Pau Gasol had this to say to ESPN, after the Lakers pulled out a home victory against the New Orleans Hornets:
"I think the finishing is more important (than starting). I think the best players should finish off games. That's just the way it's got to be. When the game is on the line, you want to be on the floor. That's more important."
Pau Gasol deserves plenty of credit for vaulting the Los Angeles Lakers franchise from fringe playoff team to the championship strata. He's incredibly skilled, and a sure-fire Hall of Famer.
Of course, that's the complimentary setup that gives way to criticism. Because Pau Gasol is handling being benched as though it came out of nowhere, as though he lacks culpability in the matter.
First, let's look at the offense. On the season, Gasol is shooting .447 from the field, continuing a downward trend that began before Mike D'Antoni got there.
The Lakers are badly in need of spacing on account of playing two centers, and Gasol has been shanking from the outside. When you look at his 2012-2013 shot chart, you can see that his jumper hasn't been worth respecting for defenses (remember, "red" is "bad"):
With the exception of his elbow-extended sweet spot, Gasol can't find the range.
All that might be forgiven if Pau was a defensive force. The Lakers were an adequate offensive team, even when they were losing, and Gasol wasn't exactly killing them on that end with his downturn in production. But defensively, the Lakers are a mess, in part because Gasol's too slow for his position.
The reason Mike D'Antoni has given many of Pau's minutes to the rangy Earl Clark is more defense-based than offense-based. Clark can guard a variety of matchups, from wing players to power forwards. With his speed and athleticism, Earl Clark possesses the capacity to augment L.A.'s defense as something of a Shawn Marion lite.
It's not Gasol's fault that he's a lumbering seven-footer, but the Lakers must deal with that reality. It doesn't make much sense to have Gasol guard some of the quicker power forwards in the league, and also to match up against wing players who "go small" by playing at the 4-spot.
The ideal situation for Los Angeles is to give Pau minutes at his natural spot at center. D'Antoni is seeking to do that. Pau Gasol has also been productive over the past three Lakers victories, especially as a passer.
The issue with the strategy tweak has been Gasol's response to the perceived demotion:
The passive-aggressive sparring between Pau Gasol and Mike D'Antoni continues here in Phoenix before the Lakers play the Suns.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) January 31, 2013
If the Lakers are winning while optimizing Pau's potential, who sits or starts at the end shouldn't be an issue.
Of course, I do have some sympathy for the athlete's perspective here. Gasol has professional pride, and it's easier for me to say "accept your role" than it is for Pau to do so.
But for the Lakers to be successful with Gasol, the Spaniard needs to accept that he's a center, and a situation-specific one for as long as he plays with Dwight Howard.
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