Mike D’Antoni will not push Pau Gasol to Lakers’ second unit, not now anyway – NBA Update
Pau Gasol has again been the centre of trade rumours this season and the major reason for that has been his lacklustre performance, especially on offence, for the second season running. The Spanish power forward, who was once the
back bone of the Lakers’ front court has averaged 12.6 points and shot only 42% so far this season - both career lows – and has been on the bench for the last three games due to planar tendinitis in both his knees.
With his worth in the Lakers’ lineup taking a big hit under Mike D’Antoni, there had been some speculation that Gasol may be pushed to the second lineup once he makes a recovery from tendinitis. However, before Sunday’s game against
the Utah Jazz, D’Antoni made it clear that this will not be happening any time soon.
"Not yet, that's not what we need to be doing right now," Mike D'Antoni when asked about the possibility of using Gasol in a sixth man role. "We need to find him and Steve (Nash) in there together and look at it and make a good
assessment. I envision him being really good at what he does at the four, so I don't see that."
"I'm not going to mess with Pau," D'Antoni added. "He's too important to the team and he's earned it and he's too good of a player to even go there. That would be a last resort kind of desperate (move)."
Nash is perhaps the best ever exponent of pick and rolls NBA has ever seen and has a history of making bigs look good when he is on the court – case in point Amar’e Stoudemire at Phoenix Suns. The point guard has however been out
of action since Oct. 31 due to a fractured fibula in the left leg, and is not expected to return this week.
Whenever he does though, his court vision and playmaking abilities will ensure that Gasol will find balls at deeper positions and the forward would then be able to get more post-up plays, which he has been demanding this season.
It is quite evident that D’Antoni and the Lakers want to see that phase, before deciding anything on Gasol, be it his shift to 6th man or trade altogether. And it makes perfect sense.
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