Pau Gasol has totally changed his game this season. The San Antonio Spurs are hoping that he can take his new talents into the playoffs.
Post players in the NBA like Pau Gasol have become like old toys at a garage sale. “You don’t want to buy this vintage boom-box that I bought in 2001? I’ll give you a sick deal on it! I can throw in these old soccer cleats for no extra charge.”
GMs don’t want to give them away for free, but teams also don’t value them the way they used to. They’ve found new toys, who shoot threes, protect the rim, or throw no-look passes.
Players who were the hub of NBA offenses just a few years ago are being relegated to bench roles. Think of Al Jefferson, Greg Monroe types, who used to be the first option on offense earlier in their careers. They’re now asked to carry the “plan B” offense, while the starters get some rest.
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Gasol, unlike many of his big-man counterparts, has taken a different route with his new team, the San Antonio Spurs. Remember a few years ago, when Mike D’antoni tried to get Gasol to step outside the arc and shoot threes? It didn’t take, perhaps because Gasol was fresh off a successful season playing down low, and Pau shot just 29 percent from three-point range that year (2012-13).
This season, head coach Gregg Popovich has tweaked his lineup over and over, as he’s been known to do. In the final third of the season, he has settled on Pau coming off the bench. Gasol is averaging 25.5 minutes per game, almost 10 minutes lower than his career average. Perhaps even more compelling is that he has become a key cog on the second unit, something which he has never done for any extended stretch of games.
So how has Pau managed to stay relevant when so many of his contemporaries have become as outdated as floppy disks? Gasol has long been regarded as one of the best low-post scorers of his generation. He used to show ballerina-like footwork, make great high-low passes, and even whip underhanded fast break dimes.
But in his first season as a Spur, he’s attempting a career-high 1.6 three-pointers per game, despite a career low 9.4 total field goal attempts. He is also hitting 54.4 percent on those threes, which is by far a career-best mark.
The Spurs have found a way to turn him into another shooter to space the floor, whether he plays with the starters or the bench mob. Even when Pau isn’t gunning from three, he’s still using his jump shot more than ever. Check out his season-high 24 points against the Kings on Nov. 16.
Try to count the number of post up plays they run for Pau. It’s at most one play, and that was a quick hitting hook over Arron Afflalo. Gasol doesn’t even resemble the guy who was Kobe Bryant‘s running mate for those Lakers championship teams.
Will Pau be able to make this kind of impact come playoff time? Pop has used Gasol the same number of minutes as Tony Parker. Coaches tend to trust older, more accomplished players in the playoffs, and Pop is no exception.
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Gasol brings a different element to the team’s offense when he is on the court than he ever has before. The only question that remains is how far he and his team can ride that formula in a loaded Western Conference.