Winner of two championship rings with the Lakers, Gasol is set to walk out the door and become one of the league’s top free agents.
Sure, his sunset years are coming into sight. And for all his talent and high IQ, the Spaniard is not a guy the Lakers can build around for the long term.
He’s also not ready for a wheelchair shove into retirement. Gasol averaged 17.4 points, 9.7 boards, 3.4 assists and 1.5 blocks this season, all while playing the fewest minutes of his career. Plus he did it under a coach named Mike D’Antoni, who had no love for his All-Star’s preferred method of fundamental basketball.
The essential conflict of philosophies resulted in some interesting exchanges, including one reported by Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times in which Gasol questioned how he was being used:
The fact that I'm not getting the ball in the post affects directly my aggressiveness. When I'm not getting the ball where I want to, where I'm most effective, where I can bang guys and utilize my skill, that affects my aggressiveness and overall intensity.
D’Antoni responded back in kind, “I can’t lie to him… Our numbers tell us the worst thing we do is post up.”
By the end of the season, the numbers told other stories as well, including the worst loss record in Lakers history at 27-55.
And the exit of the small-ball coach.
Past differences and disappointments aside, there will be plenty of parties interested in Gasol’s low-post game during the summer’s free-agency feeding frenzy, which officially kicks off July 1.
During a video interview with Spanish sports media site Marca.com (translation by James Barra...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
