Friday, November 23rd, 2012 at 1:25 pm  |  129 responses

Kobe Bryant Thinks Pau Gasol is ‘Coasting’ in the Los Angeles Lakers’ Offense


Every season, almost without fail, Kobe Bryant publicly throws teammate Pau Gasol under the bus. Here’s the latest example, as Bryant told the media that Gasol is used to “coasting” in the Laker attack, something that needs to change immediately with new head coach Mike D’Antoni on board. Reports the LA Daily News: “Following the Lakers’ 113-97 loss Tuesday at Sacramento, the team sounded frank on what ailed Pau Gasol after posting only eight points on 3-of-10 shooting and one offensive rebound. ‘Pau is used to laboring up the floor and coasting a little bit,’ Kobe Bryant said. ‘In this offense, we have to put the motor on the first few steps we move up the court.’ That didn’t happen. Kings center DeMarcus Cousins beat Gasol on two consecutive drives in the second quarter. The Lakers forward looked frustrated after defensive breakdowns. And as coach Mike D’Antoni noted afterward, ‘Pau didn’t have his legs’ after logging 37 minutes. Gasol took ownership of his shooting woes, but downplayed how his conditioning could fare in D’Antoni’s fast-paced offense.”

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  • Conor

    Pau is throwing himself under the bus with his play.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Pau is a nice guy to keep taking criticism from a guy who never criticizes himself and also basically throws up a middle finger to anyone who criticizes him.

  • KC

    Did pau cause Kobe’s 7 turnovers too? Always someone else’s fault in Kobe’s world.

  • Redd

    That’s unfair, Dwight didnt do well either, but he won’t call him out huh? Punk move, Kobe getting hit is running through my mind.

  • Dagger

    Even if this was true, you just don’t say this stuff to the press. Kobe’s attitude towards his teammates is what keeps him behind Bird and Magic in my book.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    If D’Antoni thinks this will be Showtime, he’s out of his mind. They only have 1 athlete and he’s not 100%. No one knows when Nash will return but even when he does, this roster doesn’t compare with those horses they had in Phoenix (Amar’e, Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Barbosa, etc.)

  • Dymez

    Hilarious. “When in doubt, blame Pau.” I bet one thing Pau Gasol misses about Mike Brown, is that Brown took Pau’s title of “scapegoat” for a year and a day. Like I said when Mike D’Antoni got the job, it’s going to be funny as hell seeing these old cats run Mike D’s offense. This was just the 1st episode of that sitcom.

  • spit hot fiyah

    is chuck hayes officially the dwight stopper?

  • Conor

    Gasol is shooting 43%, you morons; he’s playing woeful defence, & is averaging less than ten rebounds per game. And this is somehow Kobe’s fault? GTFO

  • Caboose

    Always has been. Back when he was on the Magic, I was always puzzled as to why Dwight wouldn’t dominate the Rockets.

  • jumpman22cn

    Every season…
    If something goes wrong, blame the guy who don’t speak English.–Homer Simpson

  • OTB

    Yeah – Kobe needs to relax on throwing Pau out like this. I know Dwight is the big story now, but Pau played a huge huge role in the Lakers being relevant again in 2008. Sadly, even Laker fans forget that.

  • Bill

    Difference: Pau didn’t throw Mr. Perfect under the bus for his 7 turnovers.

  • bill

    The only moron speaking about anyone is Kobe…and his 7 turnovers.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Kobe would be in another city if Pau had never been traded to LA.

  • OTB

    To be fair, Pau was lethargic as hell. He has these games once in a while.

  • bill

    Pau’s tired because he didn’t coast during the Olympics this summer…like Kobe did.

  • Redd

    You can’t even spell defense, “moron”.

  • manhandled

    True story

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Great point.

  • manhandled

    I was waiting for someone to mention this. Howard didn`t play in the Olympics due to surgery. Kobe was out there for one thing and one thing only, when he was on the court, to shoot. While Pau was the main dude for Spain giving his everything and then some for the majority of the Olympic games. This is the 999th reason why D`antoni and his contemporary showtime system will not work as it did in Phoenix and New York….oh wait, just Phoenix.

  • http://www.facebook.com/evan.boland Evan Boland

    Kobe gives 100 percent every night. Pau does not. If he gave it his finals game 7 or Denver game 7 effort every night we would be a force to be reckoned with.

  • http://www.facebook.com/evan.boland Evan Boland

    The guy was asked to be the scorer, ball handler, play maker and basically everything for the team. He scored 38 on plus 50 percent from the field. He’s a 17th year SHOOTING GUARD without athleticism. He’s not a fucking point guard.

  • OTB

    He could be Canadian.

  • playa

    with pau, the thing is its ALWAYS something,he’s ALWAYS tired,he’s not utilized in a appropriate way,he’s not forcefed the ball by Kobe,there’s ALWAYS an excellent and on point explanaition for his poor outings.Someone’s said that without him kobe wouldn’t have his last two rings etc., well you can put it this way-without Kobe and the lakers organization& the city Pau would be a forgotten man by now,putting empty stats for some horrible teams,he wouldnt past the 1 st round of play offs and would NEVER EVER be regarded as a top pf/big man in the league(like he was 2-4 years ago).There are pros and coins of everything.

