After the Lakers loss Tuesday night to the Pacers — when Pau Gasol got out too high into a no-man’s land trying to defend George Hill on the final play, got his hips turned and watched Hill blow by him for the game winning shot — Lakers fans frustration with Gasol reached a new high for this season. Gasol trade talk is everywhere in Los Angeles (most of it wildly unrealistic).
But Tuesday night coach Mike D’Antoni came to Gasol’s defense and didn’t sound like a coach willing to trade him for any warm body. From Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.“He’s another seven-footer who can guard the rim and he’s extremely smart,” D’Antoni said. “So there’s no reason why he can’t fit. Ideally, you’d want a guy like Jesse Owens who can run. But he’s a big part of what we’re going to do.”
“I don’t see how a player as smart as he is, as talented as he is and efficient as he is, doesn’t fit in anybody’s schemes,” he continued. “I got to reevaluate myself if I can’t play with Pau Gasol. Come on. He’s won two championships.”
Of course, what did you expect D’Antoni to say? He’s a guy focused on the positive as he tries to get the Lakers playing his kind of basketball, so he’s not going to trash Gasol.
As for all those Gasol trade rumors….
For the record, and as we told you Tuesday, the Lakers are not actively trying to trade Gasol right now. That might change once the Lakers get Steve Nash back, look at how the team shakes out and decide that that they need shooters more than two elite post players. And even then, there is a limited market of teams that will take on a 32-year-old player making $19 million a year.
But for now, D’Antoni is singing Gasol’s praises. Even if Lakers fans are increasingly not.
