Phil Jackson says Pau Gasol needs to "inflict some pain" to have a chance at MVP
Pau Gasol, the starting centre for the Los Angeles Lakers, has been putting up some gaudy numbers over the first 12 games of the season. The 30-year-old Spaniard is averaging 22.9 points,
12.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 38.7 minutes per game. He has posted a double-double in 10 of his 12 games, more than anyone else in the league, and his 3.9 assists per game is the best in the NBA for a big man. With former MVP Kobe Bryant playing
well, one could make the case that Gasol has been just as valuable to the Lakers as Bryant, if not more.
Gasol’s solid play already has some in the media talking about a possible MVP trophy for the Spaniard. When asked by reporters whether Gasol had a chance at the season-long award, Lakers
coach Phil Jackson paused before saying: "That's a good question."
But Jackson would go on to say that while Gasol has been incredible for their team, he still needs to develop a killer instinct, describing him as "such a nice guy and such a well-meaning
person." Jackson said it is these traits that are preventing him from reaching his full potential. "I told him there is a way to do that, where the player you're going against, he'll understand that you have to take care of your own territorial rights. But
you have to inflict some pain sometimes. And that's just the warrior mentality that you have to have.”
Having won a record 11 NBA championships, Jackson knows a little bit about what it takes to win in this league. And when he was talking about Gasol gaining an edge to his play, he didn’t
mean it in a bad way. "It's not anything that's wrong and it's not anything that makes you a bad person to do. It's the code of behaviour we have in this game. That's where he has to take the next step to be considered [for MVP].”
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