  • Big Game James

    I’m die hard lakers fan, love Pau and always will for all he did for this franchise but Kobe is simply right. Pau need a big kick in the ass to wake up because right now is turning into Gasoft mode on both end of the floor. Yes Kobe had also 7 turnovers but he’s the only one who showed up against the Kings. Without him it would have been a blowout (it almost was).

    Pau is a heck of a basketball player but his problem have always been his lack of agressiveness. That’s why Phil used to get into him during time out. He need that to give his best. That’s just the way it is and I’m sure he will respond tonight.
    Go Lakers !!!!

  • Jinolin

    STAT for Pau swap (keep in mind I don’t know Pau’s contract situation), STAT comes back to Mike D and Nash, Pau becomes a very good 2nd banana in NYC. any thoughts?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    I don’t think it was that bad of criticism….actually seems pretty fair

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    there’s a difference between having bad games and not giving 100%

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    haha chuck is the man….only 6’6″ guy out there that can bang with anyone

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    It’s pretty moronic to completely ignore the comment and focus on an effin spelling mistake. It’s the internet man not English class. Please calm down.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    Pau could still be on another team being eliminated in the first round and that would be cool. He would be a perennial All-Star, 20 and 10 guy, probably the best Spanish player to play in the league and make it into the Hall of Fame probably. But Kobe Bryant, the 2nd best SG ever, was whining and begging for a trade out of LA until Gasol arrived. Gasol wasn’t asking to be traded from Memphis. That’s why people talk about what Kobe would be right now without him instead of what Gasol would be without Kobe. Pau’s not in any discussions about being the best at his position or one of the best players ever like Kobe is with some people. People point out what Gasol means to him because the argument that can be made when people foolishly compare Kobe to MJ is that Kobe always needed a good or great big man or two to win and at times, he got bailed out by Gasol when he was shooting horribly. And understand something, Pau would have never been a forgotten man. Knowledgeable basketball fans knew who Pau was and what he was capable of before he arrived in LA. Whether he was in LA or not, he would still be considered one of the most skilled big men in basketball. LA has nothing to do with that.

  • bamn_is_a_f@g

    F@gg0t

  • justin05

    Kobe just wants to light a fire under Pau. Gasol tends to be a little soft emotionally so he needs the kick in the ass. On the other hand, he and Dwight should hold Kobe accountable for his gameplay as well. It’s not Kobe’s team anymore.

  • justin05

    Co-sign. It’s a big game tonight so Gasol will have this fresh in his mind. Go LA!

  • Redd

    It’s pretty moronic to call people morons for having different opinions and then being surprised when in turn said person gets called a moron.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    Well when you consider that I never called you a moron, and that you called conor a moron…

  • roscoe

    all the LAL need to get in better shape for the run/gun… its obvious.

  • BuenoWayno1

    AND Kobe throws another teammate under the proverbial bus in 4… 3…2….

  • ashnsmashem

    Pau is the weak link. As a lakers fan we have wanted pau to get traded for a year’ they already tried to trade him.bi didn’t read anything that kobe said and thought he throw him under the bus, d’antoni agreed. I can deal with bad games’ but one thing we never say about kobe we don’t questiom his effort’ I question pau’s effort almost every game. Isn’t there a problem with a 17 year vet playing “harder” than anyone else on tl:-) that team

  • ashnsmashem

    Kobe has plyed for the lakers his whole career. Kobe has never been on the trading block’ for a reason….can’t say that for shaq,bynum,gasol,fisher,odom,phil jackson or whoever else has came & gone over the years ‘ only 1 consistent

  • The Fury

    Thank you very much, well said my man.

  • Redd

    But he almost went to Chicago.

  • Redd

    ..oh wait you’re not joking? Everyone has slow moments so it’s cool, read what I said again.

  • http://twitter.com/AjpDos Allen Powell

    Kobe fans are hilarious.

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    He looked at the Bulls and the Clippers as a free agent before Dr. Buss traded Shaq and decided he wanted to keep Kobe. He’s been the 1 constant not because he chose to be, but because the Buss family decided to stick with him. The biggest reason he’s still a Laker is because of the Gasol trade.

  • http://twitter.com/AjpDos Allen Powell

    Oh so you forgot about him quitting multiple times on his team? That never happened now?

  • ByAnyMeansNecessary

    I’d also caution against mentioning Phil with the players you mentioned as being on the trading block. Without Phil? 0 championships for Kobe. Phil left the first time because he got tired of coaching Kobe. He came back and dude had matured a little bit to the point where he could be coached.

  • KBM

    How do u know KB’s never been on the trading block. You don’t. U think Kupchak releases all his ‘behind close door moves’ to the public? Extremely naive to think so.

  • shutup

    Kobe started his career on the trading block, lest we forget that Charlotte drafted him.

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