Pau Gasol Already Looking Like Free-Agent Steal for Chicago Bulls
In one free-agent signing, the Chicago Bulls found a secondary scorer to complement Derrick Rose, a post-passing partner for Joakim Noah and quite possibly the missing piece to their championship puzzle.
For Pau Gasol, a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time world champion, a $22 million price tag is basketball's equivalent to a Black Friday door-busting discount. That's why the big man had full-fledged contenders lined up like desperate deal-hunters over the offseason.
He ultimately chose the Bulls, declaring at his introductory press conference that Chicago's championship ceiling is what led him to the Windy City:
"Money obviously wasn't the priority here. I turned down bigger offers, and I prioritized being on a championship-caliber team and being in a position where I can hopefully put that team over the top with my game, as well. I felt that here, I was going to have that opportunity, and now it's just a matter of getting to work.
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Collectively, that work won't start until the Bulls kick off training camp with their Media Day event on September 29. That's when the Bulls will begin discovering whether their elite credentials look as strong inside the lines as they do on paper.
Judging by the way Gasol spent his summer, though, the Bulls might be even better than they seem. And that's a terrifying thought given how high the bar has been set with Rose's return, their other offseason additions (rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic, veterans Aaron Brooks and E'Twaun Moore) and the further development of their incumbent talent (Noah, Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler and Tony Snell).
Even those who celebrated Gasol's arrival in free agency had to be surprised by how well the 34-year-old showed at the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Surrounded by some of the greatest in the game, the versatile Spanish forward may have outshined every other player on that stage:
"Pau is playing very, very well in all areas," Bulls coach and Team USA assistant Tom Thibodeau said, via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "His defense, his rebounding, his passing, his scoring—all those things have been very, very good. I love the way he is moving. ... He's rejuvenated."
Gasol looked different than he had over his last few seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. Gone were the nagging ailments and ill-fitting offensive systems. Back was the nimble footwork, crafty passing and steady scoring that once eased his ascent up the NBA's interior ranks.
What's scarier still is that his production actually held up fairly well over his "lean" years with ex-Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni. Gasol was one of only nine forward-centers to average at least 15 points and nine rebounds over the past two seasons. His 19.3 assist percentage during that stretch was the second-highest at the position, trailing only his new All-Star frontcourt mate Noah (22.4).
Even if the Bulls were only getting the inconsistent—both in playing time and production—Gasol the Lakers had seen of late, that would be reason enough for Bulls fans to praise the pickup. After all, Chicago reeled off 48 wins last season without Gasol, McDermott and Mirotic and with only 10 games of a clearly limited Rose.
Whatever Gasol could give, the Bulls seemed ready and eager to welcome him aboard. Rose, who never has been big on recruiting for the franchise, reportedly played a major role in luring Gasol to town.
"[Gasol is] someone that I knew I could play with," Rose told reporters. "You think about Pau, him now being in the East, what he'll be able to achieve with the way we play, the way we dump the ball in the post a lot. It could be great."
More than anything, that was what Gasol's sprint through the international stage did for the transaction: It hinted how his signing could grow from a good move to a great one.
"If he's back to being this Pau, the super-skilled low-post force that he can be, the Bulls have every reason to expect to be a true contender," wrote NBA.com's Sekou Smith.
The Bulls are going to field an elite defense, regardless of personnel. During Thibodeau's four seasons at the helm, Chicago has never finished lower than sixth in defensive efficiency. In three of those campaigns, the Bulls ranked either first (once) or second (twice).
Gasol has never been mistaken for a stone wall, but neither has his predecessor, Carlos Boozer. Just like the league's latest amnesty victim did during his time in Chicago, Gasol will benefit from having defensive stoppers all around him (Butler, Noah and Gibson).
The Bulls are built to help Gasol weather the defensive damage done at the hands of Father Time. At the opposite end, they are more than ready to add his multifaceted skill set to the mix.
Last season, the Bulls were extremely limited on that side of the floor.
D.J. Augustin, who was waived by the Toronto Raptors in December, wound up leading the Bulls' regulars in scoring (14.9) despite shooting only 41.9 percent from the field. Chicago tied the 25-win Boston Celtics for 27th in offensive efficiency, averaging an anemic 99.7 points per 100 possessions.
Bulls fans should expect to see a dramatic turnaround this season, as Comcast SportsNet's Mark Schanowski explained:
"The thought of Noah at the high post making entry passes to Gasol has to be exciting for Thibodeau, who always talks about an offense playing inside-out. What that basically means is attacking the inside early, either through cuts to the basket or post-up options to set up open perimeter looks as the game wears on. Add in the option of running high screen and roll with Gasol and Rose, and the Bulls' playbook should be as dynamic and versatile as any team in the league.
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Excruciating to explosive: That's the type of transformation this team could realize if everything goes according to plan. It's not impossible to imagine a scenario where Chicago's top four scorers are Rose, Gasol, McDermott and Mirotic, all of whom were essentially absent from last season's attack.
There are so many avenues to offensive improvement that Thibodeau can explore, none of which should expose his team to defensive regression. And outside of a fully recovered Rose, no one will play a greater role in igniting this offense than a revitalized Pau Gasol.
The big man looks like the offseason's biggest steal already, and his value will only increase over time.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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