Pau Gasol has not been overhyped, he's very, very good.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Watch any Lakers game and you'll see Gasol making hook shots with both hands, making an excellent passes, blocking shots, playing pretty solid post defense, hitting mid-range jumper, making his free throws, running the floor, keeping the ball high and as a result, rarely turning the ball over. He does so without hogging the ball or playing selfishly and he's very consistent. He's also versatile enough to play Power Forward or Center at an all-star level which is extremely valuable when you consider that the Lakers have both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. He's one of the most skilled players you'll ever see at 7'1". He rarely makes mistakes and the one flaw he had(lack of toughness) seems to have gone away.

In 2003-2004(his third season), he took a Grizzlies team of James Posey, Bonzi Wells(who missed 23 games), Mike Miller(who missed 17 games), Jason Williams(who missed 10 games), Stromile Swift and a young Shane Battier to 50 wins. And that was in a tough Western Conference. I'm not insulting those players because Posey, Wells, Miller, Williams and Battier were solid role players, but considering he had no second option and no other players on his team who averaged 14 ppg or 7 rpg, that's very impressive, especially since the core missed a lot of games.

In 2005-2006, Gasol led a Grizzlies consisting of Mike Miller, Shane Battier, a 34 year old 40% shooting Eddie Jones, 32 year old 38% shooting Bobby Jackson, and Lorenzen Wright(5.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) to 49 wins. He didn't have a consistent starting point guard as Damon Stoudamire played (and started) 27 games there(and shot under 40%), Chucky Atkins played 43 games(39 of them were starts) and he shot just 40%. Bobby Jackson was the other point guard to receive

Granted, Battier is one of the league's best role players and defenders and Miller was the sixth man of the year, but where else was his help? Whoever was his point guard at the time had a mediocre shooting % and a mediocre number of assists. Did he really have a true second option? The Grizzlies second leading scorer averaged 13.7 ppg. Their second leading rebounder averaged 5.4 per game.

Gasol led the team with 20.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 1.9 bpg. Plus not including Damon Stoudamire's 4.7 apg over 27 games, Gasol led the team with 4.6 apg and no player who qualified for the league leaders in FG% had a better shooting % than Gasol(50.4%). Talk about carrying a team. We all know that averaged 20/9/2 is impressive, but a 7'1" PF/C averaging nearly 5 assists per game?

People complain about not winning a playoff game with Memphis, but look at the 3 teams he faced. In his first playoff appearance they faced the much more talented defending champion Spurs. Memphis getting swept was expected.

In 2005, Memphis faced the extremely talented 62 win Suns team with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion all in their prime along with an emerging Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson in one of his better years.

In 2006, Memphis faced another 60 win team, a Mavs team who would beat the defending champion 63 win Spurs and beat Phoenix.

You couldn't expect Memphis to do much in those series.

Now look at the Lakers. Post Shaq they had seasons with 34, 45 and 42 wins, just 2 playoff appearances and no series victories. In the 2007-2008 season, the Lakers were 22-4 with Gasol and 35-23 without him. He became incredibly efficient as a second option averaging 19.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.6 bpg on 59% shooting with just 1.7 turnovers per game not including a game that he left after 2 and a half minutes. Gasol turned the Lakers into a title contender overnight despite the loss of the emerging Bynum and the injury to Trevor Ariza leaving the Lakers with basically the same team as the two previous years(when they were a 42-45 win team) plus Gasol and Fisher. The team also went 12-3 in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, inlcuding an impressive series where they knocked out the defending champion Spurs.

In his first full season with the team, the Lakers won 65 games and a title. Thanks in large part to Gasol's 18.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 56.7 FG% and 1.9 turnovers per game. In the playoffs, Gasol averaged 18/11 on 58% shooting with just 1.9 turnovers per game.

This season, the Lakers are 19-3 with Gasol and 8-4 without him. The Lakers are 105-24 in the regular season with Gasol and 30-14 in the playoffs with 2 finals appearances and a championship.

Gasol's stats don't necessarily jump out at you, but watch him play and look at the W/L record and you'll see he's a phenomenal player who deserves all of the praise that he's finally getting with the Lakers.

[hawksdogsbraves]

I haven't heard that many people say Pau Gasol is overrated. :confusedshrug:

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

He became incredibly efficient as a second option averaging 19.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.6 bpg on 59% shooting with just 1.7 turnovers per game

Which really impressed me, considering how many players claim the triangle takes time to learn. After only 2-3 ball games, seemed as though he's played with Kobe through out his entire career, that's how well Gasol and LA meshed. Pau, to me, is undoubtedly the most skilled big man today. Anyway, awesome writeup ... if there were a +rep system here, you would get one.

[RoseCity07]

This is why I don't understand the whole, "Kobe finally wins a championship on his own". No, they don't make it to the finals without Gasol.

The Lakers are a first round exit without Pau.

[FindingTim]

i am really glad you made this thread. Gasol needs some love.

tremendous all-around player with very few weaknesses. call me crazy, but i think he is a top 10 player in the league.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

i am really glad you made this thread. Gasol needs some love.

tremendous all-around player with very few weaknesses. call me crazy, but i think he is a top 10 player in the league.

You're not crazy at all, to me he is as well. Look how many attempts he's getting a night ... He needs the ball more. He could be easily averaging 20 and 10+.

[SAKOTXA]

This is why I don't understand the whole, "Kobe finally wins a championship on his own". No, they don't make it to the finals without Gasol.

The Lakers are a first round exit without Pau.

SMH

[sbw19]

This is why I don't understand the whole, "Kobe finally wins a championship on his own". No, they don't make it to the finals without Gasol.

The Lakers are a first round exit without Pau.

No one wins a title on his own, what they probably meant was Kobe did win as the clear #1 option which is indisputable.

[catch24]

Excellent synopsis Shaqattack. I don't see how he could be overhyped either.

[ihatetimthomas]

This is why I don't understand the whole, "Kobe finally wins a championship on his own". No, they don't make it to the finals without Gasol.

The Lakers are a first round exit without Pau.

Yea and MJ doesnt win without Pip, Duncan without Parker, Billups without Ben and Rip, Shaq without Kobe, etc. The point is that he is the clear cut best player, and he won as the best player on the team. No one wins alone.

[DC Zephyrs]

I really have no idea why he doesn't get more touches. He's in the prime of his career and he's only taking 11.3 shots a game, a career low. I know the Lakers are still winning a ton of games, but it's to imagine them being any worse with Gasol getting more looks. On offense, he's as good as any big man in the league today.

[elganator]

I think Gasol gets plenty of touches. He's just very unselfish and doesn't look for his shot all the time. Also teams send double teams at him once he gets hot and he passes to the open man.

[SAKOTXA]

If Gasol was as selfish as Bynum, he would average at least 15 shot attempts per game... Gasol is a very smart post player and actually understand what "reposting" means, unlike Bynum.

[KenneBell]

If Gasol was as selfish as Bynum, he would average at least 15 shot attempts per game..
Pretty much. The guy just doesn't to shoot the ball that much. His highest attempts per game number is 15.4 and that was at the worst efficiency of his career. He's a guy who going to take 12-14 shots and that's about it. Kobe said Gasol probably could stand to be more selfish.

Bynum on the other hand will throw up as many shots as possible if you let him.:oldlol:

[thejusman1]

Of course Gasol is important, how else do you explain a loss to the Clippers. :lol

[BlackWhiteGreen]

He is a very, very good player.

He is, however, also overhyped.

[Kensta]

Gasol needs more touches. He needs to be more aggressive and take like 15 shots per game. Kobe needs to drop his to about 20 per game.

