Pau Gasol Feels He Has Nothing to Prove After Playoff Meltdown

Pau Gasol briefly addressed his (and the Lakers’) shortcomings in the 2011 NBA Playoffs, and feels that it was just one of those years when everything went wrong. But there’s no reason to freak out. From the LA Times: “In the playoffs last spring Gasol and the Lakers were run ragged by Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers power forward was also besieged by unsubstantiated rumors of a rift with his girlfriend, and was the subject of finger-pointing by fans disappointed with his play, and a jab to the chest by coach Phil Jackson during the Western Conference semifinal sweep. ‘I do not think there’s anything to prove on my side,’ Gasol said via email when asked if he was eager to put the Lakers’ postseason behind him. ‘Last season we didn’t perform during the playoffs as we were supposed to. . . . You cannot win every year; there are a lot of very good teams in the league.’”

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http://slamonline.com LakeShow

He was talking to me with the Smug/Arrogance stuff Alekesam lol…
http://www.ballislife.com/profiles/blogs/kobetop10moments nbk

You realy think the smug arrogance comment was directed at you? You think i read your comment and typed that whole comment in under 2 minutes? Please try and pay attention. And you jumping in halfway through makes your ability to comprehend the conversation pretty minimal. I know damn well the Lakers would not win anything without Kobe, I also know damn well Kobe wouldnt win anything without Pau or Bynum. And your comment supplied nothing, which is why my (actual) response at 3:15 says what it says.
http://www.ballislife.com/profiles/blogs/kobetop10moments nbk

Lakeshow I feel Gasol should have been finals MVP is because he was the best player in wins. I dont care how good Kobe was in a losing effort. Only once ever has a guy gotten finals MvP while losing the series, so I dont see why a guy shouls get credit for games his teams lose. Other then that I totally get why Kobe got the award.
Alekesam

LakeShow: Thanks. I try to be fair and balanced and realize that even my favorites can’t walk on water. lol. Yeah, I don’t get the deifying of players and/or diminishing the players at the expense of others either. It’s one thing to have a player that’s ridiculously skilled, it’s far and away another thing when it’s gets to “X player never performed horribly in the playoffs, x player was this and that and never would’ve let his team lose, x player would’ve won/has won without y player because he was on God mode the whole time”…lol.
http://therurbangriot.com The NUPE

It’s funny how people try to give/take away credit from great players on a team sport, but giving or taking away credit from the teammates. Shaq, Pau, Bynum, LO all benefit(ed) from Kobe being on the court. Kobe also benefited from his bigs. Shaq was by far the most dominant of all the guys mentioned and his presence on the court alone was the primary focus of all defenses and therefore made Kobe’s job a lot easier. Pau/Bynum/Lo combined don’t add up to Shaq’s presence which allows teams to focus more on Kobe than they were able to previously with Shaq on the floor, but because they focused on Kobe more it opened up the game for Pau/Bynum to do more. IMO, only two players have ever single-handedly took a team to the finals by themselves. That’s AI and LeBron. Neither of these guys had any supporting cast to take any pressure off of them. It would be interesting to see what would have happened to the lakers without Kobe but + AI/LBJ. Maybe they would have won the championship or went further in the playoffs – maybe not. But bottom line, Kobe deserves a lot of credit for being the best player on the best team during the last two lakers championships. To say he didn’t help or get help from his teammates is just not true. To state he’s the greatest of all time, isn’t prudent/proven but there are arguments to make.
http://slamonline.com LakeShow

For the entirety of the series KB did more for his team than anyone else on either team. IMO it’s a tie for Finals MVP for them. I know your not allowed to do that, by why not if they were both equally important. KB scored 10 ppg more than Pau. And you know how highly scoring is regarded in the NBA so I see why they gave it to Kobe. He did it on 7% less efficiency then Pau, but was obviously more aggressive. I prefer the player who is trying the hardest to win to get the indivisual accolades. I would not have been upset if Pau got the Finals MVP, but I did feel that Kobe deserved it more. He wanted it more. Kobe was great on D in the series and Pau was just ‘okay’. I think Kobe played a larger part in making the Lakers win the series than Pau. Slightly.
http://slamonline.com LakeShow

LOL, same Alekesam, I don’t say that Magic doesn’t deserve rings because of KAJ being on his team or try to discount Mike, or say Bird needed all those All Stars. No they were all great legends lets give them the credit they are due.
Alekesam

ALso, there should be one MVP award, or if there’s going to be two then make the decision later in the season, maybe award it in between the conference finals and finals. There’s been far too many times a MVP award is given only to have that player be booted out of the second round (Rose, Lebron, Nash, Kobe).

