Im Still Ballin
02-12-2022, 03:19 PM
I was looking back at some old ISH threads from 2008/2009/2010 and there were legitimate threads discussing whether Pau or Kobe was the MVP of the team. Here's one thread in question
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?112670-Is-Pau-Gasol-the-true-MVP-of-the-Lakers-right-now
Kobe Bryant 24/5/4 on 46% shooting
Pau Gasol 18/9/3 on 57% shooting!
Pau stats would probably be much higher if they fed him more when he was hot and made more set plays for him. More importantly he has taken very few games off while Kobe has completely lost his shot lately and has been torched defensively. Pau has been like a rock for the Lakers and Bynum too for that matter after about the first 10 adjustment games coming off the injury. Kobe has been superstar brilliant in a lot, if not most games but he has lost the consistency you would expect from a 30 year old veteran. Am I wrong in thinking that right now Pau is playing like the Laker's MVP and he needs to get more touches, unless it's one of the games that Kobe has displayed that he has found his shot for that game?
Some of the comments in response to that thread included:
He was awesome last night. It's close. And too think that Pau's touches are severely limited due to Bynum's presence. Which also keeps Pau having to play farther away from the basket. He is much better low down on the block, even though he can hit the mid range jumper.
I think so. Its amazing to me all i see here are kobe this and kobe that, and very few of you give Gasol respect. Even Bynum gets more hype here than Gasol, when Gasol is so high% and consistent for you guys game to game. I swear if you all lost Gasol you'd be way less of a threat, than just losing Bynum, and i'd even go as far to say Kobe to a degree.
Even non Laker fans here hate on Gasol for some reason. But every time i watch them Gasol is just such a low post threat with his longness defensively, offensively by just standing there, and is always shooting high% with limited shots. Meanwhile Kobe will go like 5 - 14 or something and be the talk of the board :ohwell:
Gasol could do more offensively at a higher % if focused on than Kobe imo. He gets way better shots in general, and everything he misses tends to bounce around the top of the rim and fall off, but those short little hooks right in front of the basket i'd take most of the time over anyone's jumpers including Kobe, unless he's feeling it. Not saying he's better than Kobe but i swear he's not that far behind, and gets little to no respect because people ride Kobe and Bynum's nuts so hard here :hammerhead:
Pau has been the best Laker this year easily. He has been the most consistent player in both their wins and losses. As of today, yes he is the Lakers MVP. Granted having the threat of Kobe on the floor helps Gasol and everyone, but Gasol has been phenomenal. His jumper is dropping and he is abusing guys in the post. Rebounding extremely wel and running the floor well.
Not concerned with Kobe's slow start though. He hasnt been exerting a ton of energy, so i am hoping he can be fresh the 2nd half of the season. I do believe he will turn it up next year and will once again become the Lakers MVP. But as of now, hands down Gasol has been the best Laker
I posted something like this in another thread a week or so before. Who's the MVP/better player aside, I'd say a Pau injury would hurt the Lakers more than a Kobe one.
Opinions?
I have no problem with anyone saying Pau has been the Lakers MVP.
Pau- 18.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.9 bpg, 57.1 FG%, 77.6 FT%, 12.0 FGA, 34.9 mpg
Kobe- 24.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.5 spg, 45.8 FG%, 27.7 3P%, 87.6 FT%, 19.2 FGA, 34.0 mpg
I believe that Kobe is their best player but Pau has arguably been more valuable this year.
Pau's only competition right now for the title of best low post player is Tim Duncan. Pau is the best passing big man in the league. He's extremely unselfish and he's very efficient. He's also an excellent rebounder and one of the best shooting 7 footers in the NBA.
The only problem I have with Pau being in the discussion for league MVP is that he's not even the first option on his team. He needs WAY more than 12 shots per game though.
Pau is currently playing like the best player on the Lakers.
Of course Pau is team MVP. If it wasnt for the attention he drew from the defense with the double and triple teaming, Kobe wouldn't be able to just catch and finish and work with the single coverage he sees as a result. If it wasnt for Gasols presence opening up the lane I doubt Kobe could get more than 25ppg. Its easy to score when the entire defense of the other team is planned around Pau.
And even still Kobe only shoots 48% this season with single coverage and the lane wide open from Gasol's presence, while Pau is shooting 57% being the entire focus of the defense with double and triple teams. AND still creating a lot of Kobe's shots for him, along with the rest of team.
Add in Gasol finishing the games for us, taking the clutch shots, etc. and its a no-brainer.
I could keep going, but you get the point. This is obviously just one snapshot in time, but I do feel we somewhat underrate how good he was in his prime years. I think him falling off hard post-2010 in LA had a lot to do with that. From 2008 to 2010, he was an amazing talent. He could get you 20 and 10, block 2 shots, shoot 55% FG and 78-79% FT.
