WASHINGTON (AP) -Pau Gasol sat out the Los Angeles Lakers’ game at the Washington Wizards on Sunday, not quite ready to play for his new team because of a sore back, a whirlwind 48 hours and an unfamiliarity with the triangle offense.
“We want him to practice first. He traveled back and forth across the country, up all night, short hours of sleep. This isn’t a fair situation for him,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said before Sunday’s game.
“We’ll practice tomorrow and see how he feels,” Jackson said. “Play with the guys before we have him going into an NBA game with the ‘Showtime’ thing.”
Gasol, the 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year and a 2006 All-Star, averaged 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Memphis Grizzlies this season, his seventh with the team.
The Spaniard missed three of four games because of a bad back before Friday’s trade. The Grizzlies got Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton, two first-round draft picks, cash and the rights to Gasol’s brother Marc. The Lakers also received Memphis’ 2010 second-round draft pick.
“I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t know anything about it,” Gasol said. “I’m trying to digest everything that’s been going (on) with me the last two days, and get ready to rock and roll.”
He wore jeans and a black zippered sweater for a brief news conference at the Wizards’ arena – the first three minutes were in Spanish, the next four in English – then went to the visiting locker room to change.
Moments later, Gasol was out on the court for some shooting and low-post drills, wearing a purple T-shirt and purple shorts and standing a few feet from Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
Asked whether this deal will put an end to the talk about whether Bryant would be traded, Jackson replied: “It depends on how well it works. … It will give us a more complete game, a more fluid game. Kobe sees that it will give us some opportunities to come back in games.”
Gasol went from a Memphis team that was 13-34 entering Sunday to a Los Angeles team that went into the game at Washington with a 29-16 record.
“The pressure of winning and being one of the favorites, I think, is what you want to be involved in,” he said. “That’s the kind of pressure I’ve been missing being in the NBA. I love that.”
The Lakers hope he can help them overcome recent injuries to frontcourt players, including blossoming center Andrew Bynum.
“Pau gives us a strength in the post. If Andrew becomes healthy again this year, it will give us a double post. We’ll have the biggest front line in the West. That could be a factor,” Jackson said. “It’s a great patch in the hole. It’s a great way to shore up some of the things that were bothering us, that hurt us last year.”
Add A Comment
THIS IS NOT A GAMBLING SITE – If you think you have a gambling problem click here.
Disclaimer: This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Individual users are responsible for the laws regarding accessing gambling information from their jurisdictions. Many countries around the world prohibit gambling, please check the laws in your location. Any use of this information that may violate any federal, state, local or international law is strictly prohibited.
Copyright: The information contained on TheSpread.com website is protected by international copyright and may not be reproduced, or redistributed in any way without expressed written consent.
About: TheSpread.com is the largest sports betting news site in the United States. We provide point spread news, odds, statistics and information to over 175 countries around the world each year. Our coverage includes all North American College and Professional Sports as well as entertainment, political and proposition wagering news.
©1999-2023 TheSpread.com