[Bodhi]

Gasol needs more touches. He needs to be more aggressive and take like 15 shots per game. Kobe needs to drop his to about 20 per game.

Gasol has never taken 15 shots per game. Not even when he was the number 1 option in Memphis. He's just not that kind of player.

[Anton Chigurh]

I applaud the OP :cheers: :applause:

He will find a way to make himself useful in the game. If he isn't finding his shot, what does he do? Gets more rebounds and gets his points. There was a stretch before he got injured where he was averaging close to 18 rebounds a game for 5 games. If he can't get rebounds he is passing the ball like a point guard. If nothing else is working he is playing defense and blocking shots. One of the best 2nd best players on a team I have ever seen.

[amfirst]

Gasol doesn't have a lot of shots because he passes the ball out, it's better than forcing the shot, which will give u a low shooting percentage.

[Allstar24]

This is why I don't understand the whole, "Kobe finally wins a championship on his own". No, they don't make it to the finals without Gasol.

The Lakers are a first round exit without Pau.
3 posts in and some troll just HAD to ruin this good topic and make it all about Kobe. Go **** yourself.

Gasol is easily top 3 in his position. Anyone who doesn't see that he's a great player must be blind but I don't think people "overhype" Gasol to the extent that they do with Bynum.

[monkeypox]

I guess it comes down to what the agenda is. If the agenda is whether or not the Lakers as a team are great, or whether or not Kobe has a great supporting cast or not.

[magnax1]

Hes a great player, but not half the player some people make him out to be. There is no way hes the best PF in the league and hes still soft and a pretty bad post defender.
There is also no way hes better then Dirk, Duncan, KG, Bosh, and Jefferson (well, this year Jefferson probably is worse, just because hes coming off the surgery, and before that they were still pretty close)

[NBASTATMAN]

Hes a great player, but not half the player some people make him out to be. There is no way hes the best PF in the league and hes still soft and a pretty bad post defender.
There is also no way hes better then Dirk, Duncan, KG, Bosh, and Jefferson (well, this year Jefferson probably is worse, just because hes coming off the surgery, and before that they were still pretty close)


I could see people put dirk, duncan and kg over Gasol because they all have history.. But what has Bosh done, Jefferson can score on a bad team.. Almost all NBA players can score on bad NBA teams... Gasol is at worst the fourth best power forward in the game...

[BlackWhiteGreen]

Hes a great player, but not half the player some people make him out to be. There is no way hes the best PF in the league and hes still soft and a pretty bad post defender.
There is also no way hes better then Dirk, Duncan, KG, Bosh, and Jefferson (well, this year Jefferson probably is worse, just because hes coming off the surgery, and before that they were still pretty close)

As much as it pains me to say it, I think KG has declined to the stage now that Gasol is either as good or better than him. But IF it came down to one or the other for a 7 game series I'd say KG

[ShaqAttack3234]

Hes a great player, but not half the player some people make him out to be. There is no way hes the best PF in the league and hes still soft and a pretty bad post defender.
There is also no way hes better then Dirk, Duncan, KG, Bosh, and Jefferson (well, this year Jefferson probably is worse, just because hes coming off the surgery, and before that they were still pretty close)

Jefferson is not, nor has he ever been better than Gasol. Gasol is 400 times the passer Jefferson is, has the ability to score as much and do it more efficiently and he's better defensively, plus he's shown the abillity to win(something Jefferson has not).

KG is not better than Gasol anymore, no chance. And there's no way I'd take Bosh over Gasol unless we're playing fantasy basketball.

[FindingTim]

There is also no way hes better then Dirk, Duncan, KG, Bosh, and Jefferson

I'ld choose Gasol over KG, Bosh, and Jefferson. A prime KG is a different story.

and choosing Duncan and Dirk over Pau shows no disrespect; after all, they are all-time greats.

[magnax1]

Jefferson is not, nor has he ever been better than Gasol. Gasol is 400 times the passer Jefferson is, has the ability to score as much and do it more efficiently and he's better defensively, plus he's shown the abillity to win(something Jefferson has not).

KG is not better than Gasol anymore, no chance. And there's no way I'd take Bosh over Gasol unless we're playing fantasy basketball.
Kg gets 2(?) less points a game worse then Gasol, is a much better passer, and is a MUCH better defender then Gasol. I don't even see how you could argue Gasol over KG.
Bosh also is quite a bit better. He has a much larger offensive arsenal (I don't see how Gasol is the most skilled big man. Duncan and many others have a much larger offensive arsenal then Gasol. Gasol is almost strictly a post up player, and is only an average jump shooter) And bosh is about equal on the boards and defense.
Jefferson is debatable, but its not debatable that Jefferson is a better scorer. Has Gasol even scored 20+ ppg, when he was the first option?

[RoseCity07]

Yea and MJ doesnt win without Pip, Duncan without Parker, Billups without Ben and Rip, Shaq without Kobe, etc. The point is that he is the clear cut best player, and he won as the best player on the team. No one wins alone.

Okay, I think I got it wrong. It was "Kobe finally won without a dominant big". My point being, like you just said, no one can win it alone. It also appears Kobe did need a dominant big like the other you mentioned.

Jordan didn't have that, but people underrate how good Pippen was.

The Lakers championship was a team deal.

[Scribbles]

This is why I don't understand the whole, "Kobe finally wins a championship on his own". No, they don't make it to the finals without Gasol.

The Lakers are a first round exit without Pau.


All those championships Pau won with Memphis were pretty impressive, agreed?

[DC Zephyrs]

Hes a great player, but not half the player some people make him out to be. There is no way hes the best PF in the league and hes still soft and a pretty bad post defender.
There is also no way hes better then Dirk, Duncan, KG, Bosh, and Jefferson (well, this year Jefferson probably is worse, just because hes coming off the surgery, and before that they were still pretty close)

I don't even see how there's a debate between him and Jefferson. Even when Jefferson was averaging 23 ppg, he was doing it on a terrible team and wasn't nearly as efficient as Gasol. Gasol is also a better defender, and 100x the passer.

I also don't see the argument for KG. Age has hit him pretty hard, and while he's still a better defender than Gasol, that's pretty much where it ends. Two years ago I would be with you, but not anymore.

That leaves you with Dirk, Duncan, and possibly Bosh. So at worst he is the 4th best PF in the league, and a top 5 big man overall. Not bad.

[RoseCity07]

All those championships Pau won with Memphis were pretty impressive, agreed?

All those championships Kobe won without Shaq and Pau were impressive, agreed?

See what I did there?

[ShaqAttack3234]

Kg gets 2(?) less points a game worse then Gasol, is a much better passer, and is a MUCH better defender then Gasol. I don't even see how you could argue Gasol over KG.

Gasol is considerably better in the post, has become a much better rebounder and no, Garnett is not a much better passer. If Anything, Gasol is better.


Bosh also is quite a bit better. He has a much larger offensive arsenal (I don't see how Gasol is the most skilled big man. Duncan and many others have a much larger offensive arsenal then Gasol. Gasol is almost strictly a post up player, and is only an average jump shooter) And bosh is about equal on the boards and defense.

Gasol is a much better post player and passer than Bosh and noticeably better as a defender.


Jefferson is debatable, but its not debatable that Jefferson is a better scorer. Has Gasol even scored 20+ ppg, when he was the first option?

Yes, Gasol did it twice, the same amount of times that Jefferson has done it. Unlike Jefferson, he did it once on a playoff team too.

Top 3 power forwards

1.Nowitzki
2.Gasol
3.Bosh

Top 3 centers(2009)
1.Howard
2.Duncan
3.Gasol

Gasol has been top 3 at his position 2 straight seasons, he's top 2 right now.

