Marc Gasol provides another distributor, shooter for LeBron James-led offense
Marc Gasol was succinct in explaining his reasoning for joining the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.
“It boiled down to a chance of winning another championship and contributing to a team that’s already really good,” said the 35-year-old post.
Gasol knows what winning an NBA title feels like, having done so with the Toronto Raptors two years ago.
And while leaving Toronto was tough for his family because they had grown comfortable there, joining the Lakers gives Gasol a chance to chase another ring for a team his older brother Pau Gasol won back-to-back NBA titles with in 2009 and 2010.
“I watched Pau for all these years here and watched him grow as a player and as a man in L.A.,” Marc Gasol said. “Actually, I had a chance to be in both playoff series, the one they lost in Boston and the one they won in Staples, I was there too.”
While Marc Gasol no longer has the springy legs of a rim protector that the Lakers lost with the departure of Dwight Howard and JaVale McGeen, the 6-11 center does provide a big man who can stretch the floor as a shooter for the Lakers, along with another distributor on offense that can work with an extraordinary passer like LeBron James and also be a defensive rebounder that can ignite L.A.’s fast break.
“We’re going to have to see that -- once we put it together on the practice floor,” Gasol said about playing with James. “It’s different when you picture it on the outside than once you are on the inside, to see how you adapt to his game (LeBron) and the team game, because they play a certain way.
“There’s a lot of flow to their offense, and a lot of triggers they create -- the 2-on-2 and even on the fast break they create a lot of points. But that starts defensively, creating those stops so the team can fly out and create easy points.
“That transition, it’s going to be fun having him (LeBron) as quick outlet and an easy target because he’s such a big target that you can get, or even Anthony Davis when he contests the shot and runs. And the wings, having KCP (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) or whoever else is out on the wing, it’s going to be fun. But it all starts getting those stops.”
And yeah, Gasol can still play some defense. He won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013, so Gasol understands defensive positioning, and will contribute to a team built around getting after it on that side of the floor.
“I try to get to places before I have to jump in the air because my time I’m going to spend in the air is not very long,” Gasol said. “But I try to use my instincts and my knowledge of the game, and the way I study to get there before the offense gets there.
“I use a lot of communication. As the center, you’re behind them. I think communication builds trust and it solves problems. Whenever we see an issue, I know we’re going to have that great communication. We’re all going to be on the same page, because at the end of the day, you need defense to win games.
“The whole team is a defensive-minded team. Frank is a defensive-minded coach. But everybody, once you start studying how the playoffs went, they are very open-minded. They are not afraid. They are creative, and I think that’s a great sign, because that means that everybody has a lot of capabilities and ways of doing different things. So it’s a great to see.”
Former NBA Scout Michael Vandegarde says Gasol can be an upgrade at center of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard because of shooting and passing ability on offense, along with his defensive awareness.
While he is not a shot blocker, Vandegarde said Gasol is top five in the NBA in shots defended around the basket when he is the primary defender.
“While I don’t think you get as many ‘wow’ plays and the blocks are easier to tell, his positioning, his size and his length still make him a very good player around the basket,” Vandegarde said. “And I think you’ve got plenty of shot blocking around the basket with AD.
“He is as cerebral and smart as any center in the league, especially with his experience. He’ll get a rebound and make a great pass. The ability on offense to catch the ball and make some back-door passes that Dwight or JaVale would never make. And on the flip side, he’s turned into a quality, stand still 3-point shooter. He gives you spacing, which Dwight or JaVale give you none of.”
