Lakers Rumors: Mitch Kupchak Smart to Clear the Air with Pau Gasol
Communication is the key to any successful relationship, and, by all accounts, there had been little, if any, between Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and star forward Pau Gasol since the former attempted to trade the latter in a deal for Chris Paul prior to the season.
That is, until last month, when, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Kupchak called Gasol to discuss his status with the team at length, though only after Kobe Bryant had called upon the front office to do so following a 102-90 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Said Gasol of his conversation with Kupchak:
""I have an understanding of where things are, where they stand and where he stands and where I stand. He [Kupchak] told me to just keep doing what you do, keep playing hard and playing on and from that point on, we'll see.
"It was kind of calming to have that feedback. Since before training camp, it was the first time I was approached by them."
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Most importantly, Gasol, a player who's come to be known as much for his sensitivity as his considerable skill in the post, seems to understand why there's been such a lack of transparency on management's side:
""It's hard because when an organization is going to pull the trigger [on a trade], I guess the less involvement and the less contact, the easier it is. That was the point if you watched that movie 'Moneyball,' where Brad Pitt doesn't want to be involved with players. I don't know if that's the case or not, but you could see that kind of factor."
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At the moment, it would appear as though Gasol's place with the Lakers is safe. The discussions amongst the rumor mill of him joining the Boston Celtics (for Rajon Rondo) or the Houston Rockets (for Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola) have died down of late, just as the Lakers have cemented their identity as a team that can hold its own against anyone in the league, thanks to the Black Mamba and the front-line combination of Gasol and first-time All-Star Andrew Bynum.
As such, if the Lakers are going to hang onto Gasol, they need to be sure that they're getting the most out of him, that his head and his heart are invested in and focused on playing basketball for the Purple and Gold.
Hopefully, speaking with Kupchak will be just what the doctor ordered for Gasol and, in turn, for the Lakers' hopes of contending for a title out of the wide-open Western Conference.
