Even before the Tim Donaghy scandal reared its ugly head yet again, the conspiracy theorists had plenty to chew on in the trade that gift-wrapped Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Los Angeles Lakers at midseason, virtually assuring the Lakers their spot against the Boston Celtics in the Finals that we're watching unfold.
Gasol was an issue then, and he is now, but for a different reason.
Grizzlies management insists it was eager to dump salary because owner Michael Heisley is desperate to sell the franchise that is failing in equal parts on and off the floor. So instead of getting value back for the maximum salary, he got some future draft choices and a couple of pull tabs to bet on when Kwame Brown's contract is up.
But — as they are prone to do where the NBA is concerned — others saw it as just another Machiavellian maneuver by the league with the ultimate goal of reuniting the Lakers and Celtics in the Finals after a 21-year absence.
Nonetheless, away from the head-scratching of the blues and barbecue set on the banks of the Mississippi, Gasol proved to be the perfect fit for the triangle offense of Lakers coach Phil Jackson. He's a legit 7-footer with great touch, good passing skills and rebounding ability. And along with those soft hands, the 28-year-old Spaniard has a relatively soft approach to the game, especially in the Finals.
And there's the rub, perhaps the reason the Lakers are trailing the Boston Celtics 2-1 going into Game 4 Thursday night in the Staples Center. It's why the Lakers won't reach their peak as a team until next season, when Gasol moves back to his natural power forward position while young 7-foot, 280-pound Andrew Bynum returns from knee surgery to fill the void in the middle.
Meanwhile, Gasol has been getting trashed in this series.
Sure, his numbers for the playoffs are good. Any team will take 17.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 blocks from its center. But the way he's going about it is driving people crazy. During Game 3 as he was missing a variety of shots at the rim, broadcast analyst and former NBA point guard Mark Jackson quipped after a replay, "He needs to make a 'grown man' move."
He's been metaphorically compared to various types of tissues ... none of which are part of the body, but which are used to clean the body.
To his credit, Gasol was willing to talk about the perception and his style of play with the media on Wednesday. In many ways, it's the same old story about NBA analysts and fans unwilling to accept European players for whom and what they are. And in the wake of this special season for the Lakers and himself, it can be particularly frustrating for a good guy in the mold of Gasol.
"At times, at times, yes,"
Gasol said, referring to the frustration. "I think I've become more physical since I got in the NBA. My game was very different when I got to the NBA. I was more of an outside player. I played a lot of small forward before I came to the NBA and it was much more finesse and facing up the basket. Now my game, because I've always been the tallest on my teams pretty much, has been more to a center position instead of a power forward, which I felt more comfortable. I don't know how it feels anymore to play a power forward and be able to be more comfortable and fluid out there."
"But I just try to adjust to what the team needs. Most of the time we need somebody that rebounds, plays defense now and hustles and bangs. Even though my body is not fit for that most of the time, I still try to have a lot of heart, and I'm a competitor, and I'm going to go out there and do what it takes."
Against the Celtics, with young Kendrick Perkins throwing his 280 pounds or so around the post, Gasol has taken his share of blows on a lanky frame that is suspiciously reported to be 250 pounds. Watching him also match up with Kevin Garnett, allegedly 230 pounds, it's difficult to find the 20 pounds of difference.
Not surprisingly, Gasol's scoring numbers have dropped precipitously as the playoffs have progressed: 22.3 against the zero defense of Denver, to 18.5 against rugged Utah, to 13.2 against Tim Duncan and the Spurs. In the first three games against the Celtics, he's averaging 13.7 points and 10.0 rebounds, but has managed just one block in the three games after averaging 2.5 in the first 15 games of the playoffs
It is more than just style versus substance. Granted, Gasol didn't experience the power game until he came into the NBA in 2001. He struggled through 6½ years in Memphis. In three of those seasons, they made the playoffs, becoming the first team ever to lose 12 playoff games without registering a single win. He averaged 20 points in those 12 games, but just 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. So to say he was happy to be traded would be an understatement.
His presence removed pressure from superstar Kobe Bryant, who won his first Most Valuable Player award and opened up the floor for versatile forward Lamar Odom, to bring so much else to the table for the Lakers. Their solid 33-16 start before Gasol was reflective of Bryant, Odom and what Bynum brought to the table before going down for the season in January. With Gasol they rolled to a 22-5 finish to earn the top seed in the West, blew through the Western Conference to reach the Finals with a 12-3 postseason mark, and have not lost a game at the Staples Center since March 4 — a one-point loss to Sacramento.
All the while Gasol has appreciated the big picture, however flustered others may be with his game at the moment, or how frustrated he may be with their response to his effort. Despite what everybody else may think or feel, he's having a great time. He's a long way from Memphis and believes this will be just the start of a new tradition for the Lakers making trips to the Finals in the years to come.
"Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun,"
he said. "Winning to me is fun. Having an opportunity to win a championship is fun. That's what I'm about and that's how I have fun, and that's something that I've been lacking a lot lately in my NBA career. So I'm definitely enjoying it, definitely having a lot of fun, and very fortunate to have this amazing opportunity to be in the NBA Finals with the Lakers and still very well alive. So we're good to go."
He sounds like a grown man, and looks like one too. We'll just have to allow Mark Jackson to decide if and when he's playing like one.