[chazzy]

This is why I don't understand the whole, "Kobe finally wins a championship on his own". No, they don't make it to the finals without Gasol.

The Lakers are a first round exit without Pau.

kobekobekobekobekobekobe :banghead:

[Rake2204]

Pau Gasol is extremely skilled. I'm not big on ranking him in comparison to others at his position, but he is clearly very much above being a role player in my opinion. I feel he has All-Star skills and abilities which I think he utilizes on a daily basis. I'm not a big fan of watching him play, but I cannot help but admit that he is an excellent basketball player.

Kobe surely did not win a championship "alone" and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I do not understand the apparent need for someone to win a ring as a team's best player. Awesome teams win championships and by acquiring Pau Gasol for peanuts, the Lakers once again became an awesome team. I feel all players on that roster play a huge role in that squad's ongoing success.

[Alhazred]

Gasol's great. I actually watched him before he was in LA and was amazed they got him for Kwame Brown of all people. One of the best trades I've ever seen(Well, for LA at least).

[magnax1]

Gasol is considerably better in the post, has become a much better rebounder and no, Garnett is not a much better passer. If Anything, Gasol is better.
If your going to say that Gasol is a better passer, then this is a pointless arguement. Garnett is the best passing bigman in the league, except maybe Boris Diaw.
And I looked up the stats, and KG still scores more per 36 minutes. KG is on another level as far as shooting goes, and doesn't need the ball to score his 15 points, because he can play off of other players much better, or he can go and score on you one on one. KG vs. Gasol isn't close. And thats saying somethings since KG is pretty far past his prime.

Gasol is a much better post player and passer than Bosh and noticeably better as a defender.
No, hes not a better defender. Hes a better post player and passer, but Bosh is quite a bit better overall scoring wise, so it doesn't really matter if Gasol is better in the post.
Why is it that every player that goes to the Lakers suddenly becomes so much better at everything? Gasol is not a good defender, nor is he any less soft then the day he went to LA.



Yes, Gasol did it twice, the same amount of times that Jefferson has done it. Unlike Jefferson, he did it once on a playoff team too.

Top 3 power forwards

1.Nowitzki
2.Gasol
3.Bosh

Top 3 centers(2009)
1.Howard
2.Duncan
3.Gasol


Gasol has been top 3 at his position 2 straight seasons, he's top 2 right now.
Once again, who said Gasol was a top 3 big man before he went to LA? Gasol is great, but hes not top 3 at his position.

[Alhazred]

I miss Gasol a lot right now....

LA's losing by twelve to Portland. :(

[Disaprine]

This is why I don't understand the whole, "Kobe finally wins a championship on his own". No, they don't make it to the finals without Gasol.

The Lakers are a first round exit without Pau.
:roll:

[dyna]

Hes a great player, but not half the player some people make him out to be. There is no way hes the best PF in the league and hes still soft and a pretty bad post defender.
There is also no way hes better then Dirk, Duncan, KG, Bosh, and Jefferson (well, this year Jefferson probably is worse, just because hes coming off the surgery, and before that they were still pretty close)
:roll:

[wang4three]

I'm still not sold. He's an all-star player, but I don't buy into him being a top 2 or 3 power forward.

[MMM]

I'm still not sold. He's an all-star player, but I don't buy into him being a top 2 or 3 power forward.

i think i'm in the same boat ass you but with some of the elite PF's slowing down he might be there by default although he is a very good player.

[jody]

he went head to head with dwight howard for 5 games and came out ahead.

i don't see him even being hyped, so how can he be overhyped? he got almost no credit from the american sports media for outplaying "superman", the NBA slam dunk champion.

howard was going to dominate the "soft" "unathletic" gasol and dunk viciously on his head every game. but the exact opposite happened.

[baller693]

Paul gasol has always been good. In his days in Memphis he was the "Man" but the team didn't always do so hot. Think back 5 years ago and imagine if someone told you Kobe, Gasol, Artest, and Odom would be on the same team? Most people would not believe this. Next who would you say would be the 2nd go to guy after Kobe? I would say Gasol then and now because he's an athletic bigman and he benefits playing with Kobe getting put backs and lob passes inside when Kobe gets double teamed.

[icemanfan]

Paul gasol has always been good. In his days in Memphis he was the "Man" but the team didn't always do so hot. Think back 5 years ago and imagine if someone told you Kobe, Gasol, Artest, and Odom would be on the same team? Most people would not believe this. Next who would you say would be the 2nd go to guy after Kobe? I would say Gasol then and now because he's an athletic bigman and he benefits playing with Kobe getting put backs and lob passes inside when Kobe gets double teamed.
again with the logic. Don't you know logic is taboo at ISH? When he was at Memphis the Griz made the playoffs twice and twice were swept. Gasol was owned by Duncan so bad TD could have sold him on eBay at series end. It was not even close. Now he has someone on his team being double teamed and he doesn't have the pressure of carrying the team AND he is now a LAKER and oh no now he is a basketball GOD one of the very very very best at several positions hell he could probably play point. ****ing idiots could not even spell Pau two years ago are now moving him to Hall of Fame status. Its mentally retarded level ridiculous.

[Dave3]

Of course Gasol is important, how else do you explain a loss to the Clippers. :lol
Underestimating your opponent.

[chazzy]

Well, to his credit he did start lifting weights for the first time in his career after the 08 finals, and he's been noticeably tougher since then. He's definitely not as soft as he was in the 08 finals, let alone in Memphis.

[Bigsmoke]

Gasol is one of the best PFs right now but not the best. I might even pick Chris Bosh over Gasol.

[Pinkhearts]

All those championships Kobe won without Shaq and Pau were impressive, agreed?

See what I did there?

All those rings Shaq won without Kobe and Wade were very impressive yeah?

All the rings Jordan won without Pippen were very impressive too yeah?

All the rings Magic won without Kareem were very amaxing accomplishments too.

Yeah Shaq didn't manage to win a ring on his own. He needs an elite shooting guard to win or to even get into the finals. Kobe won his ring with Shaq as his sidekick, and then later won with Gasol with his sidekick.

Wake the F up. Anybody who tries to win it on his own is a cancer. Take him out of your team ASAP.

[Bigsmoke]

All those rings Shaq won without Kobe and Wade were very impressive yeah?

.

Finals?

[All Net]

Watch any Lakers game and you'll see Gasol making hook shots with both hands, making an excellent passes, blocking shots, playing pretty solid post defense, hitting mid-range jumper, making his free throws, running the floor, keeping the ball high and as a result, rarely turning the ball over. He does so without hogging the ball or playing selfishly and he's very consistent. He's also versatile enough to play Power Forward or Center at an all-star level which is extremely valuable when you consider that the Lakers have both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. He's one of the most skilled players you'll ever see at 7'1". He rarely makes mistakes and the one flaw he had(lack of toughness) seems to have gone away.

In 2003-2004(his third season), he took a Grizzlies team of James Posey, Bonzi Wells(who missed 23 games), Mike Miller(who missed 17 games), Jason Williams(who missed 10 games), Stromile Swift and a young Shane Battier to 50 wins. And that was in a tough Western Conference. I'm not insulting those players because Posey, Wells, Miller, Williams and Battier were solid role players, but considering he had no second option and no other players on his team who averaged 14 ppg or 7 rpg, that's very impressive, especially since the core missed a lot of games.

