Getting the Most Out of Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol's performance in the Western Conference semifinals hasn't been awful—merely bland.

His 10-point, seven-rebound showing in limited minutes in Game 1 was emblematic of L.A.'s greater offensive limitations. His 14-point, 11-rebound effort against the Thunder in Game 2 was both more productive and more efficient, yet his fairly moderate usage made him a wallflower next to the likes of the more consistently utilized Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.

The more recent performance was notably better than the initial outing, but Gasol operated in the background in both contests. And due to his passivity—and due to the more general structure and failings of the Laker offense—Los Angeles generally struggled to operate efficiently with Gasol on the floor; the Lakers scored at a rate of just 83.0 points per 100 possessions with Gasol on the court in Games 1 and 2, relative to a 116.1 mark when he sat.

Those numbers are deeply troubling and speak to the fact that not only has Gasol operated on this series' periphery thus far, but that his presence itself hasn't significantly hindered the Lakers' offensive potential.

It would be one thing if Gasol were attracting defensive attention or rolling through open space as a way of creating opportunities for his teammates, but in this case, his unspectacular individual numbers don't hide some kind of high-functioning altruism. This is simply Gasol as a marginal factor when he ought to be more, and it should be one of Mike Brown's highest priorities to jump-start Gasol's game, however possible.

On the most simplistic level, that effort would begin with finding Gasol post-up opportunities whenever possible. Yet as we've seen with the Indiana Pacers' spectacular usage of Roy Hibbert in their series against the Miami Heat, feeding a big man on the block is only one overly direct way of utilizing his talents. Los Angeles can post up Gasol when appropriate but can ultimately do better by addressing other elements of his utilization. 

One concern with Gasol's post work is the Lakers' spacing in general. Bynum's skill set requires that he essentially be tethered to the basket when not setting screens, making convincing three-point threats an out-and-out necessity, if only to provide some breathing room.

Unfortunately, the Lakers are relying on Metta World Peace and Matt Barnes to fill that role and space the floor, despite the fact that, thus far, Kevin Durant and the Thunder wings have shown a willingness to stray from covering those shooters whenever necessary. By denying the post and crowding the paint, OKC is able to make direct feeds to Gasol especially problematic, and though there are structural ways to create openings for entry passes, operating in such cramped quarters makes those impromptu, mid-set post-ups far more difficult.

The Lakers aren't running all that many plays for Gasol specifically, and the lack of spacing prevents him from functioning well as a secondary option on the block.

Using Gasol as a legitimate option in the high post—and not just a theoretical one—would involve him more in the operation of the offense. Considering how familiar this team is with the triangle, the idea that Brown doesn't play his bigs off one another more often is baffling; we've seen what these two fantastic post players are capable of as a legitimate tandem, and yet, Gasol has been marginalized when he could be a useful facilitator for the rest of the offense.

Additionally, Brown will have his work cut out for him in making the pick-and-roll between Gasol and Ramon Sessions* an effective weapon. Oklahoma City has had the Lakers' high pick-and-roll snuffed out at every step of the way thus far—a big reason why Sessions is having a particularly miserable series.

Without being able to receive those feeds on the move to either finish at the rim or act as a pivot for the Laker offense, Gasol can be found popping out into space that's all too easily shrunk by Oklahoma City's athletic defenders. Whether the answer is to change the angle, placement or timing of the pick-and-roll, I do not know, but finding the means for Sessions to create is also crucial to establishing Gasol.

*It's worth noting that in the pick-and-rolls that Gasol has run with Bryant, he "rolls," seemingly with the full knowledge that he will not be touching the ball. There's no urgency, no hard turn, and often, no roll at all. Gasol flares out into a pop in these situations with an interesting frequency. There's no distinct reason why the pick-and-roll chemistry between Bryant and Gasol need be so lacking, but here we are—even as Bryant often wheels around the screen to find himself covered by two defenders.

All of which hints to the most important bit of all—getting Gasol in motion. The aforementioned pick-and-roll is one way to accomplish that goal, but Gasol can take matters into his own hands by dive cutting whenever Serge Ibaka—who ends up defending Gasol on most possessions—wanders away to block shots.

Ibaka is a fantastic shot-blocker, but too often lets his helping instincts get the better of him. Gasol hasn't made Ibaka and the Thunder pay for that lack of defensive discipline as of yet, but by countering each of Ibaka's needless rotations by heading to the basket, Gasol, at best, opens himself up for an easy scoring opportunity, and at worst, positions himself well for an offensive rebound. 

It's clear at this point that Brown and the Lakers are content to operate through Bryant and Bynum for the vast majority of their possessions, which makes it all the more important that Gasol adapt his game into a more complementary fit. He'll get post touches as the offense allows, but it's far more important that he and the Lakers create viable opportunities through clever maneuvering and movement.

L.A.'s offense may grind to a halt at times, but even in those stagnant stretches, there's much for Gasol to do—and much that he can only accomplish by working as an off-ball threat.

Statistical support provided by NBA.com.