82 Games with Pau

[supaflash]

A few games ago the announcers were saying how we were something like 64-15 with Gasol in the lineup. If I'm right I think tonight we hit a full 82 with Pau and are 67-15. If someone could verify that that would be cool, if I'm wrong I believe its pretty close to that.

In any case that is extremely impressive. Better then Bostons total from last year and considering how much Bynum and Ariza along with (Walton and Farmar for shorter periods) have missed this is a really good team with Kobe and Pau and Lamar. I hope people are not taking for granted how good this team is right now. I also hope people are not taking for granted how good Pau is and how good he fits.

What kind of realm does that put Pau in? Is he better then KG, Timmy, Dirk, Bosh, Amare, Jefferson, Howard, Yao? I'm not sure exactly. I think it reflects on how good Kobe really is, and on how valuable Lamar and Fish are and how good of a coach Phil is. But I think it also really shows how smart of a player Pau is and how important fit and chemistry is. You could argue many of those guys are better then Pau, but I'm not so sure you could say any of them would have fit better. The biggest steal of getting Pau was not his true talent and value as a player, but the timing of it being the perfect time and situation for him. Would we have won more games with some of those other guys? Less? A ring? Possibly but I'm not sure how much more we could have possibly.

If I had to call it just off speculation I'd say with Tim Duncan, probably at least the same and maybe a ring as well, with KG also a good possibility (as much of a deusche as KG is, can you imagine this team ever quitting on any play with him and Kobe together??) Howard... maybe a few less wins, not sure how he would have translated in the playoffs last year, this year though probably a ring. Bosh... mayyybe. Dirk.... could go either way, he could have been a great fit, maybe a terrible one. Amare... probably not, Jefferson... not sure he would have been enough. Yao... same as Dirk...

Other then Tim and KG I just don't quite see any player having quite that impact for this team. Thats some good company for Pau to be in. I hope we have a healthy wily Spaniard for a while to come! Anyway, just a little random thoughts I was thinking about.

[crazyeights]

Yes Mitch did!

[magic1fan]

pau is better than i thought he was. i also think some of kobe and fish's toughness has rubbed offon him. pau is the perfect compliment to kobe in the triangle. he is a great team player,and he has some of the best skills i have ever seen for a big man.

[Dat Pass]

I was just going to post something similar to that...

The Lakers w/ Gasol in the regular season are now 68-15. (.819)

Thats ridiculous.

It just shows that w/ a legit big, (Gasol or Shaq) Kobe can win with the best of em.

[RJM]

Its much more than that though. Look at our personnel. Our depth is impeccable, and everyone on this team is on the same page (for the most part). We have to factor that in as well.

[miggs]

First and foremost, good post supaflash. i enjoyed it.

Now, i think Duncan and KG may be better players individually but what Pau brings can't be measured through stats but rather by watching his chemistry with his teammates since coming here. He has never struggled in the triangle or at least it hasn't seemed so. I don't think Tim or KG could fit in as wel as Pau in the triangle. Personally, i don't like KG but he's a step higher than Pau i think, a baby step but definitely a bit higher. They have different types of game tho, Pau is more graceful, mid-range shooter, running and not too much post while KG is power and post with the ability to shoot the mid-range jumper.

[MasterRyu]

As much as I agree with Pau being invaluable to the team's recent success, the real test comes in the playoffs. Pau was already clicking with the Lakers in the latter part of last year's season. But he didn't do particularly well in the playoffs, culminating in a horrendous showing in the Finals (complemented by horrendous showings by his teammates as well).I have a very good feeling this year that Pau will force his will on the game in the playoffs, though.

[magic1fan]

i think pau learned from last year's mistakes. hopefully they all learned something. if odom and pau play like they are playing now in the postseason,it's a wrap!

[Anklebreaker702]

Very good topic. Yes we have been amazing since acquiring Gasol. Now we have to top it off with rings.