In 2005-2006, Gasol led a Grizzlies consisting of Mike Miller, Shane Battier, a 34 year old 40% shooting Eddie Jones, 32 year old 38% shooting Bobby Jackson, and Lorenzen Wright(5.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) to 49 wins. He didn't have a consistent starting point guard as Damon Stoudamire played (and started) 27 games there(and shot under 40%), Chucky Atkins played 43 games(39 of them were starts) and he shot just 40%. Bobby Jackson was the other point guard to receive

Granted, Battier is one of the league's best role players and defenders and Miller was the sixth man of the year, but where else was his help? Whoever was his point guard at the time had a mediocre shooting % and a mediocre number of assists. Did he really have a true second option? The Grizzlies second leading scorer averaged 13.7 ppg. Their second leading rebounder averaged 5.4 per game.

Gasol led the team with 20.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 1.9 bpg. Plus not including Damon Stoudamire's 4.7 apg over 27 games, Gasol led the team with 4.6 apg and no player who qualified for the league leaders in FG% had a better shooting % than Gasol(50.4%). Talk about carrying a team. We all know that averaged 20/9/2 is impressive, but a 7'1" PF/C averaging nearly 5 assists per game?

People complain about not winning a playoff game with Memphis, but look at the 3 teams he faced. In his first playoff appearance they faced the much more talented defending champion Spurs. Memphis getting swept was expected.

In 2005, Memphis faced the extremely talented 62 win Suns team with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion all in their prime along with an emerging Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson in one of his better years.

In 2006, Memphis faced another 60 win team, a Mavs team who would beat the defending champion 63 win Spurs and beat Phoenix.

You couldn't expect Memphis to do much in those series.

Now look at the Lakers. Post Shaq they had seasons with 34, 45 and 42 wins, just 2 playoff appearances and no series victories. In the 2007-2008 season, the Lakers were 22-4 with Gasol and 35-23 without him. He became incredibly efficient as a second option averaging 19.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.6 bpg on 59% shooting with just 1.7 turnovers per game not including a game that he left after 2 and a half minutes. Gasol turned the Lakers into a title contender overnight despite the loss of the emerging Bynum and the injury to Trevor Ariza leaving the Lakers with basically the same team as the two previous years(when they were a 42-45 win team) plus Gasol and Fisher. The team also went 12-3 in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, inlcuding an impressive series where they knocked out the defending champion Spurs.

In his first full season with the team, the Lakers won 65 games and a title. Thanks in large part to Gasol's 18.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 56.7 FG% and 1.9 turnovers per game. In the playoffs, Gasol averaged 18/11 on 58% shooting with just 1.9 turnovers per game.

This season, the Lakers are 19-3 with Gasol and 8-4 without him. The Lakers are 105-24 in the regular season with Gasol and 30-14 in the playoffs with 2 finals appearances and a championship.

Gasol's stats don't necessarily jump out at you, but watch him play and look at the W/L record and you'll see he's a phenomenal player who deserves all of the praise that he's finally getting with the Lakers.

:cheers:

great post

It has been clear to see in all of the 14 games he has missed this season how much he has been missed. He is the glue to the team and to me is the only guy that Kobe has 100% confidence in offensively. It shouldn't be like this but it is...Pau is the key. Him being in and out of the line-up has affected L.A big time.

[mhg88]

again with the logic. Don't you know logic is taboo at ISH? When he was at Memphis the Griz made the playoffs twice and twice were swept. Gasol was owned by Duncan so bad TD could have sold him on eBay at series end. It was not even close. Now he has someone on his team being double teamed and he doesn't have the pressure of carrying the team AND he is now a LAKER and oh no now he is a basketball GOD one of the very very very best at several positions hell he could probably play point. ****ing idiots could not even spell Pau two years ago are now moving him to Hall of Fame status. Its mentally retarded level ridiculous.

:oldlol:

[Andrei89]

Watch any Lakers game and you'll see Gasol making hook shots with both hands, making an excellent passes, blocking shots, playing pretty solid post defense, hitting mid-range jumper, making his free throws, running the floor, keeping the ball high and as a result, rarely turning the ball over. He does so without hogging the ball or playing selfishly and he's very consistent. He's also versatile enough to play Power Forward or Center at an all-star level which is extremely valuable when you consider that the Lakers have both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. He's one of the most skilled players you'll ever see at 7'1". He rarely makes mistakes and the one flaw he had(lack of toughness) seems to have gone away.

In 2003-2004(his third season), he took a Grizzlies team of James Posey, Bonzi Wells(who missed 23 games), Mike Miller(who missed 17 games), Jason Williams(who missed 10 games), Stromile Swift and a young Shane Battier to 50 wins. And that was in a tough Western Conference. I'm not insulting those players because Posey, Wells, Miller, Williams and Battier were solid role players, but considering he had no second option and no other players on his team who averaged 14 ppg or 7 rpg, that's very impressive, especially since the core missed a lot of games.

In 2005-2006, Gasol led a Grizzlies consisting of Mike Miller, Shane Battier, a 34 year old 40% shooting Eddie Jones, 32 year old 38% shooting Bobby Jackson, and Lorenzen Wright(5.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) to 49 wins. He didn't have a consistent starting point guard as Damon Stoudamire played (and started) 27 games there(and shot under 40%), Chucky Atkins played 43 games(39 of them were starts) and he shot just 40%. Bobby Jackson was the other point guard to receive

Granted, Battier is one of the league's best role players and defenders and Miller was the sixth man of the year, but where else was his help? Whoever was his point guard at the time had a mediocre shooting % and a mediocre number of assists. Did he really have a true second option? The Grizzlies second leading scorer averaged 13.7 ppg. Their second leading rebounder averaged 5.4 per game.

Gasol led the team with 20.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 1.9 bpg. Plus not including Damon Stoudamire's 4.7 apg over 27 games, Gasol led the team with 4.6 apg and no player who qualified for the league leaders in FG% had a better shooting % than Gasol(50.4%). Talk about carrying a team. We all know that averaged 20/9/2 is impressive, but a 7'1" PF/C averaging nearly 5 assists per game?

People complain about not winning a playoff game with Memphis, but look at the 3 teams he faced. In his first playoff appearance they faced the much more talented defending champion Spurs. Memphis getting swept was expected.

In 2005, Memphis faced the extremely talented 62 win Suns team with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion all in their prime along with an emerging Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson in one of his better years.

In 2006, Memphis faced another 60 win team, a Mavs team who would beat the defending champion 63 win Spurs and beat Phoenix.

You couldn't expect Memphis to do much in those series.

Now look at the Lakers. Post Shaq they had seasons with 34, 45 and 42 wins, just 2 playoff appearances and no series victories. In the 2007-2008 season, the Lakers were 22-4 with Gasol and 35-23 without him. He became incredibly efficient as a second option averaging 19.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.6 bpg on 59% shooting with just 1.7 turnovers per game not including a game that he left after 2 and a half minutes. Gasol turned the Lakers into a title contender overnight despite the loss of the emerging Bynum and the injury to Trevor Ariza leaving the Lakers with basically the same team as the two previous years(when they were a 42-45 win team) plus Gasol and Fisher. The team also went 12-3 in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, inlcuding an impressive series where they knocked out the defending champion Spurs.

In his first full season with the team, the Lakers won 65 games and a title. Thanks in large part to Gasol's 18.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 56.7 FG% and 1.9 turnovers per game. In the playoffs, Gasol averaged 18/11 on 58% shooting with just 1.9 turnovers per game.

This season, the Lakers are 19-3 with Gasol and 8-4 without him. The Lakers are 105-24 in the regular season with Gasol and 30-14 in the playoffs with 2 finals appearances and a championship.

Gasol's stats don't necessarily jump out at you, but watch him play and look at the W/L record and you'll see he's a phenomenal player who deserves all of the praise that he's finally getting with the Lakers.

laker fanboy are you?

[sergiorodriguez]

This is why I don't understand the whole, "Kobe finally wins a championship on his own". No, they don't make it to the finals without Gasol.

