[WEEI] Report: Lakers are committed to trading Pau Gasol

Yes I do. No reason to trade for him if he is not going to play center. The play for him last season was to have him come in and man the 5. He basically played center when the Lakers won those 2 rings. Bynum was often injured and played less than half the minutes of Gasol. The lineup that won those rings was Gasol at center and Odom at PF.

 

The Lakers played some of their best basketball the season before this last year when they had Gasol as their center for a good portion of the season which Odom playing the majority of his minutes as the PF.

The Grizzlies played him at center the entire time he was on their team before that. He can play center just fine. He's an upgrade from Scola in almost every way other than mental toughness. I think at this point, Gasol is probably wanting out of the Lakerland mess so he can prove that he wasn't the problem in LA.

I think he has something to prove, and whatever team aquires him will get good production from him next season. I personally do not think it will be the Rockets even though it seems obvious that Morey will try. I still think most of their efforts will be at targeting Dwight Howard first and foremost.

 

Me, I like Gasol as a player, I'm not keen on his contract or his age.

IF Morey tries again to trade for him (and I wonder if the HMS Pau Nene Chuck has sailed, you know?), just DON'T give the Lakers our draft picks.

Do.

Not.

 

Let's see if this works.

Phil Jackson on the 2012 Lakers

<object width="400" height="225"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hbo.com/bin/hboPlayerV2.swf?vid=1264733"></param><param name="FlashVars" value="domain=http://www.hbo.com&videoTitle=Online Exclusive: Phil Jackson on the 2012 Lakers&copyShareURL=http%3A//www.hbo.com/video/video.html/%3Fautoplay%3Dtrue%26vid%3D1264733%26filter%3Dreal-sports-with-bryant-gumbel%26view%3Dnull"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.hbo.com/bin/hboPlayerV2.swf?vid=1264733" FlashVars="domain=http://www.hbo.com&videoTitle=Online Exclusive: Phil Jackson on the 2012 Lakers&copyShareURL=http%3A//www.hbo.com/video/video.html/%3Fautoplay%3Dtrue%26vid%3D1264733%26filter%3Dreal-sports-with-bryant-gumbel%26view%3Dnull" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><div><a title="Online Exclusive: Phil Jackson on the 2012 Lakers" href="http://www.hbo.com/video/video.html/?autoplay=true&vid=1264733&filter=real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel&view=null">Online Exclusive: Phil Jackson on the 2012 Lakers</a></div>

"...[Jim] saw Andrew as a kid and thought Bynum would be a great pick for our team. In the process, he's wanted Andrew to have a bigger and bigger role and I think he's hired his coach to have Andrew have a bigger and bigger role and that kinda disjointed the symmetry of what the Lakers were really about this last year. Andrew is all-star center, did a wonderful job but what happened, it took Pau out of his game and took the team away from some of their game. So they changed the style dramatically. ..."

 

Nooooooooo!

 

I see what you are trying to say here and basically you and JTR are right: he would be a vast upgrade at center. However, given his age, big salary, what it would cost to get him, such a move would only make sense if (1) he fits the style of basketball your team plays and (2) he would be the missing piece that puts them over top. While Gasol would make them a better team, I harbor severe doubts as to the magnitude of that improvement. At best I can see him making them a 48-52 win team - definitely a playoff team but not necessarily a championship contender.

My other concern would be about his mental state. Here in Dallas, we just experienced up close and personal just what can happen when you trade for a "star" player who doesn't want to play in your city and I see Gasol as cut from the same cloth here as was Odom. I just don't see him wanting to play in Houston. New York, Brooklyn or Chicago maybe but definitely not Houston.

 

I really wish the Rockets would distance themselves from anything that has to do with Gasol. Once and for all.

 

I'm still not high on Gasol, but given our need to shed bodies, I'd be okay with offering Scola-Dalembert-Pick (singular)

They want more? Suck it.

I'm not in a rush to trade Lowry UNLESS Dragic has given private assurances that he will resign if the starting job is all his. And even then, I do personally like Kyle's style of play at point a lot. Dragic is fantastic slashing to the rim, but I personally put outmost priority on a PG's ability to facilitate the play of others. One that does that and is a bulldog defender makes me very happy.

Also....I have no desire to watch Lowry kick @ss in purple and gold.

 

That is one point I had not considered!

 

Unless the trade in to us is hella nice, I would keep Martin. Expiring contracts have to play good for that net check. Whether or not to keep him afterwards is a different story. I have no prob with Scola or Martin. I have a problem with Scola AND Martin. One is good, two is fail. Gotta have at least 4 players playing defense.

 

So you guys wouldn't like to see Dragic manning the point and having Pau post up and Amare shooting mid-range jumpers? Toss in Parsons at the SF and Courtney Lee or Budinger playing SG.

Seriously, the Rockets with that trio could win 48-50 games.

 

Amare sucks. He'll be up for amnesty after next season, no reason to part with any solid contributors or picks for him.

 

The Knicks used their amnesty on Billips. Amare is due $64 million over the next 3 years. They are screwed.

 

I hate the thought of him in the West period, especially with LA or Portland. I love Lowry and hate to see him go but I think it's inevitable...NOT for Gasol though I hope (unless their is another deal to bring in another huge piece to go with it).

 

Chris (DC)
More likely to entice Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak for Pau Gasol: Rockets sending Scola + Lowry or Scola 14 and 16 picks in this year's draft?

Chad Ford (3:50 PM)
Might be the latter. It's time for the Lakers to add some young blood to the team and I think Rockets would give that up to land Gasol.

 

Hillboy, I think you spot on here. Just because Gasol was traded for back last year, doesn't mean they still have him targeted this year. I think he is more than an above average center, even though he is listed as a PF, but I would worry about Gasol on this current Rockets team just as you mentioned the Dallas/Odom trade worked out in the end.

I think the front office is more than aware of the consequences of trading for Gasol if the right pieces aren't around him. Therefore I do not think he's the main target anymore, unless there are multiple deals in place to make the team a more cohesive unit.

Im a fan of Gasol, and think he's one of the best well-rounded & skilled big men in the game, which makes him more than slightly attractive to aquire. However, I understand exactly the ramifications that come along with bring him in, and giving up major pieces to get him.

Still, if the Rockets traded for him, and I felt confident in the surrounding players still on the roster, I would have to say I would be much more excited about this upcoming season. Its all depending on how he meshes on the court with the other players, then the concerns come secondary.

 

Agreed, I've said before that Gasol makes the team slightly better but I wouldn't give up too much for him. Scola + Dalembert, shoot give them the Dallas pick back. Definitely not Lowry and Scola though

 

Uh, that's only two spots. Even if 2 players that you listed were taken with 14 and 15, you'll still be able to draft one out of the two remaining.

 

I think people underestimate Pau's offensive prowess. Especially as a center, I see no reason why he wouldn't easily become a 22 and 11 force.

Up until last year, he was always referred to as having the best footwork of any big in the league, but b/c he is mostly underutilized in that system with Kobe Bean and Bynum being focal points, he doesn't get the shine and usage a player of his talent deserves.

I think he's a different player now than what he was with Memphis, and now has the championship and big game/market pressure calibrated and solved.

McHale seems to want to build an inside-out offense using a dominant big, surrounded by solid shooters and defenders more so than slashers (martin) and a move for Gasol allows the Rockets to create that roster.

At some point, we've got to move away from our mediocre talent and create a strength other than depth. It's time to gamble. This is our franchise's time to make their move.

Moe

 

Scola (ugly) for Gasol (uglier).