Getty Pau Gasol
Paul Gasol is a coaches dream.
The 7-foot Spaniard can pass out the double team, face up, play the post. As talented as Gasol was skills-wise on the court, he’s also an efficient leader.
There’s a reason why Gasol, the Grizzlies’ eventual third overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft later won two NBA Championships with the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers.
He’s durable, he’s a swiss army knife with a career average of 17 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.
On this week’s episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, I discussed Pau Gasol with Los Angeles Lakers assistant Phil Handy.
Check out my notes below:
Phil Handy On Pau Gasol and how he would fare in today’s NBA:
“Phenomenal. He would fit right in. A young Pau Gasol? He was ahead of his time. I think where the evolution of the game is going to now, he was one of those bigs that came into the League as a young player that had the ability to play inside and outside. And man, he’s smart. He’s a playmaking big. He knows how to pass, he can dribble a little bit, he can post up, he can shoot it…he did so many different things. I don’t people really appreciated his skill set when he was at the prime of his game. Because most of those years were in Vancouver/Memphis, and when he came to Los Angeles in that big trade I think people started to understand what kind of player he was. But I still think that he wasn’t able fully showcase those abilities because he was with Kobe. And playing with Kobe, that’s one of those things where everybody sacrifices a piece of their game because he was so dominant and so great. But Pau would DEFINITELY survive and thrive in the game today. A young Pau Gasol would be elite.”
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 08: Phil Handy gives instructions during a training session with Melbourne United at Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre on August 8, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
Phil Handy on who today’s Pau Gasol would be:
“You look at guys like Kristaps [Porzingis]. He’s more perimeter oriented, but when he first came into the League in New York you can kind of see that inside-outside game. He’s 6’10”, he can handle the ball, he can shoot it, he’s long, his ability to play make…I really like his game. I think there’s a long list of guys; Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis kind of reminds of Pau in this deal, right? He’s 7 feet, very long, inside-outside, just very unassuming in their length and athletic ability. But the way they play the game, you have to pick your poison. Where do you want him to play – you want to play on the perimeter or play in the post. They can kill in both ways. I think there are a few other guys in the league but those two come to mind right away.”