The Lakers are a first round exit without Pau.
lakers were #1 in the west before Gasol even got there the season that he came.

[wally_world]

64.3 million bucks, of course he's good :hammerhead:

[ShaqAttack3234]

If your going to say that Gasol is a better passer, then this is a pointless arguement. Garnett is the best passing bigman in the league, except maybe Boris Diaw.
And I looked up the stats, and KG still scores more per 36 minutes. KG is on another level as far as shooting goes, and doesn't need the ball to score his 15 points, because he can play off of other players much better, or he can go and score on you one on one. KG vs. Gasol isn't close. And thats saying somethings since KG is pretty far past his prime.

You're the same kid who said Gasol was an average passer until I shiowed you some clips. You clearly don't know what you're talking about. Garnett's passing certainly isn't utlizied as effectively as Gasol's. I don't care if Garnett scores more per 36 minutes, he doesn't play 36 minutes. Gasol goes in the post, gets double teamed, gets to the foul line more and mixes up his game better.

IF Garnett is a more skilled passer(which I'm certainly not convinced of) then he doesn't use his passing skills as effectively.


No, hes not a better defender. Hes a better post player and passer, but Bosh is quite a bit better overall scoring wise, so it doesn't really matter if Gasol is better in the post.

Look at what an even more raw version of Dwight Howard did to Bosh in the 2008 playoffs and look what Gasol did against him in the '09 finals. And yes, scoring in the post does matter. It draws more double teams, gets more open 3's, gets more high percentage shots and it's a more consistent way of scoring.


Why is it that every player that goes to the Lakers suddenly becomes so much better at everything? Gasol is not a good defender, nor is he any less soft then the day he went to LA.

You have no idea what you're talking about. Gasol toughened up after the 2008 finals.


Once again, who said Gasol was a top 3 big man before he went to LA? Gasol is great, but hes not top 3 at his position.

Other players have declined since Gasol was in Memphis, most notably Garnett and Yao Ming(due to injuries). And Gasol was underrated in Memphis, of course playing in a big market on a good team makes people appreciate him more.

[boozehound]

Which really impressed me, considering how many players claim the triangle takes time to learn. After only 2-3 ball games, seemed as though he's played with Kobe through out his entire career, that's how well Gasol and LA meshed. Pau, to me, is undoubtedly the most skilled big man today. Anyway, awesome writeup ... if there were a +rep system here, you would get one.
you gotta remember that he came in as the pivot (5) since bynum was out, and that is the most straightforward position in the triangle. That being said, he is a very smart and talented bball player. First paragraph of the OP made me want to ask "are we talking about chris kaman here?"

[ShaqAttack3234]

laker fanboy are you?

:oldlol: Why do you say that? I'm a fan of big men and I recognize how good of a player Gasol is.

[bdreason]

3rd best Power Foward in the World... and I might even take him over Dirk and Duncan depending on the team makeup.

[catch24]

3rd best Power Foward in the World... and I might even take him over Dirk and Duncan depending on the team makeup.

Yeah, I'd still take those two over my boy Pau (Dirk would be a tough decision).

[Jacks3]

Gasol is the most overrated player in the league. He's nothing more than a very good, borderline All-Star, top 15 player in the league. He sure as hell isn't the best big or PF in the league :oldlol: . It's amazing what playing with Kobe can do for you. It's no coincidence that his FG% has jumped 6-7% since joining Kobe.

[BlackMamba24]

Gasol is the most overrated player in the league. He's nothing more than a very good, borderline All-Star, top 15 player in the league. He sure as hell isn't the best big or PF in the league :oldlol: . It's amazing what playing with Kobe can do for you. It's no coincidence that his FG% has jumped 6-7% since joining Kobe.
:bowdown:

gasol is a product of kobe...stop overrating the **** out of gasol

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Gasol is the most overrated player in the league. He's nothing more than a very good, borderline All-Star, top 15 player in the league. He sure as hell isn't the best big or PF in the league :oldlol: . It's amazing what playing with Kobe can do for you. It's no coincidence that his FG% has jumped 6-7% since joining Kobe.

:roll:

[Jacks3]

:oldlol: the morons overrating Gasol.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

:oldlol: the morons overrating Gasol.

Keep it up!!! :applause: :roll:

[Jacks3]

:roll:

[ShaqAttack3234]

19-3 with Gasol and what? 9-5 without him? But I forgot...it's all Kobe.:roll:

[Samurai Swoosh]

Kg gets 2(?) less points a game worse then Gasol, is a much better passer, and is a MUCH better defender then Gasol. I don't even see how you could argue Gasol over KG.
Bosh also is quite a bit better. He has a much larger offensive arsenal (I don't see how Gasol is the most skilled big man. Duncan and many others have a much larger offensive arsenal then Gasol. Gasol is almost strictly a post up player, and is only an average jump shooter) And bosh is about equal on the boards and defense.
Jefferson is debatable, but its not debatable that Jefferson is a better scorer. Has Gasol even scored 20+ ppg, when he was the first option?
This guy knows his stuff

:pimp:

[icemanfan]

:bowdown:

gasol is a product of kobe...stop overrating the **** out of gasol
this

[Drinker]

what I find kind of sad is...

... Yeah, some of you are Kobe fan. good for you. I do agree Kobe is amazing. but this is a team sport, and when actually people praise Gasol, another (and VERY IMPORTANT) player of your own team, you feel yourselves threatened in same way and feel the need of posting agaisnt him insteed of beign glad about what is written here (that is nothing but the truth).

the world does not turn around kobe, you know? even if he is arguably the best in the league.

sad indeed. poor Gasol :(

[sodap]

gasol was lucky to have kobe with him on the spanish national team so spain could win a world championship, eurobasket and olympic silver. please stop overrating him...

ps: kobe is probably the best, but gasol is surely a top3 player at his position(S). Im a lakers fan, and kobe fan, but its embarrasing how you want to justify kobe and the lakers if they dont make it all the way to the ring. Lakers are as stacked as it gets and it would be an amazing flop if they dont get this one... no excuses

[Desperado]

:oldlol: the morons overrating Gasol.

:oldlol: @ these clowns



Gasol was a great second banana on the Lakers, and I don't believe for a second that they would have won the title without him last season but lets be real here..... before coming to the Lakers Gasol was 0-12 in the playoffs!

[Jacks3]

Yeah, he's very important to the team. Still the Lakers went 8-3 earlier this year without him. If Bynum plays to his potential, the Lakers are contenders without him.

[Big#50]

Watch any Lakers game and you'll see Gasol making hook shots with both hands, making an excellent passes, blocking shots, playing pretty solid post defense, hitting mid-range jumper, making his free throws, running the floor, keeping the ball high and as a result, rarely turning the ball over. He does so without hogging the ball or playing selfishly and he's very consistent. He's also versatile enough to play Power Forward or Center at an all-star level which is extremely valuable when you consider that the Lakers have both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. He's one of the most skilled players you'll ever see at 7'1". He rarely makes mistakes and the one flaw he had(lack of toughness) seems to have gone away.

In 2003-2004(his third season), he took a Grizzlies team of James Posey, Bonzi Wells(who missed 23 games), Mike Miller(who missed 17 games), Jason Williams(who missed 10 games), Stromile Swift and a young Shane Battier to 50 wins. And that was in a tough Western Conference. I'm not insulting those players because Posey, Wells, Miller, Williams and Battier were solid role players, but considering he had no second option and no other players on his team who averaged 14 ppg or 7 rpg, that's very impressive, especially since the core missed a lot of games.

