe Achilles tendon injury means that Bryant will have to rely more on his skills and less on his ability to jump over his defender.
Although Bryant will definitely still see well over 30 minutes of playing ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
