Wednesday, December 5th, 2012 at 10:05 am  |  146 responses

Kobe Bryant Wants Pau Gasol to Get More Touches in the Post


Under Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni, Pau Gasol has drifted further and further away from the hoop, frustrating him and Lakers fans along the way. Gasol is battling injury and facing trade rumors, but according to teammate Kobe Bryant, the team needs to re-establish Pau in the post where he is most effective and dominant. Per ESPN: “Amid rising pressure and growing trade speculation smothering the ailing Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant offered his strongest public support to date to back the Spaniard with whom he has won two NBA championships. ‘I love Pau like a brother,’ Bryant said. ‘I really do. I want him to dominate like I know he can. I want him to dig in and be determined, not discouraged,’ Bryant continued. ‘We should go to him more on the post because he can dominate from there as he has to the tune of two rings. I’m sure we will adjust and figure out a balance when he comes back healthy.’ [...] Bryant and Gasol had a lengthy summit Monday night at the team hotel in Houston. ‘I know his knees have been hurting and that can be frustrating because you can’t do physically what you are used to,’ Bryant said. ‘I just don’t want him to sulk about the change of things.’ Gasol is averaging 12.6 points and shooting 42 percent from the floor, both career lows, in new Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense. Both he and D’Antoni have acknowledged that his role is and will be quite different than what it has historically been for the Lakers.”

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    This story is a day old btw. I know D’Antoni’s offense is PnRs, but I, like Kobe, wish Gasol got more post touches. Before every one piles on Kobe for not passing it to him, keep in mind that a) Gasol doesn’t often fight for post position and b) it runs through Dwight before it runs through Pau. Essentially, this leaves Pau as a guy who sets picks, shoots mid-range jumpers, and passes to other people. Horribly under utilized.

  • shockexchange

    This is the equivalent of John Dillinger “wishing banks added more security.”

  • spit hot fiyah

    tell him to get down there and then PASS HIM THE BALL. problem solved

  • pposse

    haha WTF?? Just the other day Kobe was demanding Pau to change up his game to pnr and now he reneges and wants Pau more in the post? Well, no sh** Pau needs to be more in the post! Kobe is talkin waaay too much, he don’t even make sense anymore.

  • uqk

    i still remember how supportive kobe is to mike brown…and then the comes the death stare..

  • RunNGun

    Kobe this… Kobe that… so who really is coaching this mess of a team… Kobe or the Pringles Man?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    I think he’s just as confused as the rest of us. This team honestly should be dominating, but they are playing under an offensive style that doesn’t really suit them, and takes Gasol and Dwight out of the picture most nights.

  • https://twitter.com/Wayne__o BuenoWayno1

    Pau Gasol has TRADEinitis in his knees. He’s at the crib packing bags….there gonna miss em when he’s gone.

  • Coack J

    Lets see…. change Gasols program? Make it different from the plan that got him the Championship rings? Have him do something else? .Stuuuuuuupid!……….While hes not my favorite player, I dont think his passing and shots from short distance can be matched by many. Certainly dont want to see him playing against us…………..common sense needs to prevail and this time Kobe is right.

  • Coack J

    Theres a reason why this Coach has no rings. He plays his tunnel vision type of ball instead of using what hes got. I dont think he can see the big picture.

  • Coach J

    name spell check …..lol

  • RedRum

    boy oh boy… Kobster is becoming more erratic by every loss…he changes his mind and blame constantly. First the Princenton is great, then its rubbish, Brown is great, then rubbish, then Pau needs to adjust to the system, then the system needs to change for Pau… I personally expect a huge explosion soon… kobe will go nuclear on their arses.. I personally don’t understand what Brown and Pringles are thinking… You have the best back to the basket player in the game, who shoots close to 60% for career, giving you 19+ points. Why the hell you want to neutralise by making them a shooter?? system schmystem… if you have a player who can give you 20+ points with 50+% efficiency, you do just that… I can’t get my head around how rigid (I will not use another word…) coaches can get with their systems… you got to win games, whatever works, works. I just don’t get it…