In 2005-2006, Gasol led a Grizzlies consisting of Mike Miller, Shane Battier, a 34 year old 40% shooting Eddie Jones, 32 year old 38% shooting Bobby Jackson, and Lorenzen Wright(5.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) to 49 wins. He didn't have a consistent starting point guard as Damon Stoudamire played (and started) 27 games there(and shot under 40%), Chucky Atkins played 43 games(39 of them were starts) and he shot just 40%. Bobby Jackson was the other point guard to receive

Granted, Battier is one of the league's best role players and defenders and Miller was the sixth man of the year, but where else was his help? Whoever was his point guard at the time had a mediocre shooting % and a mediocre number of assists. Did he really have a true second option? The Grizzlies second leading scorer averaged 13.7 ppg. Their second leading rebounder averaged 5.4 per game.

Gasol led the team with 20.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 1.9 bpg. Plus not including Damon Stoudamire's 4.7 apg over 27 games, Gasol led the team with 4.6 apg and no player who qualified for the league leaders in FG% had a better shooting % than Gasol(50.4%). Talk about carrying a team. We all know that averaged 20/9/2 is impressive, but a 7'1" PF/C averaging nearly 5 assists per game?

People complain about not winning a playoff game with Memphis, but look at the 3 teams he faced. In his first playoff appearance they faced the much more talented defending champion Spurs. Memphis getting swept was expected.

In 2005, Memphis faced the extremely talented 62 win Suns team with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion all in their prime along with an emerging Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson in one of his better years.

In 2006, Memphis faced another 60 win team, a Mavs team who would beat the defending champion 63 win Spurs and beat Phoenix.

You couldn't expect Memphis to do much in those series.

Now look at the Lakers. Post Shaq they had seasons with 34, 45 and 42 wins, just 2 playoff appearances and no series victories. In the 2007-2008 season, the Lakers were 22-4 with Gasol and 35-23 without him. He became incredibly efficient as a second option averaging 19.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.6 bpg on 59% shooting with just 1.7 turnovers per game not including a game that he left after 2 and a half minutes. Gasol turned the Lakers into a title contender overnight despite the loss of the emerging Bynum and the injury to Trevor Ariza leaving the Lakers with basically the same team as the two previous years(when they were a 42-45 win team) plus Gasol and Fisher. The team also went 12-3 in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, inlcuding an impressive series where they knocked out the defending champion Spurs.

In his first full season with the team, the Lakers won 65 games and a title. Thanks in large part to Gasol's 18.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 56.7 FG% and 1.9 turnovers per game. In the playoffs, Gasol averaged 18/11 on 58% shooting with just 1.9 turnovers per game.

This season, the Lakers are 19-3 with Gasol and 8-4 without him. The Lakers are 105-24 in the regular season with Gasol and 30-14 in the playoffs with 2 finals appearances and a championship.

Gasol's stats don't necessarily jump out at you, but watch him play and look at the W/L record and you'll see he's a phenomenal player who deserves all of the praise that he's finally getting with the Lakers.
Yes, Kobe can't win without an elite big man. We get it.

[1~Gibson~1]

he's not overrated nor overhyped, but i just find it funny that the same LA fans that were calling him soft Pau Gasoft in when he was in Memphis arent saying the same thing now, and when he was in Memphis no one cared about him, but now he's the best big man in the NBA :oldlol: .

[Jacks3]

lol at Pau being elite. :roll:

[1~Gibson~1]

lol at Pau being elite. :roll:
He's the best big man in the NBA. havent you heard? :hammerhead:

[Desperado]

Yes, Kobe can't win without an elite big man. We get it.


And Shaq can't win without an all-star guard .....

[Big#50]

And Shaq can't win without an all-star guard .....
Yes, I know this as well.

[All Net]

he's not overrated nor overhyped, but i just find it funny that the same LA fans that were calling him soft Pau Gasoft in when he was in Memphis arent saying the same thing now, and when he was in Memphis no one cared about him, but now he's the best big man in the NBA :oldlol: .

Players change

Some improve and others decline.

[ShaqAttack3234]

20-3 with Gasol, 11-6 without Gasol. Gasol makes this team pretty much unbeatable. To me, Pau Gasol is a superstar player. Perhaps he's better as a number 2 guy, but he has been better than any big man/center type player other than Tim Duncan this season.

People can't understimate the value of such a good and versatile low post player, a great passer, rebounder, shot blocking presence, 7'1", 260 pound frame and off the charts basketball IQ. Gasol has proven himself as a 20 ppg scorer, and he's done it on good teams too, but he'd rather be unselfish and sacrifice his numbers. As a result his efficiency is incredible. Averages about 2 turnovers per game for his Laker career despite 3.5 apg, shoots 55-60% from the field and about 80% from the line.

[Allstar24]

Uh obviously the Lakers record with Gasol is better due to the fact that we had an easy home schedule early in the season...he's a great player but showing our record with and without him doesn't prove anything.

[purple32gold]

All those championships Kobe won without Shaq and Pau were impressive, agreed?

See what I did there?
so unnecessary...:ohwell:
i wish there were an ignore button on this site..

[ShaqAttack3234]

Uh obviously the Lakers record with Gasol is better due to the fact that we had an easy home schedule early in the season...he's a great player but showing our record with and without him doesn't prove anything.

Should I provide the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 records with and without him as well?

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Uh obviously the Lakers record with Gasol is better due to the fact that we had an easy home schedule early in the season...he's a great player but showing our record with and without him doesn't prove anything.

So you admit that your head is planted directly up Kobe's ass?

[w00terz]

Gasol is equally important to the Lakers' success as Kobe Bryant.

[KB2009Champ]

can someone post pau's record on the lakers without kobe?

yeah good luck with that one. btw, you need at least 10 such games for a good sample size.

:oldlol: :oldlol:

[ShaqAttack3234]

can someone post pau's record on the lakers without kobe?

yeah good luck with that one. btw, you need at least 10 such games for a good sample size.

:oldlol: :oldlol:

Pau hasn't played a game on the Lakers without Kobe and this isn't a Pau vs Kobe discussion. Kobe Bryant is, without question the better basketball player, I'm just giving Pau Gasol credit as well. Gasol is a fantastic player, just about the most entertaining to watch IMO and a guy who plays the game the right way. The results speak for themselves. The Lakers record with Gasol is incredible.

[Anton Chigurh]

Gasol is equally important to the Lakers' success as Kobe Bryant.

this should pretty much /thread

[barbaroi]

Gasol is equally important to the Lakers' success as Kobe Bryant.
And Billups is more important to Denver success than Melo. See I can troll too.

[w00terz]

And Billups is more important to Denver success than Melo. See I can troll too.

How am I trolling?

[barbaroi]

How am I trolling?
Spouting out ridiculous statements = trolling. Not a complex formula.

[w00terz]

Ridiculous statements? Look how well the Lakers play when Gasol is in the lineup. His presence turned the Lakers into title contenders, not Kobe shooting 40 times a game. And that's not taking anything away from Kobe, he's a great player, but it is incredibly difficult to win it all with one dominant player running the entire team (see: Lebron). Michael Jordan is the exception and even he had Pippen.

[purple32gold]

Ridiculous statements? Look how well the Lakers play when Gasol is in the lineup. His presence turned the Lakers into title contenders, not Kobe shooting 40 times a game. And that's not taking anything away from Kobe, he's a great player, but it is incredibly difficult to win it all with one dominant player running the entire team (see: Lebron). Michael Jordan is the exception and even he had Pippen.
there are no exceptions when talking about a championship team. there hasn't been one i can think of that has not won it all with at least 2 guys who could be thought of as "top dogs" of that year/era. basketball is a team sport.

