Los Angeles Lakers: Will Pau Gasol’s FAST Procedure Get Him Back To All-Star Form?
Pau Gasol has struggled to find his role with the new-look Lakers. (Photo Credit to Keith Allison, Flickr.com)
Just as it was for his fellow Los Angeles Lakers, the 2012-13 season was one to forget for Pau Gasol, as he recorded career-lows in points per game (13.7), field-goal accuracy (46 percent) and total minutes (1,655).
Gasol struggled to get healthy and really assert himself with his new star teammate, so he couldn’t really get anything going since he was in and out of the lineup, taking part in just 49 games due to a litany of injuries.
This offseason he’s taken steps to repair his body by undergoing the Fasciotomy and Surgical Tenotomy (a.k.a. FAST) technique to treat both knee tendons, which kept him out for eight games. According to the Los Angeles Times, Gasol will not be partaking in basketball activities for another 11 weeks or so due to the procedure. But is it really going to help him return to his old, championship winning self?
To quickly recap the procedure, the doctor administering it removes the degenerated tissue, which is the source of pain. FAST is a minimally invasive treatment that allows clinicians to remove diseased tissue through a percutaneous insertion, minimizing infection risk and recovery time. Maybe this guy can explain it better.
Anyway, back to Gasol.
Let’s be honest, though the Spaniard has been averaging 18 ppg and 10 rpg between 2010 and 2012, he’s been in decline. His numbers just never showed it, until this season, that is.
By now you’re probably thinking: “What is this guy talking about? Those are pretty good stats and the guy is a two-time NBA champion.”
Just hear me out first.
Rapper Yo Gotti once said: “Women lie. Men lie, but numbers don’t lie.” Well, in this case numbers do lie. The 32-year-old was trade bait for the majority of the 2011-12 season and would have already been gone were it not for the almighty commish, David Stern.
Gasol has often been criticized for being (for lack of better word) soft, both physically and emotionally. As a 7-foot tall giant of a man, you would expect him to bully his way past some of the players in the NBA, but Pau doesn’t do it as much as he should. And against the other 7 footers or heavier, tougher opposition, he might as well not show up to work because they simply dominate him. Maybe it’s been made worse as of late because of his more physical little brother, Marc Gasol in Memphis, but there’s no doubt he has to better hold his own. After all, he’s bigger than most of the people in the Association. Some call it “finesse,” but let’s call it like it is, at 7’ and 250 pounds, he should be playing a lot tougher than he does.
Emotionally, he’s just as soft because he needs people to constantly remind him that he’s a good player and he can be a force be reckoned with. Take the Chris Paul trade saga for example, amid all the rumors, Pau Gasol didn’t exactly do much to show why the Lakers shouldn’t pull the trigger.
Granted it’s difficult to be focused when your name is frequently tossed around every trade rumor. However, he’s been in this league long enough to know that it’s a business and general managers look to get value for the money.
The 2013-14 season will be Gasol’s contract year and he’ll be desperate to prove he’s worthy of an extension. With that said, his physical and emotional vulnerability are a big issue for the Lakers. He’ll be 33 in July and has played 82 games just once in the past four years. The fact that he plays in a physical position and his recent medical record doesn’t give GM Mitch Kupchak and owner Jim Buss any comfort. And even if he does overcome the injuries, there’s still the matter of his fragile state of mind and who knows which Pau Gasol is going to show up when he knows he’s in a contract year. Will it be an insecure Gasol who isn’t confident enough to grab the game by the scruff of its neck? Or the beast of a man determined to show why he’s worthy of the L.A. spotlight and contract extension?
Photo Credit: Bridget Samuels, Flickr.com
Despite posting career lows, Pau did exhibit just what he can do as the Lakers were playing through him down the stretch in the regular season. When Kobe Bryant went down and Steve Nash still struggling to get over his gimpy hip, Coach Mike D’Antoni turned to the 13-year vet. And boy did he answer, averaging 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the Lakers’ last nine regular-season contests. Not to mention he had at least eight assists in five of those games and two triple-doubles, including a huge 17 points, 20 rebounds, 11 assists and two block performance in the last game against Houston.
Do I think this procedure will help him revert back to his All-Star form again? No. Not in L.A. at least.
If the Lakers manage to re-sign Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol will be battling for the third spot with Steve Nash as the team’s go-to guy. Considering how stacked the Western Conference is at the forward positions, there’s no way Gasol would make it to the top of the summit.
Whereas if he were in Houston (the place he was meant to go last year) he would be second only to James Harden and be a major cog in that high-powered offensive machine. Only then will he have a chance of regaining his All-Star tag.