Has Pau Gasol Been the Chicago Bulls' MVP so Far?
Pau Gasol has a legitimate claim to being the Chicago Bulls’ Most Valuable Player. His statistical consistency and invaluable experience has been a steadying anchor as head coach Tom Thibodeau continues to figure out how to maximize his roster’s potential.
When the 13-year veteran was added via free agency, the move was considered an instant upgrade over amnestied power forward Carlos Boozer. Gasol has a truer low-post offensive skill set that better complements Derrick Rose. He also provides more length on defense, giving the Bulls exponentially better paint protection.
The Bulls have shown flashes of the well-oiled machine they could be but have struggled to string together a consistent effort. This club is still near the top of the Eastern Conference, but they would certainly like to be even higher. Still, Gasol has been a beacon of reliability through it all. His yield every night proves his immeasurable significance.
Even more so than Jimmy Butler
Bringing up Jimmy Butler would be the most immediate rebuttal to the claim that anyone else on this Bulls roster deserves top-dog honors. That refutation would not be a far-fetched one, though.
Butler is putting together a phenomenal season, averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists. His 20.7 points per game is the best of anyone on the team; however, the last 10 games have revealed that the former Marquette Golden Eagle’s performance may hinge on being flanked by certain players.
Butler's scoring has been down a great deal over the last 10 games, to 15.9 points to be exact; meanwhile, Gasol has posted 21.5 points per contest over that same stretch. The common factor here is that Mike Dunleavy missed most of these games.
It may seem preposterous to assume that missing a role player could have such a profound impact, but it really isn’t when considering how Dunleavy’s shooting spaces the floor and allows the slashing Butler to do what he does best. Without that perimeter threat, gaps in the defense shrank, which took away driving lanes.
Gasol is also able to use shooters to his advantage; if those marksmen are not present, he can rely on his post-up offense to generate points. Butler has elevated his game, but his frontcourt colleague has demonstrated the ability to thrive on a more reliable basis.
Like fine wine
Another thing that makes Gasol’s 2014-15 season so compelling is the fact that he is performing at such a high level very late in his career. His stat line is similar to his last championship year with the Los Angeles Lakers:
| 18.8 PPG | 11.3 REB | 2.1 BLK | 2.7 AST |
The only other player in the league that is boasting such a monster stat line is New Orleans Pelicans sensation Anthony Davis, though he’s scoring nearly six more points. Gasol is in the midst of a career renaissance in Chicago. He was tailor-made for Thibodeau’s system.
The seven-footer has scored in double figures in all but three games this season. Couple that with his efficient rebounding and shot-altering length and it becomes clear why he is the team’s MVP.
Chicago still has some wrinkles to iron out with personnel chemistry; nevertheless, it will still break the 50-win threshold and secure a pretty high playoff seed. If Gasol can keep it his level of play, he could even sneak into the conversation for league MVP.
That’s not saying that he will, or even should, win it. The front-runners for that award will remain squarely ahead of the pack for the foreseeable future. Gasol’s consideration may come in the form of a media’s tip of the hat in the same manner they did for Joakim Noah and his 2013-14 heart-and-hustle masterpiece.
It would be a deserving acknowledgement for a player who held a team together while the star guard found his rhythm and the standout center played through bodily adversity.
Bulls general manager Gar Forman definitely got a bargain when Gasol decided to sign for less than what other teams were offering. There was no doubt that the experienced big man still had a little left in the tank. Once he started playing, it became apparent that his tank was a rather large reserve.
Gasol is the last piece to the championship puzzle. He complements the shooters and the slashers, making for the most diverse offensive bunch ever seen during the Thibodeau era. Things are still jelling for this club. Gasol’s steadfastness is just what the team needs while all the kinks are worked out.
All statistics current as of January 16, 2015
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
