Even on the court, there's something strikingly off in the way Gasol trots out of rhythm from one end of the floor to the other. When he's running in transition, you'd swear the Spaniard was fighting through two ankle weights planted inside each sneaker.
Pau lacks the forceful personality and handsome features that made Magic Johnson such an icon in Los Angeles. What Johnson didn't have, though, was Gasol's wonderful post game.
Gasol may not be George Clooney in a jersey. But, his interior offensive play offers a lesson in beauty.
Gasol laid his skills out for all to see in the fourth quarter of L.A.'s Wednesday night victory over Phoenix. Just as the Suns seized the tempo, Pau and Kobe Bryant went to work.
Their two-man pick-and-roll game caused fits for the Phoenix defense. The scorekeeper should have prematurely awarded L.A. two points, just to save everyone time, whenever Gasol showed the high screen.
Pau made the right move on each offensive series, either rolling off the initial contact and beating the defensive switch by at least a step, or flashing to the bucket after recognizing that Phoenix had overcommitted to the pick.
His signature post move, where with the ball slightly above chest level he shows left, spins right, and shoots with the left hand high, also worked wonders in Game Two.
Gasol clinched the contest with an array of uncontested lay-ups and baby left hooks. He benefited from a handful of Bryant's spot-on passes. But, Gasol consistently found the right spot.
It's a recurring theme in his game.
With his stellar performance on Wednesday, Gasol finally enjoyed the solo spotlight for the first time in his Lakers tenure. While he's always received justif...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