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    The perception of Pau Gasol is humorous. Hes not the same guy he was 3-4 years ago. Please just watch how he moves and jumps last year and this year compared to the past. Look at every rosters PF and think is Pau right now really better then half? Not at all. Dont make me list em.. coming from a die-hard Lakeshow fan

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    Tim Duncan
    Ibaka
    the Manamal
    Paul Milsap
    Lamarcus Aldridge
    David lee
    Scola
    Zach Randolph
    Dirk
    Blake Griffin
    Bosh
    Andre bargani
    Kevin Garnett
    Humphries (lol)
    Melo
    Young
    Ryan Anderson

    This is off the top of my head and i highly doubt Pau can out play these guys night in night out even if he was the number-1 option. Mix that in with him not fitting Pringles system he has to go. Plain and simple

  • Caboose

    Then you should know about that little thing called tendinitis.

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    Same thing Micheal Jordan and Mamba had most of their careers. Yeah i do

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    if only his $38M were so easily tradeable. It’s safer to assume, considering the guy literally hasn’t had a break in 3+ years, that he has tendinitis in his knees and needs rest. Just like is being reported.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Pau is still a top 5 PF when he’s healthy. Right now, he isn’t healthy.

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    I watched him all last year and i didnt see anything close to even top-10 PF. This if you take away reputation and base his ranking on skill, production, and intangibles

  • Caboose

    Well since you’re clearly an accredited and certified medical field employee, can you confirm that every tendinitis, regardless of where it is or the severity of it is the exact same? I just want to be sure.

  • Caboose

    It’s hard to constantly avoid blame on himself. He needs lots of excuses.

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    Well sir who is clearly an undercover comedian who names himself after thick black women’s rump, I know that tendinitis doesn’t just pop up out of nowhere. Pau has playing with it for quite a while. So i don’t think its Extreme Gut-Wrenching tendinitis. So it’s an syptom that many NBA players have and still continue to be great. I.E Jordan, Mamba

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    You watched last season?

    .

    He put up 17PPG, 10RPG, 3APG, had a PER of 20.5 (which puts him 6th among Power Forwards), and an offensive rating of 112, despite Mike Brown putting him in the most ridiculous possible role you could possibly put him in, in any offense.

    .

    I mean, Gasol wasn’t the Gasol he was in previous seasons, but he was also in a much less comfortable offense. And he was still better than just about every 4 in the league, except 4. (Kevin Love, Lamarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, & Dirk – barely).

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    and it’s clear you didn’t actually pay attention to – skill, production, or intangibles.

    .

    For fact’s sake, the Lakers were 8 points better per 100 possessions with Gasol on the court (intangibles, made tangible).

    .

    8 points in 100 possessions, was the difference between the Thunder and the Pistons last season.

    .
    In other words, Pau Gasol’s affect on the Lakers was profound. And definitely top 10 among PF’s. I mean, it’s not even arguable unless you want to be blatantly wrong.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    you know jack sh*t about tendinitis. or anything that you have commented on. that is obvious.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i’ve had chronic tendinitis in my left rotator cuff since i was 17. it doesn’t ever improve, only gets worse, and eventually goes back to being in constant pain.
    .
    in my left knee, left ankle, right knee, & left elbow i have acute tendinitis that is only inflamed when i overuse.
    .
    i wish people understood the difference between the two basic types of tendinitis. it would really cut down on the ignorance.
    .
    sorry, this subject really strikes a chord with me, had to say this somewhere.

  • Caboose

    No, just a student in health care who works in a hospital. Let’s try to work this out shall we? Pau has had tendinitis. He’s been playing with it for a while. But it doesn’t make him sit out. Now it has made him stop playing. Think it might have gotten a little worse? The fact about MJ and Kobe is irrelevant; that implies that all tendinitis injuries are the same.

