After a bumpy first season that Marc Gasol called “chaotic,” the Lakers weren’t sure that the Spaniard was invested in a return to LA, setting off a chain of events that now spells his exit.
Context behind the trade that sends Gasol back to Memphis: https://t.co/K7YEDRz5uN
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) September 10, 2021
Lakers traded Gasol as they were unsure of his commitment to return
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September 10, 2021 5 Comments
And to save $$$$ and give AD more minutes at the five.
It appears that it’s what I thought all along, that it was up to Marc. I think signing Dwight and all the talk about AD playing more 5 is ultimately what soured him on returning.
Looks more to me that it was the Lakers who didn’t want Marc more than Marc not wanting to return to the Lakers. Lakers doubling down on having two shot blockers at center along with AD. Marc’s inability to protect the rim made his a poor fit for what the Lakers want to do. Additionally, the Lakers decided they did not want Marc taking away minutes from AD at the five. Now that AD is the only stretch five on the roster, chances are he will play a lot more minutes than last year and there still remains a possibility he will start too.
The way the coaches and team yanked him around in favor of Drummond I wouldn’t necessarily want to come back either. I would imagine this came down, in some form or another, to guarantees: PT, role, something along those lines. Hoping that Frank is just telling everyone that play and fit will determine roles and PT and not that we have another backroom handshake with DAJ to start.
Minutes clearly have to be earned this season. I could stomach Dwight or DeAndre starting if AD really got to close at the five and play at least half his minutes there. What will really piss me off though is Frank keeping a low post center in the starting lineup despite that player not playing well.
Eat minutes up in the middle of the half. Sacrificing performance by doing to start each half of the game would be a huge repeat of the same mistake the Lakers made during the championship season. We won’t win the West or the NBA without AD playing major minutes at the five. He cannot play just 10 mpg at center and then think he can turn it on at the five in the playoffs. That’s the kind of thinking that leads to teams failing in the playoffs.
The biggest concern for me heading into the season is the Lakers dominating by so much that people think it’s because we started DeAndre at the five and are on pace to win 70. That’s fools’ gold because the Lakers will have to go small with AD at the five to beat the Nets or Bucks in the Finals. But just watch that happen.
Bottom line, stop screwing around and thinking you can win without playing your players in the best positions or starting and closing games with your best fivesome.