I think this thread is to remind us that there were legitimately moments when people were questioning who was the best player on that team. That's how good Pau was.
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?112670-Is-Pau-Gasol-the-true-MVP-of-the-Lakers-right-now
Kobe Bryant 24/5/4 on 46% shooting
Pau Gasol 18/9/3 on 57% shooting!
Pau stats would probably be much higher if they fed him more when he was hot and made more set plays for him. More importantly he has taken very few games off while Kobe has completely lost his shot lately and has been torched defensively. Pau has been like a rock for the Lakers and Bynum too for that matter after about the first 10 adjustment games coming off the injury. Kobe has been superstar brilliant in a lot, if not most games but he has lost the consistency you would expect from a 30 year old veteran. Am I wrong in thinking that right now Pau is playing like the Laker's MVP and he needs to get more touches, unless it's one of the games that Kobe has displayed that he has found his shot for that game?
Some of the comments in response to that thread included:
He was awesome last night. It's close. And too think that Pau's touches are severely limited due to Bynum's presence. Which also keeps Pau having to play farther away from the basket. He is much better low down on the block, even though he can hit the mid range jumper.
I think so. Its amazing to me all i see here are kobe this and kobe that, and very few of you give Gasol respect. Even Bynum gets more hype here than Gasol, when Gasol is so high% and consistent for you guys game to game. I swear if you all lost Gasol you'd be way less of a threat, than just losing Bynum, and i'd even go as far to say Kobe to a degree.
Even non Laker fans here hate on Gasol for some reason. But every time i watch them Gasol is just such a low post threat with his longness defensively, offensively by just standing there, and is always shooting high% with limited shots. Meanwhile Kobe will go like 5 - 14 or something and be the talk of the board :ohwell:
Gasol could do more offensively at a higher % if focused on than Kobe imo. He gets way better shots in general, and everything he misses tends to bounce around the top of the rim and fall off, but those short little hooks right in front of the basket i'd take most of the time over anyone's jumpers including Kobe, unless he's feeling it. Not saying he's better than Kobe but i swear he's not that far behind, and gets little to no respect because people ride Kobe and Bynum's nuts so hard here :hammerhead:
Pau has been the best Laker this year easily. He has been the most consistent player in both their wins and losses. As of today, yes he is the Lakers MVP. Granted having the threat of Kobe on the floor helps Gasol and everyone, but Gasol has been phenomenal. His jumper is dropping and he is abusing guys in the post. Rebounding extremely wel and running the floor well.
Not concerned with Kobe's slow start though. He hasnt been exerting a ton of energy, so i am hoping he can be fresh the 2nd half of the season. I do believe he will turn it up next year and will once again become the Lakers MVP. But as of now, hands down Gasol has been the best Laker
I posted something like this in another thread a week or so before. Who's the MVP/better player aside, I'd say a Pau injury would hurt the Lakers more than a Kobe one.
Opinions?
I have no problem with anyone saying Pau has been the Lakers MVP.
Pau- 18.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.9 bpg, 57.1 FG%, 77.6 FT%, 12.0 FGA, 34.9 mpg
Kobe- 24.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.5 spg, 45.8 FG%, 27.7 3P%, 87.6 FT%, 19.2 FGA, 34.0 mpg
I believe that Kobe is their best player but Pau has arguably been more valuable this year.
Pau's only competition right now for the title of best low post player is Tim Duncan. Pau is the best passing big man in the league. He's extremely unselfish and he's very efficient. He's also an excellent rebounder and one of the best shooting 7 footers in the NBA.
The only problem I have with Pau being in the discussion for league MVP is that he's not even the first option on his team. He needs WAY more than 12 shots per game though.
Pau is currently playing like the best player on the Lakers.
Of course Pau is team MVP. If it wasnt for the attention he drew from the defense with the double and triple teaming, Kobe wouldn't be able to just catch and finish and work with the single coverage he sees as a result. If it wasnt for Gasols presence opening up the lane I doubt Kobe could get more than 25ppg. Its easy to score when the entire defense of the other team is planned around Pau.
And even still Kobe only shoots 48% this season with single coverage and the lane wide open from Gasol's presence, while Pau is shooting 57% being the entire focus of the defense with double and triple teams. AND still creating a lot of Kobe's shots for him, along with the rest of team.
Add in Gasol finishing the games for us, taking the clutch shots, etc. and its a no-brainer.
I could keep going, but you get the point. This is obviously just one snapshot in time, but I do feel we somewhat underrate how good he was in his prime years. I think him falling off hard post-2010 in LA had a lot to do with that. From 2008 to 2010, he was an amazing talent. He could get you 20 and 10, block 2 shots, shoot 55% FG and 78-79% FT.
I think this thread is to remind us that there were legitimately moments when people were questioning who was the best player on that team. That's how good Pau was.