Friday, July 27th, 2012 at 9:30 am  |  70 responses

Pau Gasol is Stronger, Calls Himself a ‘Beast’


Pau Gasol apparently bulked up over the summer, and he now considers himself a beast of some sort. Per Reuters: “I have been preparing myself and working to get better this summer,’ Gasol said. ‘First for the Olympics and to perform at a high level to be able to achieve our goal, and then when the Olympics are over, take a little break and continue to prepare myself for what’s going to be a very demanding (NBA) season, a season where we (the Lakers) want to get back on top as a team.’ NBA teammate Kobe Bryant took notice after Gasol led Spain with 19 points in an exhibition game defeat to the United States in Barcelona on Tuesday. Bryant said the 7-foot, 32-year-old Gasol looked stronger, absorbing contact and pushing back in an impressive display that boded well for future Lakers’ success. ‘I’m a beast,’ Gasol said. ‘Yeah, I feel pretty good. I feel strong.’”

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  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    Huey, nbk is having a personal issue and is probably too busy to comment right now.

  • LA Huey

    The things that Durant does best does not play into Metta’s strengths. I don’t think KD even notices that MWP’s the dude tryign to check him.

  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    Metta is an adaptable defender. Again, KD’s numbers dip when being guarded by him. Most of his numbers came when that useless Matt Barnes was guarding him

  • LA Huey

    Let’s assume KD’s numbers drop when MWP guards him (because you haven’t provided the stats to back it up), it’s obviously not enough of a difference to stop him from getting his normal numbers.

  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    Per nba.com/advanced stats
    World peace on court= 22.7 PPG 44%FG 4.7 Rebounds 1.7 assists
    World peace on Bench=24.0 PPG 57%FG 6.0 rebounds 3.0 assists
    That was for both careers not the playoff series last year

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    ^That’s exactly what I would expect.
    I’m a big Ron Ron fan. He IS a great defender and always has been.
    BUT.
    What you were initially arguing is that Metta negates Durant. Thus meaning that Metta would hold him to those numbers and match his production on the other end.
    So… NO.
    Metta and Durant do not cancel each other out.

  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    I never said he would match it. What I meant by cancel out is that Metta is better at defense than Durant but Durant is better than Metta at offense.

  • LA Huey

    Why won’t you let me post, SLAM?!

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Yes… but even with Durant being less effective on D, Ron still can’t/won’t “light him up” for whatever number Durant scores.

  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    I never said he would

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Yes. Yes, you did.
    Words don’t lie.
    Here i’ll help ya.
    Black Mamba Posted: Jul.27 at 3:52 pm: Durant MWP= surprisingly they cancel each other out.

  • LA Huey

    Per 36 min, KD averaged 5 fewer points with Metta on the court in the 2012 playoff series than his normal numbers during the regular season. With Metta on court, His FG% was 4 points higher and 3P% remained the same. I’m not sure what if that means Metta slows him down but it’s clear is the Lakers are facked if Metta can’t play. Durant goes Wilt on the Lakers when Metta was on the bench. Per 36 min in 2012 series: 47.4 PPG!!!

  • LA Huey

    However, I’ll be fair. Durant circa 2011 is different from the snot-nosed kid Artest was punking before and 5 games in the playoff is a bit of a small sample size. While KD isn’t scorching MWP, Metta, at best, merely makes Durant work bit more for his usual meal.

  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    @lakeshow I explained what I meant by cancel out
    @LA Huey. I agree the Lakers are facked if Metta can’t stop Durant.

  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    Overall I’m happy with how we match up and am looking forward to an exciting season. And in no way am I saying Metta overall is better than KD. HELL NO. I’m saying that Metta’s defense is better than Durant’s defense. But Durant’s Offense kills Metta’s

  • LA Huey

    You should choose a handle that isn’t an NBA player’s nickname. It can make referring to you kind of weird. Why not try these: “Snake Charmer”, “Cottonmouth”, “Copperhead”, “California Mountain Snake”, or “Sidewinder”.

  • http://Slamonline.com Black Mamba

    All good options. But after going through the whole copyright process with Kobe I think I should stick to this LOL

  • http://slamonline.com Diamondback LakeShow

    I like it.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4FqOUz-Ia4 Ugh

    God forbid somebody in basketball show a little self-effacing humour.

  • melinasuarez#20future.ball.plyr

    im a big lakers fan but pau gasol makes me laugh

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