The Pau Gasol sweepstakes are over. Gasol is now a Laker.
The Lakers acquired the one time All Star center from Memphis in exchange for center Kwame Brown, guard Jarvis Crittendon and first round draft picks in 2008 and 2010.
Gasol will play center until Andrew Bynum returns from injury. Gasol is expected to play power forward upon Bynum's return.
Drive and Dish has never been overly impressed with Pau Gasol. Sure, he's an agile, skilled seven foot forward. But he's not much of a presence on the block or under the basket. The Spanish Gasol exemplifies the stereotype of the European big man as a soft, offensive minded (read: defensively deficient), perimeter scorer.
That said, with a line up that will feature Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, the Lakers now have some serious firepower.
Gasol won't be expected to provide a presence down low. Bynum already has that role down. Gasol's perimeter oriented game will fit in with what the Lakers already have in place. Plus, his size, agility and ability to score from outside will create match up problems for teams like Phoenix, San Antonio and Utah. And Gasol will be able to draw opposing power forwards out from under the basket.
The Lakers appear to be a team on the upswing.
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5 comments:
What an outrage! I broke this story first, just as I have in the past! Vin Baker's emotional problems? That was me!
Shawn Kemp's exploits with women! Here here.
My point is, I'm the definitive source for NBA news. No johnny-come-lately website can remove that from my mantle!
::NBA on NBC theme song in backround::
Peter,
I linked to an L.A. Times article that details the Lakers' Pau Gasol/ Kwame Brown trade.
I never claimed to be "breaking the story."
Besides, I don't really care who breaks a story, I only care about the content of a story.
After all, the STORY is about a big trade in the NBA, not about who was first to "break" the story of the trade.
But thanks for reading the site anyway.
And stay away from Marv Albert: he's always on the lookout for freaky sex (and he's been known to bat from both sides of the plate).
Gasol is really ugly.
And you're right. He's as soft as they come.
He's so soft that, if I didn't know better, I'd think he must have played at Puke.
Think about it: Gasol is the prototypical big soft white Dookie.
And now that he's grown out his hair and has that ugly beard, he looks like any of the ex Dookie big men who've gone through a post Puke rebellion against Rat Face and his dress code/ rules/ disciplinary practices.
Christian Laettner, Cherokee Parks, Mike Dunleavy, etc. ..... they all turned into stoner hippies once they got to the league.
And if J.J. Redick(ulously gay) can stay in the league -- a very big IF -- look for him to start sporting tattoos and white boy dreadlocks.
They all go crazy when they get out from under Rat Face's roof.
UNC: NCAA Men's Basketball Champions 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005
Go HEELS!
Pau Gasol to L.A. send poopey to Memphis
Roy,
Rasheed Wallace. Rashad McCants. Model citizens before and AFTER their times at North Carolina.
Not to mention one of your coaching/playing legends, Phil Ford.
Make it a bud light, Phillip.
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