LAL1947 wrote:IMHO, Gasol was an intelligent but flawed player. He was only effective as our #2 because Kobe's scoring covered for his flaws offensively... and Odom/Artest/Bynum covered his flaws defensively. Once Kobe and Odom started regressing physically from 2010 onward, we had no chance of covering those flaws. Got swept 0-4 by Dallas if I remember right.
The diminishing language you use with Pau is kinda sad.
Stepping aside from the "top 50" aspect for a second, Pau was a PHENOMENAL second option and that was due to his skill set and his fit in the Lakers' system and that role. They took advantage of his passing and had him operating with space in the right spots, and he did very well as a result. You managed to look at most everyone else who played significant minutes and hand them credit for what Pau did, which is a little ridiculous. Then, you start looking at him from 2010 onward with no mention of Pau's physical issues or his maintenance of his basic production profile, and call that bad somehow.
They were a 57-win team during the 2011 regular season. They beat the Hornets in the first round. Then yes, they got swept by Dallas. They couldn't hit a three to save their lives, Kobe was quite tepid and yes, Pau had a bad series. A year later, they were a 51-win team by winning percentage (lockout season, though) and won their first series. Lost in 5 to the Thunder, who would eventually exit the West that year. Durant torched them. Pau played well. Kobe shot quite a lot, though the rest of the team wasn't exactly stepping up with scoring value around him, and again, the team failed to space the floor effectively. Bynum was trash, and running him alongside Pau was not effective. Odom was gone by this point and that was a significant loss. A year later, they won 45 games, swept in the first round by the WC champion Spurs without Kobe in the lineup and no one really expected anything differently... particularly with a 32 year-old Pau who played less than 50 games in the RS.
Give the man his credit. He was a very good player for the Lakers. His arrival IMMEDIATELY coincided with a major improvement in their team's success which lasted for several years and for whatever reason, it isn't acceptable for Kobe fans to acknowledge that he had some help during that time. As if that somehow undermines the achievement of the title runs in some way (spoilers: it does not). Pau was fantastic for L.A. Not a perfect player by any means, but what such player exists? He made a gargantuan impact on their ability win for several years and then age and injury and the eroding roster quality around him and Kobe took it all apart. That happens. It's sad, but like Pippen in Houston or Portland, it is what it is. It happens to everyone.
Anyway, I won't comment on the guys I haven't seen play myself (Heinsohn, Lucas, Hayes). However, if we were making teams to play against each other, I'll let you take prime Pau on your team... and I'll take prime McHale, Webber, Chris Bosh or Anthony Davis on my team.
McHale and BOsh are interesting choices. Viable, though. Davis, if healthy, is definitely a better player.
Webber was not, no matter how much inefficient scoring he did in bulk for the Kings.
