RealGM

It's only been two playoff games and a regular season, but is Pau Gasol our best bigman?

In my opinion, part of the reason he is in a funk is because, in his mind, he believes that he isn't as important as he once was. I think the dude really, really needs to feel needed and appreciated.

As Bynum gets more attention and adulation and his star grows, Gasol's seems to be shrinking.

PLEASE NOTE: I believe Gasol is a fantastic player. One of the best bigs in the game.

Just making an observation.

Pau just have a team mind set. If u play physical on him, he would just past the ball out. THe dude doesn't like to force the shot.

Pau just have a team mind set. If u play physical on him, he would just past the ball out. THe dude doesn't like to force the shot, but in the playoff u will have to because everyone is playing physical.

He has a new girlfriend that's causing him to get distracted. What he needs to do is steal Kris Humphries' girl.

look at the bright side, he can't play this bad all throughout the playoffs....right? right!!!!!!

I think he just doesn't like the physical play by Landry. He was playing out of character by taking a 180 turnaround jumpshot from 10 feet out. Just forcing the action without letting it come to him.

Usually Pau has either speed or enough room to shoot a jump-shot over the opposing player. But Landry is guarding him up close while also keeping up on drives every step of the way.

Odom has a much easier time against Landry than Pau.

Here's my thing with Pau... OK, I get that he doesn't like the physical play, but he ends games with like 2 fouls...
To me that means he's basically wilting...

If you think the other guy is playing too physical... Elbow him in the throat. Foul out if you have to...

Not every game, but if you do it once, I'm betting you create a little space to work. I mean, he's Pau Gasol... The refs are going to take notice if he looses it and flattens Landry... Maybe they watch a little closer from here on out.

I can take an early foul-out if he's aggressive... But I can't take him just moping around the floor and only making one Big Man Move a game.

Phil said he needs to "Get low, and do the work." That's basically the problem... He needs to get low and move to his spots with authority.

Also, our Gs need to get the ball to him with authority.

I noticed that almost every time he backs his guy down to his spots, Kobe or Fish or whoever, tosses him a weak pass and he has to come to meet it. He ends up 4-5 feet farther out than he started.

Speaking of "getting low and doing the work," what I find interesting is Pau usually just stands in-front of his man without fighting for a good position under the basket.

He really needs to bang in the paint and not let players like Landry push him 12 feet out.

As far as coming to meet the ball, I think that has to do with the entry passes:

1. Kobe/Fish lob him the ball rather than bounce pass. I'd imagine lobbing creates an opportunity for the defender to deflect the ball if Pau doesn't go to "meet" the ball.
2. Pau needs to use his skills against Landry. I haven't seen his fake-turnaround hooks yet. All I've seen is fadeaways.

It's almost like some Laker fans are trying their hardest to criticize Gasol without using the "s" word ... like it's become a dirty word ... just call a spade a spade!

Calling him soft does not mean you think he sucks; it just means you're observant.

i need confirmation that this guys not hurt/injured

stunnar0b wrote:i need confirmation that this guys not hurt/injured

I don't know how many times I asked myself this question last night.

One game could be a fluke... But after all the press and everything, not showing up seemed like maybe a bigger problem.

stunnar0b wrote:i need confirmation that this guys not hurt/injured

ding, ding, ding, ding,
give this man a beer on the house for having some sense!

stunnar0b wrote:i need confirmation that this guys not hurt/injured

watched the game re-airing, and he just doesn't have the quickness to get around his man right now. aaron freaking gray was beating him to his spot, and all i could think was, man, he's gotta be hurt. its not like he wasn't being aggressive.

It's possible that he MIGHT be hurt, but in reality, ya'll are grasping for straws.

He is clearly not as bad as he's shown in the past couple of games, but he (to me) CLEARLY has a problem between his two ears ... his problem is less physically being hurt and more mentally being self-assured.

Thus, the reason why I started this thread.

Is Gasol struggling because he knows (or thinks) in his mind that he has been passed by Bynum in terms of level of importance in winning another championship?

I say yes.

He has ALWAYS needed external coaxing to get him to play in a dominant fashion.

This situation is no different except NOW, he knows (or thinks) that he isn't as important to the teams success.

I don't see where you are drawing these conclusions of him being jealous of Bynum from. From all the evidence we read, it seems like he's happy for the success that Odom and Bynum are getting off late. He always talked about sharing the load more and even when he demanded touches he often said "We" to represent all the big men on the team rather than "me".

He does need some motivation from time to time but he knows the team's dependence on him with the touches he gets in the post compared to our other big men even when he's having a bad game and the crunch time minutes he gets by default.

If he deserved more assurance Kobe has come out and said that he's the 2nd in line and his responsibility is always there to carry.

that or maybe the soft quotes really got to him and hasnt found his balls yet, even on the defense he doesnt looked confident, there were plays yesterday where andrew had to yell at him at point to the spot where gasol had to be in

dcash4 wrote:

stunnar0b wrote:i need confirmation that this guys not hurt/injured

watched the game re-airing, and he just doesn't have the quickness to get around his man right now. aaron freaking gray was beating him to his spot, and all i could think was, man, he's gotta be hurt. its not like he wasn't being aggressive.

Is it possible that it was actually worse than a bone bruise?

http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/lak ... 92507.html

Its funny when Pau begins the season on a tear.. MANY ppl labeled him as our best or most important player. pleaseeee he's great but he needs to do more than what he's done the last 2 games..and kobe will be the best and more important for at least a couple more years.

ALL HAIL wrote:It's possible that he MIGHT be hurt, but in reality, ya'll are grasping for straws.

He is clearly not as bad as he's shown in the past couple of games, but he (to me) CLEARLY has a problem between his two ears ... his problem is less physically being hurt and more mentally being self-assured.

Thus, the reason why I started this thread.

Is Gasol struggling because he knows (or thinks) in his mind that he has been passed by Bynum in terms of level of importance in winning another championship?

I say yes.

He has ALWAYS needed external coaxing to get him to play in a dominant fashion.

This situation is no different except NOW, he knows (or thinks) that he isn't as important to the teams success.

maybe he just cant find room to operate when him and drew are in together, his weak *** is being pushed around and resorts to long jumpers. i bet he would rather start with Lo to have better ball spacing so he doesnt get smothered going to work down low.

ALL HAIL wrote:It's possible that he MIGHT be hurt, but in reality, ya'll are grasping for straws.

He is clearly not as bad as he's shown in the past couple of games, but he (to me) CLEARLY has a problem between his two ears ... his problem is less physically being hurt and more mentally being self-assured.

Thus, the reason why I started this thread.

Is Gasol struggling because he knows (or thinks) in his mind that he has been passed by Bynum in terms of level of importance in winning another championship?

I say yes.

He has ALWAYS needed external coaxing to get him to play in a dominant fashion.

This situation is no different except NOW, he knows (or thinks) that he isn't as important to the teams success.

who's grasping for straws now?

what is more likely, the possibility that he maybe hurt and it is not public or that somebody as intelligent as Pau Gasol is insecure about his place on the team?

let's face he was always a softy with an occasional flash of his testis, but the fact that he has played extra soft in this past 2 games doesn't mean that he is having an identity crisis.