[barbaroi]

Ridiculous statements? Look how well the Lakers play when Gasol is in the lineup. His presence turned the Lakers into title contenders, not Kobe shooting 40 times a game. And that's not taking anything away from Kobe, he's a great player, but it is incredibly difficult to win it all with one dominant player running the entire team (see: Lebron). Michael Jordan is the exception and even he had Pippen.
Im not bashing Pau. He's a beast. But to say he is equally important as Kobe really is ridiculous. Do you think that if Kobe had missed 18 games so far the Lakers would still have a 31-9 record?

[KB2009Champ]

Ridiculous statements? Look how well the Lakers play when Gasol is in the lineup. His presence turned the Lakers into title contenders, not Kobe shooting 40 times a game. And that's not taking anything away from Kobe, he's a great player, but it is incredibly difficult to win it all with one dominant player running the entire team (see: Lebron). Michael Jordan is the exception and even he had Pippen.

kobe had a stretch of 3 games where he was jacking out of 40 games played and you are still harping on this? of course the team is better without kobe jacking. duh. it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. with or without pau in the lineup it doesn't work if he's not shooting a high percentage.

but to somehow use that to overstate the importance of pau makes no sense because like i said, with or without pau, jacking up shots when you arent making them doesn't work for any team.

he did it for 3 games out of 40. get the **** over it.

[KB2009Champ]

Im not bashing Pau. He's a beast. But to say he is equally important as Kobe really is ridiculous. Do you think that if Kobe had missed 18 games so far the Lakers would still have a 31-9 record?


exactly thank you

[keep_it_real]

what I find kind of sad is...

... Yeah, some of you are Kobe fan. good for you. I do agree Kobe is amazing. but this is a team sport, and when actually people praise Gasol, another (and VERY IMPORTANT) player of your own team, you feel yourselves threatened in same way and feel the need of posting agaisnt him insteed of beign glad about what is written here (that is nothing but the truth).

the world does not turn around kobe, you know? even if he is arguably the best in the league.

sad indeed. poor Gasol :(

i dont know why people are downing pau...lakers fans should be glad he is on the team alongside kobe

[Eldrunko247]

Im not bashing Pau. He's a beast. But to say he is equally important as Kobe really is ridiculous. Do you think that if Kobe had missed 18 games so far the Lakers would still have a 31-9 record?
Lakers can still probably manage without Kobe but can hardly do so without Gasol. Any guy that has a Kobe avatar is most likely a Kobe Stan.

[purple32gold]

Lakers can still probably manage without Kobe but can hardly do so without Gasol. Any guy that has a Kobe avatar is most likely a Kobe Stan.
LOL i would LOVE to see this apparent laker team that would make the playoffs without their franchise player. some of you guys are too much sometimes. no one player is/should be more important than the other in a team competition. especially in a competition that is as exclusive as the NBA championships. for things to work out EVERYONE has to be on the same page and put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it. that goes for kobe all the way down to DJ.

[Bigsmoke]

Lakers can still probably manage without Kobe but can hardly do so without Gasol. Any guy that has a Kobe avatar is most likely a Kobe Stan.

u got it backwards.

[All Net]

Lakers can still probably manage without Kobe but can hardly do so without Gasol. Any guy that has a Kobe avatar is most likely a Kobe Stan.

wow amazing logic. Didn't realise you cant be a fan of a player without being a stan.

Thanks for making that clear.

[barbaroi]

Lakers can still probably manage without Kobe but can hardly do so without Gasol.
I like the name El Drunko. It really fits the idiocy of your post. Lakers would be fine without Kobe? Yup those 29 points will be really easy to come by. Any one of the Lakers could have made those three gamewinners for us. Those 7 40 point games, and 20 30+ games - Phaw, easily replaceable. We should trade Kobe. Don't even need him.

BTW my favorite Laker is Andrew Bynum.

[cotdt]

Thing with Gasol is that the Lakers have a similar player in Andrew Bynum. The two have similar offensive styles. Lakers don't have another player who can replace Kobe Bryant.

[chains5000]

Thing with Gasol is that the Lakers have a similar player in Andrew Bynum. The two have similar offensive styles. Lakers don't have another player who can replace Kobe Bryant.
Really?

[TryToBeUnbias]

Lakers can still probably manage without Kobe but can hardly do so without Gasol. Any guy that has a Kobe avatar is most likely a Kobe Stan.
SMH.

Gasol is our second option of course he is important to this team but some of you guys statements are flat out idiotic.

[momo]

so unnecessary...:ohwell:
i wish there were an ignore button on this site..

ISH does have an ignore feature.

[Diesel J]

Go to lakersground to see how Kobe fans view Gasol:roll:

Pau Gasol gets traded to the lakers, takes a first round exit team to 2 finals, wins a chip...

http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=102878

[All Net]

Go to lakersground to see how Kobe fans view Gasol:roll:

Pau Gasol gets traded to the lakers, takes a first round exit team to 2 finals, wins a chip...

http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=102878

Your point is?...

[Diesel J]

Gasol told me to up this thread:lol

[JustinJDW]

He is good, but he is overrated by many people.

Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Al Jefferson, Chris Kaman, Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki are all better players than Pau Gasol. This isn't an insult people. Gasol is still a great player.

[DC Zephyrs]

He is good, but he is overrated by many people.

Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Al Jefferson, Chris Kaman, Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki are all better players than Pau Gasol. This isn't an insult people. Gasol is still a great player.

Kaman, Jefferson, and Garnett are not better than Gasol. Kaman is a product of opportunity, Jefferson plays no defense and is a black hole on offense, and Garnett plays like an old man these days.

[sergiorodriguez]

Pau should be first option when Kobe gets back.

[Samurai Swoosh]

Pau should be first option when Kobe gets back.
:rolleyes:

Ask Memphis how that worked out

[Diesel J]

He is good, but he is overrated by many people.

Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Al Jefferson, Chris Kaman, Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki are all better players than Pau Gasol. This isn't an insult people. Gasol is still a great player.

The only people on that list that are better right now are Dwight and Bosh. Duncan just got abused by Gasol:lol

[AirJordan&Magic]

Yeah, he's very important to the team. Still the Lakers went 8-3 earlier this year without him. If Bynum plays to his potential, the Lakers are contenders without him.

If Gasol balances his finesse game and play more physical..... I would take Pau over Bynum anyday.

[EllisGW]

He is good, but he is overrated by many people.

Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Al Jefferson, Chris Kaman, Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki are all better players than Pau Gasol. This isn't an insult people. Gasol is still a great player.


chris kaman

c'mon son

[AirJordan&Magic]

Gasol is rated correctly by sensible basketball fans who appreciate the game for what it is......the only people that overrate him are clowns with agendas to diminish Kobe...it can go both ways as well...there are Kobe homers who underrate him.

[Samurai Swoosh]

Gasol is rated correctly by sensible basketball fans who appreciate the game for what it is......the only people that overrate him are clowns with agendas to diminish Kobe...it can go both ways as well...there are Kobe homers who underrate him.
:pimp:

Perspective

Gasol is what he is ... an outstanding ball player.

Terrificly skilled in multiple phases of the game. Post moves, passing, court vision, help defense, rebounding.

With that said he isn't what Kobe detractors want to make him out to be. He's a natural number 2 option to a superior player. He does at times lack heart, and aggressiveness. He does seem in many instances soft. He isn't the best PF in the league, nor has he ever been.

[JustinJDW]

I think its hilariously ironic that there is a new thread titled "Why isn't Pau Gasol a MVP Candidate?" Then this thread is saying he isn't overhyped.