There should be one MVP award and the post season should count and have it awarded when they normally would award the Finals MVP award.

nbk: First of all, I could type that comment in two minutes. But I’ll man up and admit I was wrong. I saw the comment under mine so I thought it was directed at me. My bad. lol.

Second of all, there’s no such thing as “jumping into a conversation” on an OPEN FORUM. And despite what you say, I did read a good chunk of the previous posts to get a feel for what everyone’s talking about. That’s why my post was exactly on point. Jus’ sayin.
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

YAWN!!
I don’t know what it is about Lakers posts, but they always make for some boring comments and debates. lol
Y’all carry on, though.
Alekesam

LakeShow: Yeah, that’s a percentage of my determining factor on a players ability, far higher than stats. I give a lot of love to players who are aggressive and want to win badly. Some players have ridiculous stats but don’t have that fire to win it all. I like those players that’s just going to try anything they can to pull out the W. So the Kobe edging out Gasol slightly for the Finals MVP award makes a lot of sense in that context.
http://slamonline.com LakeShow

Enig, shut up, your always bored when it ain’t about Chi Town or Rap lol. JP buddee. I’m down for some D-Rose debating! I side with you on most of that though. So not allot sparks will fly when we both agree DR is the 2nd best player playing the PG position.
http://slamonline.com nbk

I feel you about the finals MVP thing Lakeshow. And i’m not saying Kobe isn’t an all-time great, top 15 ever player, just that he is overrated, and I knew I’d be entertained by saying it. — And Alekesam, jumping into a conversation is jumping into a conversation, I don’t care that you did, but you did. If I was talking to Lakeshow in public, at the Zoo and you walked by and started talking it would be the same thing. — And your point was, correct me if I’m wrong, Jordan had someone guarding bigs just like Kobe has had in LA, and nobody wins on their own right? And yes you could respond in 2 minutes, if your pressing reload every second to see the latest comment, but i’m not doing that, and I highly doubt anyone else is either.
http://slamonline.com Allenp

I would add Hakeem the year he first one a championship and Jason Kidd when he had Kenyon and Jefferson. LeBron had less talent than everybody, Hakeem and Iverson were tired, then Kidd.
Rainman

@ nbk, i agreed with some of wehat u said, right about till u said the Suns wouldnt make the playoffs. Dont get the Suns fan going son!
http://slamonline.com nbk

And Alekesam the reason that I said your comment didn’t add anything is because you totally missed the concept of what Protecting the rim means, or you clearly don’t understand the reason the Bulls defense was the best around at the time, because the defenses are polar opposites. And we all know nobody wins anything on their own
http://slamonline.com nbk

Rainman, I live in Phoenix homie, we ain’t making the playoffs as currently constructed…sorry my dood
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Naw, seriosuly Lake, I don’t know what it is, but Lakers posts only get interesting when like, a LeBron jock-rider shows up and says “F the Lakers!” or something like that.
lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M88NkqIvdc4 nbk

click my name. — appreciate the dream shake – nba2k12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M88NkqIvdc4 nbk

oh and they absolutely nailed Derrick Rose’s jumper. nailed it
http://www.acb.com A l a n

Pau dropped 29 today at the first game of the Eurobasket and looks smooth. Even a 3 pointer. Next season he will be ready, Kobe and World Peace too.
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Damnit. Can’t watch YouTube at work.
When are they gonna have the damn demo available for download???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M88NkqIvdc4 nbk

2k releases their demo a week before the game usually
http://slamonline.com LakeShow

Dam, NBK, game looks off the charts good. They have some of those moves nailed to a T. Can’t wait to cop it. A L A N, Yes ma man, Lakers will be back to show all the doubters! I hope Peace drops a few LBS. Kobe’s surgery should have him steady to last year or a little better. Pau won’t have a gaping, hairy, disgusting vag. Hopefully we get a PG or Steve Blake shows up this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M88NkqIvdc4 nbk

sh*ts gonna be hard. I just wish they woulda found a way to get Charles in the game, even though he was demanding MJ, Magic and Larry treatment.

