Phil Jackson Also Wants a More Aggressive Pau Gasol

It’s not just Kobe Bryant asking Gasol to be The Black Swan, Phil Jackson is also demanding it. Jackson, though, knows Pau can only be aggressive to a certain point. From the Dailly News: “Phil Jackson revealed Sunday that Kobe Bryant isn’t the only one who has had conversations with Pau Gasol about being more aggressive, about demanding the ball from his teammates, about chasing rebounds and securing them. What’s Gasol’s response? Jackson, the Lakers’ Hall of Fame coach, shrugged and made a face that looked like one the 7-foot Spaniard might make when confronted about being too passive. Jackson had a couple of reporters and team staffers laughing after practice. ‘Pau knows who he is,’ Jackson said. ‘He’s tenacious. I like him to be aggressive offensively. He’s always a willing passer. The one thing I’m on him about is getting that first rebound. Don’t let them knock it out of your hands. Don’t let them knock it away. Otherwise, all this talk about how aggressive he is or how aggressive he isn’t falls on deaf ears. He totally gets it. He is who he is. We’re not going to make him into (Boston’s Kevin) Garnett. He’s not going to go around and punch guys in the (groin). He’s too nice of a guy. This is an intelligent person who understands what this game is about. We’ve been to the Finals three years in a row, so that’s part of it.'”