[ILLsmak]

Watch any Lakers game and you'll see Gasol making hook shots with both hands, making an excellent passes, blocking shots, playing pretty solid post defense, hitting mid-range jumper, making his free throws, running the floor, keeping the ball high and as a result, rarely turning the ball over. He does so without hogging the ball or playing selfishly and he's very consistent. He's also versatile enough to play Power Forward or Center at an all-star level which is extremely valuable when you consider that the Lakers have both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. He's one of the most skilled players you'll ever see at 7'1". He rarely makes mistakes and the one flaw he had(lack of toughness) seems to have gone away.

In 2003-2004(his third season), he took a Grizzlies team of James Posey, Bonzi Wells(who missed 23 games), Mike Miller(who missed 17 games), Jason Williams(who missed 10 games), Stromile Swift and a young Shane Battier to 50 wins. And that was in a tough Western Conference. I'm not insulting those players because Posey, Wells, Miller, Williams and Battier were solid role players, but considering he had no second option and no other players on his team who averaged 14 ppg or 7 rpg, that's very impressive, especially since the core missed a lot of games.

In 2005-2006, Gasol led a Grizzlies consisting of Mike Miller, Shane Battier, a 34 year old 40% shooting Eddie Jones, 32 year old 38% shooting Bobby Jackson, and Lorenzen Wright(5.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) to 49 wins. He didn't have a consistent starting point guard as Damon Stoudamire played (and started) 27 games there(and shot under 40%), Chucky Atkins played 43 games(39 of them were starts) and he shot just 40%. Bobby Jackson was the other point guard to receive

Granted, Battier is one of the league's best role players and defenders and Miller was the sixth man of the year, but where else was his help? Whoever was his point guard at the time had a mediocre shooting % and a mediocre number of assists. Did he really have a true second option? The Grizzlies second leading scorer averaged 13.7 ppg. Their second leading rebounder averaged 5.4 per game.

Gasol led the team with 20.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 1.9 bpg. Plus not including Damon Stoudamire's 4.7 apg over 27 games, Gasol led the team with 4.6 apg and no player who qualified for the league leaders in FG% had a better shooting % than Gasol(50.4%). Talk about carrying a team. We all know that averaged 20/9/2 is impressive, but a 7'1" PF/C averaging nearly 5 assists per game?

People complain about not winning a playoff game with Memphis, but look at the 3 teams he faced. In his first playoff appearance they faced the much more talented defending champion Spurs. Memphis getting swept was expected.

In 2005, Memphis faced the extremely talented 62 win Suns team with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion all in their prime along with an emerging Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson in one of his better years.

In 2006, Memphis faced another 60 win team, a Mavs team who would beat the defending champion 63 win Spurs and beat Phoenix.

You couldn't expect Memphis to do much in those series.

Now look at the Lakers. Post Shaq they had seasons with 34, 45 and 42 wins, just 2 playoff appearances and no series victories. In the 2007-2008 season, the Lakers were 22-4 with Gasol and 35-23 without him. He became incredibly efficient as a second option averaging 19.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.6 bpg on 59% shooting with just 1.7 turnovers per game not including a game that he left after 2 and a half minutes. Gasol turned the Lakers into a title contender overnight despite the loss of the emerging Bynum and the injury to Trevor Ariza leaving the Lakers with basically the same team as the two previous years(when they were a 42-45 win team) plus Gasol and Fisher. The team also went 12-3 in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, inlcuding an impressive series where they knocked out the defending champion Spurs.

In his first full season with the team, the Lakers won 65 games and a title. Thanks in large part to Gasol's 18.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 56.7 FG% and 1.9 turnovers per game. In the playoffs, Gasol averaged 18/11 on 58% shooting with just 1.9 turnovers per game.

This season, the Lakers are 19-3 with Gasol and 8-4 without him. The Lakers are 105-24 in the regular season with Gasol and 30-14 in the playoffs with 2 finals appearances and a championship.

Gasol's stats don't necessarily jump out at you, but watch him play and look at the W/L record and you'll see he's a phenomenal player who deserves all of the praise that he's finally getting with the Lakers.

I don't know if I buy it. He is a good player, an all star, but he's not the first option you make him out to be. He is not the type of player you can give the ball to and he will score. He is a player that plays off of other players. That's why he fits so perfectly with Kobe because he knows his offensive role. He rarely attacks the basket hard, something that is almost always good especially on a team with the athletes that the Lakers have.

You talk about his 'leading' the Grizzlies, but they were more of a defensive team. Just because he had the highest ppg doesn't necessarily mean he was their leader. They had a lot of shooters and guys that could break down the defense (even if they didn't make the shot in the end.) That was a good TEAM. If you look at how balanced the scoring was...

Lemme put it this way: Gasol is a great player and a huge pick up for the Lakers. He is the perfect fit. Saying he is one of the best at his position doesn't work for me because there are guys that actually have to go out there and work for their shots and have defensive schemes designed to stop them.

-Smak

[Eldrunko247]

SMH.

Gasol is our second option of course he is important to this team but some of you guys statements are flat out idiotic.
2-0 without him :no:

[Yuki Nagato]

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4100/cmcapture1lz.jpg

[Narf]

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4100/cmcapture1lz.jpg
:oldlol: :applause:

[Rambis]

Okay, I think I got it wrong. It was "Kobe finally won without a dominant big". My point being, like you just said, no one can win it alone. It also appears Kobe did need a dominant big like the other you mentioned.

Jordan didn't have that, but people underrate how good Pippen was.

The Lakers championship was a team deal.

Yeah, Pippen took a Jordanless Bulls pretty far by himself... I'd say he's underrated.

Those Bulls teams had two of the best defensive superstars (superstars who could actually play defense and did so regularly) in the history of the game.

Kobe could win a championship wih that Pippen pretty easily IMO.

Anyway, wasn't this thread about Gasol? To me, it's clear. He does not have the Big Dog mentality. If he did he'd still be in Memphis.

IMO, the problem comes from trying to integrate Bynum into the offense. Kobe and Gasol make a great 2 man game/pick and roll threat. But having someone clogging up the middle during that is no good. If this was Utah, they'd be doing that every play.

I honestly don't know how Bynum fits into this offense, and I see echoes of the Shaq/Kobe battles there. Two people who never fit well togeher on the court.

[Swaggin916]

Yeah, Pippen took a Jordanless Bulls pretty far by himself... I'd say he's underrated.

Those Bulls teams had two of the best defensive superstars (superstars who could actually play defense and did so regularly) in the history of the game.

Kobe could win a championship wih that Pippen pretty easily IMO.

Anyway, wasn't this thread about Gasol? To me, it's clear. He does not have the Big Dog mentality. If he did he'd still be in Memphis.

IMO, the problem comes from trying to integrate Bynum into the offense. Kobe and Gasol make a great 2 man game/pick and roll threat. But having someone clogging up the middle during that is no good. If this was Utah, they'd be doing that every play.

I honestly don't know how Bynum fits into this offense, and I see echoes of the Shaq/Kobe battles there. Two people who never fit well togeher on the court.

That was about personality... Bynum doesn't have the kind of larger than life personality that Shaq does. When he doesn't get touches he just get's lazy. IT's sort of a passive agressive thing but I don't know if he does it conciously or not.

[ShaqAttack3234]

He is good, but he is overrated by many people.

Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Al Jefferson, Chris Kaman, Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki are all better players than Pau Gasol. This isn't an insult people. Gasol is still a great player.

No way Kaman, Jefferson and Garnett are better. I'd take Gasol over Bosh as well.

[Anton Chigurh]

21 points 19 rebounds 8 assists and 5 blocks

[ShaqAttack3234]

21 points 19 rebounds 8 assists and 5 blocks

Exactly, that's a hell of a line. He constantly set up cutters for easy lay ups, it looked like vintage footage of Walton in Portland. He stayed on his feet and blocked everything in sight and dominated the boards.