– But I can’t wait for a few things
-The Signature move-set of
Isiah Thomas
Tim Hardaway
Pete Maravich
Hakeem Olajuwan
Penny Hardaway

-And Contract negotiations and all the other stuff they added to myplayer
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

I’ma put Hakeem on a current squad, any squad really, just so he can Dream Shake the hell outta these wack centers the league is permeated with nowadays.
Imagine Dwight trying to guard Hakeem in his prime? LOL the league might demand those DPOYs back from D12 after watching that exchange.
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

The funniest statement of the entire thread has to be “the reason Pau and Shaq were able to be so effective is because of Kobe”. ¿Qué
PGasol, you know the same guy that shot 52% as a rookie and Shaq, the same guy that shot 60% (yes, your eyes aren’t fooling you) in his second season.
Don’t mind me though, carry on with yet another useless “Kobe/Shaq” debate.
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

You hear that, Lake?
JTaylor said “F the Lakers!”
Ha!
Sorry, y’all, I’m in instigator mode right now…
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

Enimagtic, what I meant to say was “F the Bull-sh*t” *wink* *wink*
Alekesam

nbk: Except being online isn’t the same as being in the park, street wherever. Yeah if I walked up on you and someone else talking anywhere, then yeah, it’s like WTF am I doing there. But since you’re on a message board that you don’t own, that means I can say/contribute whatever I want to say in regards to whats being talked about. If you’re bothered by my input/opinion then go somewhere else where you can dictate who and who doesn’t talk.
http://slamonline.com LakeShow

Children, children! knock it off. JTaylor I know you are a umm… a disliker of kobe and all, but heres what that obviously means. If Smush Parker and Anothony Parker are in the back court for a team with Shaq or Pau on the post, do you think that they (Shaq/Pau) will be more successful with that back court or less successfull? Does 1+1=2? Is Mj as effective with out Rodman and Pippen? Is Kareem w/o Magic? Is the earth round?
http://slamonline.com LakeShow

**Enigmatic the Unfuc`kwitable Instigator**
http://slamonline.com nbk

You can say whatever you want, and I don’t care that you commented. But you jumped in a conversation (conversation have nothing to do with where they take place, its a not very nice adjective to describe you assuming conversations can’t take place in a public forum on the internet) and said something that showed that you clearly didn’t understand the conversation or subjects of the conversation. If your bothered by my criticism of your comment and inability to grasp the concept of a conversation then go say something on a children’s website where your lack of reading comprehension is more likely to be accepted.
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Nah, you ain’t dragging me into this, JTaylor.
This is between Kobe lovers and LeBron lovers….
http://slamonline.com nbk

whoa whoa matic, I love no-one, and I started this thing.
Alekesam

You cared enough to comment on it so please, before you break your back from all the flip flopping you’re doing, just drop it. And no, I’m not bothered by your criticism of my comment as it’s your opinion. But I did want to set the record straight that what I did wasn’t jumping in because you don’t own this thread. Because that is what you’re saying…that you two were talking and since it was you two, I shouldn’t say anything, which again, is ridiculous. You want a private conversation, PM somebody or take it elsewhere. Otherwise, I can comment just as well as anyone else. I already acknowledged I was wrong about the smug/arrogance comment so if that’s what you’re talking about, grow up. Otherwise, no one else seemed to think I misunderstood the conversation except you. So again, let’s just move and be grown ups. If you bring this up again, it’ll just prove you’re being childish. Just walk away.
http://www.kb24.com The Seed

Pau Gasol better step up this year and not punk out again. I still say trade Pau or Bynum for Howard or work out a trade with Timberwolves. Give Pau and a 1st round pick for Kevin Love or Lakers trade back for his brother Marc. Pau is so overrated, he is on my Lakers, but I hate his game. BOOK IT!!!
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Soop, you’re just beefing for the love of beefing at this point, aren’t you? Ha
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Soop – I was referring to the JTaylor/LakeShow mini-exchange.
Geez, why don’t you go log onto Nickjr.com and comment on their message boards, where your lack of reading comprehension will be better suited?
Ha, nah, I’m just f*cking with you, fam.
http://slamonline.com nbk

Yes I am matic. Except with this Alekesam person, who can’t f*cking read. Dood I don’t give a F*CK that you responded. You can say something to every comment I ever comment on here, but I’m not going to act like what you say is intelligent, or relevant. When it isn’t i’ll let you know, Just like I did. And I tried to be polite about it, with my 3:15 comment letting you know, but when you keep going on and on I’ma keep letting you know your an idiot. So once again, I do not care that you jumped into the conversation, I don’t care that you can’t read very well, and I don’t care that I had to let you know that your can’t read very well, doesn’t matter to me if you keep going on and on or drop from this website for the rest of the internet. Understand?
http://slamonline.com nbk