  • Caboose

    Stop, I’m trying to convince him that tendinitis has different levels of severity, a concept he simply can’t grasp. Don’t argue with morons, nbk.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    actually, Jordan’s tendinitis was a HUGE issue when he came back to Washington. but let’s ignore that.

  • Caboose

    I know man, I’m a health care student. I had acute tendinitis in both knees, and it only flares up with overuse. It’s just funny how people hear one word and they think it means everything is the same. Cancer, yeah, sarcoma and melanoma, those are the same right?

  • https://twitter.com/Wayne__o BuenoWayno1

    Pau definitely need the rest but he’s been the scapegoat for Lakers losses for so long i wouldn’t be surprised if he gets sent packing.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i mean what this Koombuy guy is arguing is so incredibly stupid. this is like saying all basketball players are the same. literally.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i wouldn’t either. But that’s not why he isn’t playing right now. Tendinitis is the issue. No doubt about it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    Im not Dr. House but i have league pass and I know that Pau LAST YEAR was not a top PF(tendinitis or not) and now that the Pringles system is in place and not going anywhere, Pau needs to go somewhere. That is a fact

  • Caboose

    Agreed. And how well did he play? That kind of proves my point doesn’t it?

  • Caboose

    Well, every advanced stat says Pau was pretty good last year. I guess it’s you against facts isn’t it?

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    These are nice STATS but did you watch the Lakers play. Did you notice that Pau faced 0 double teams last year. He played with every teams focus on stopping Mamba and Bynum. If you look at the list of players i so easily posted for you every single one of them would average 17 and 10 playing as the third option last year.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i just showed you all of Pau’s stats from last year. Don’t ignore the facts infront of your face that you tried to ignore even tho you said, QUOTE “This if you take away reputation and base his ranking on skill, production, and intangibles” –
    .
    you are ignorant on this subject. that is the fact here.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    it completely proves your point.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    “This if you take away reputation and base his ranking on skill, production, and intangibles”
    .
    I mean, if you want to ignore your own point, sure.
    .
    Please stop. Your argument is beyond stupid. You are really going to try and argue that Pau underperformed putting up 17, 10, and 3 as the third option. Of all the stupid ass points a person has made in an argument. This one? This is one of the best evar.

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    Is this Slam or Time? If you two are tendinitis junkies can you please give me your estimate on how many % of players have tendinitis, Then with a follow up answer of how many have missed games due to it. It will prove not only how soft Gasol is but how he’s now had his pride broken down by being benched and not fitting in the Pringles system.

  • Caboose

    You still think all tendinitis is the same, don’t you? You sir, are an ignorant asshat and I am done arguing with you.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    we both like facts. and dislike ignorance.
    .
    say something logical. not ignorant.

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    No Im not saying it’s the same, I’m saying that even if Pau has a severe form it cant be more severe then EVERY NBA player in the league considering none have missed time due to it in recent knowledge

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    When did i say he underperformed? What I’m saying is he put up the same numbers MOST PF would in the same situation.

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    Situations make a huge deal.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    which is complete and utter bullsh*t. but cool for your opinion.

    .

    most PF’s who are their teams first or second option, don’t put up 17, 10, and 3. it’s utterly stupid to expect “most” to do that as the third option, especially with Kobe Bryant as their teammate. like bafflingly dumb.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    oh thank you for that, you need a fortune cookie to tell you that to come up with such a genius theory?

  • speedy

    And as a lakeshow fan you do know that pau had to play last year at the high post were he isn’t quite that deadly as if playing the low post.
    People seem to forget to easily.
    It’s like redrum said two hours earlier.
    Use the strength of your players!!!! That is what a great coach is all about.

  • http://www.facebook.com/koombuy.pride Koombuy Pride

    My point here is that sure, pau put up 17 10 3, but did he lock down the paint in the 4th quarter, did he rally his teamates, did he guard the other teams best post player? He did what any other top-15 PF would do minus the intangibles mentioned above.

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