NBA Playoffs 2011: 10 Creative Ways to Get Pau Gasol Motivated Properly

After surrendering Game 1 to the feisty New Orleans Hornets in a nine-point loss on Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers came back with a solid victory by the same margin in Game 2 on Wednesday.

That despite only 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting from Kobe Bryant, thanks in large part to a team defense that held Chris Paul and company to only 78 points on 39.1 percent shooting, while forcing 16 turnovers.

Though the overall outcome changed from one game to the next, the play of one Pau Gasol, on the whole, did not. The shaggy Spaniard scrounged up a scant eight points and five rebounds in just over 36 minutes of action after collecting the same number of points, along with six rebounds and six assists, in LA's playoff-opening defeat.

Not surprisingly, Gasol's underwhelming play thus far has brought back to the surface questions about his physical and mental toughness, along with concerns about his heart and desire on the court. Few doubt Pau's skill and ability as a power forward, and it's not as though he hasn't been a winning player before; Remember, the Lakers didn't start showing up in the NBA Finals again until Gasol got shipped over from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for peanuts.

Certainly, Gasol will have an impact on LA's playoff run at some point; he's just too good of a player not to. With that in mind, here are 10 ways—some serious and some clearly not—that Phil Jackson and company can help Pau jump-start his game this postseason.

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