I knew what you were really referring too, just as the person who was initially in the argument with the afformentioned “Kobe Lover” I felt included in your generalization and also I am bored as phuck….
http://www.kb24.com The Seed

Kobe will go down as being a top 7 or higher player when is career is over. Magic has said it and others. Kobe is the second best 2 guard ever and will be top 5 in All Time scoring, #1 in All Time Playoff scoring, already is all time Laker scorer, has 5 rings, 1 MVP, 2 Finals MVP and is the second greastest offensive scorer ever in the NBA behind Wilt. Kobe has had a string of 50 point games, outscored a team in 3 qtrs, scored 81 points and has a cool nick name Black Mamba. All the Haters saying Kobe is overrated, should say the same thing about every player ever. I can nitpick who MJ, Bird, Magic, Kareem, Bill Russell played with. Kobe is gunning for 6 rings and will get it. So then Haters will try a way to act like he is Vince Carter or Tracy McGrady. Its a reason Kobe has outlasted every player compared to him. BOOK IT!!!
Alekesam

I hope Gasol doesn’t pull a repeat of last year too. It’d be best for the Lakers to just trade him out of here. I’d prefer to keep Bynum over Gasol (so long as he can stay healthy) simply because he won’t fold like Gasol does. Now that it’s out that people can punk Pau, they’re just going to keep coming at him and I can’t see Pau manning up when things get tough. He already doesn’t think he needs to prove anything from last year so if that’s really what’s in his head, then he needs to go.
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

What was that, Seed?
All I understood was “Kobe…*SLURP!*…..greatest….*SLURP!*……guard….*SLURP!*……BOOK IT!!!…..*GULP*!”
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

Lakeshow, you said nothing about Shaq/Gasol being successful with Kobe. What you said was “The reason Pau and Shaq were able to be so effective is because of Kobe”, which implies that Kobe is the only reason why Shaq/Gasol put up efficient seasons. Shaq would’ve dominated even with Harold Minor as his backcourt mate and I’m pretty sure that Gasol won ROY and led the grizz to the playoffs without Kobe.
So how bout coming up with some actual facts instead of falling back on the same ole “you’re a kobe hater” excuse.
Alekesam

Then why didn’t Shaq get a ring in Orlando when he had Penny? He also didn’t get one with Lebron. He got one with Wade but it’s pretty clear the Heat got that one on Wade’s back, with some help from Shaq and Mourning. Kobe didn’t make Shaq more dominating but it did make it easier for Shaq to do his thing, which is what I think he meant.
http://www.kb24.com The Seed

Enigmatic
My fault some cats acting like Kobe has not earned his place in the top 10 or higher of NBA players all time. To act like Kobe has done nothing is ludicrous. Name any other player in History who won titles on a team, went through a rebuilding stage for some years then went on to start another dynasty again with the same team. SLURP again MY fault. BOOK IT!!
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Then why didn’t Shaq get a ring in Orlando when he had Penny?
Cause of this dude name Hakeem Olajuwan. And this other dude named Michael Jordan.
http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

Seed – Kobe’s the sh*t. He’s top 10 all-time, no doubt.
But yo, ease up on the Kobe love, man.
And really, think about what you typed.
You’re going on about how great Kobe is and then admit that dude played on some wack teams with bad records.
LeBron had some horrible teammates in Cleveland but there was no rebuilding until after he left.
And I don’t even take sides in the never-ending Kobe/LeBron stans’ struggle for world domination, but Team Kobe would have to take an L on that front…
http://slamonline.com LakeShow

Enig, theres a few times in my life i have laughed from a online post and I let out a belly laugh when I read that. Keep em coming until “I have mental disabilities and love to show it off to the world BOOK IT leaves forever. JTay, Hey you said it not me. I said disliker of Kobe. lol. Yes most effective meaning they were able to take their teams much further because of having such a good running mate. They could not have won and would not have been as effective with a lesser player on their side. FACT.
Alekesam

But he can dominate. Surely no one would be able to stop Shaq? Unless he needed more help than Harold Minor…

Pau Gasol Feels He Has Nothing to Prove After Playoff Meltdown

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