According to a piece from Marc Berman of the New York Post, there was speculation that such a trade may have been in the works, but a source claims that nothing ever took place. Should the Lakers take a long look at the possibility?
Looking at the state of the franchise and the prior relationship of Stoudemire and new head coach Mike D'Antoni, the answer is yes.
The Lakers came into the season hyped as a preseason favorite to make a run to the NBA Finals. After adding Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to an already solid core of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace, it looked like the Lakers had the personnel to be one of the NBA's elite.
However, the experiment has only achieved subpar results thus far.
Gasol has been the primary victim of the roster shakeup as his numbers have taken a significant dip in nearly every category. The career 51 percent shooter has shot a meager 42 percent from the floor this season and has been far less effective with Howard clogging up the middle.
D'Antoni has been a vocal supporter of Gasol and his ability to fit into his system. He told ESPN:
When Dwight goes out, (Gasol is) a great center... You cannot find a center for 14 minutes like he can do it. So that is super positive. And with Dwight, he shoots the ball all the way out to the (3-point line). He's another 7-footer that can guard the rim. He's extremely smart. So there's no reason why he can't fit. ... He's a big part of what we're gonna do.
It's clear that D'Antoni is going to do what he can to accommodate Gasol's skill set, but as he points out, Gasol is a great center. If he is only doing what he is great at for 14 minutes, it may be time for him to play elsewhere.
While Gasol appreciat...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
