Pau Gasol: 5 Things Lakers Star Needs to Do in Game 2 Against the Hornets
L.A.'s big man has two days to turn his game on.
No excuses, no worries.
The two-time NBA champion is facing one of his biggest playoff moments on Wednesday. He needs to prove to his team and his fans that Game 1 was a fluke and he can control the middle.
Ahead we'll break down what the Spaniard needs to do to help the Lakers get back in the series.
5. Be the Intimidator
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It's a fact, the Hornets have big bodies to chuck at Gasol.
From seven-footer's Aaron Gray and DJ Mbenga to Emeka Okafor and Carl Landry, New Orleans has the muscle to push around the relatively unimposing seven-footer.
But he doesn't have to let them.
Okafor, who fouled out, and Landry, notched 11 personals in the game, with a few of them "statement fouls" meant to intimidate.
No matter, Gasol can take hits—like the bloody cut he received under his eye in Game 1—and soldier on, but he needs to forget about the bayou brutes that lie in his way and fight harder.
The possibility that recent comments by the Knicks' Amare Stoudemire and the Thunders' Kendrick Perkins teased at Gasol's "softness", are absurd and should just add fuel to his fire.
Okay, maybe you don't see him dive on the floor so much, which is really tough for a seven-footer anyway, but the ninth-year center will throw his body around for loose balls and gets an elbow when it counts.
He simply needs some "statements" of his own to send a message to the Hornets' front line and the haters at Staples.
Not that he should start racking up some flagrant fouls, but if there's one thing that Gasol is more than most is crafty.
So shove it back in their face a few times and see who fouls out first.
4. D Up the Paint!
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Sure, Gasol swatted a couple shots and helped Carl Landry and Emeka Okafor get into deep foul trouble, but there were too many missed assignments and lazy plays.
Landry was the Hornets' second leading scorer with 17 points, and many of them came inside against Gasol's outstretched arms. Landry may be a big body, but Gasol's knack for closing off angles in the paint allowed him to score.
The big man has to get back to the basics of shutting off the baseline and forcing crowded shots from the Hornets.
The other big story here is third-string center Aaron Gray, who, in doubling his season-average minutes, played perfect off the bench hitting all five of his shots on the way to 12 points.
Granted, Gray is rather seldom used and a bit of a surprise, still, if pride has anything to do with it, Gasol will not let this happen again.
The Lakers center is much quicker than Gray and can disrupt entry passes while fighting to force tougher shots.
As displayed in the picture, Gasol can go up against big men in the paint and throw shots back in their face.
He can hustle and scramble to help and has exceptionally quick hands for a center.
In the right mindset his talents won't let the Hornets offense take advantage for long.
But the desire has to be there.
3. Clean the Glass
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Seriously, six rebounds. Six?!
When the Lakers met the Hornets on March 27th Gasol had 16 boards, four offensive. Earlier in the season he snared down 13, both Lakers wins.
Sure, this is the playoffs and there is a different vibe, but the Lakers simply can not win without Gasol's rebounds.
First, he's grabbed around three to four offensive boards in earlier meetings with the Hornets, but got exactly zero on Sunday. That is just unacceptable.
If you're looking at potentially six to eight more points per game on putbacks, now we're seeing where the Lakers margin of defeat came from.
Gasol needs to throw some bodies around and snatch at least 10 to 12 rebounds, with at least three coming on the offensive end, for the Lakers to both start the break and maintain longer possession.
Also, as quick and crafty as they are, there's no reason why the relatively short Chris Paul and Trevor Ariza, who both snared seven boards, should get more rebounds than the lengthy Spaniard.
Rebounding is so integral to maintaining rhythm in the NBA. Whether it's outlets or putbacks, a team like the Lakers feeds on momentum-shifters set up by offensive and defensive boards.
Gasol needs to be that catalyst on the glass.
2. Get Your Shots
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A major point of concern from the Lakers coaching staff, players and fans was Gasol's scoring.
The guy came in from the regular season averaging 19 points and has scored 34 and 23 points, respectively, against the Hornets earlier this season.
So how did he go 2-for-9 with eight points?
Well, as mentioned before, he needs to grab three to five offensive boards in order to get some easy buckets. That could mean as much as 10 more points per game.
Now, we're getting closer to the money.
Gasol also needs to call for the ball more aggressively, and assert himself in the position he's most comfortable in: The lower right block.
Game 1 saw too many deep entry passes falter, and if that's the case, Gasol needs to come off the block a bit more to get the ball.
He's an exceptional ball-handler for a big man and getting the ball closer to the wing where he could put it on the floor to make a move shouldn't be a problem.
The Hornets were good in closing off passing lanes, with the super-quick Paul and Ariza on defense, but the Lakers' guards need to drive in the paint where Gasol's big body can block defenders. Then, as displayed in the 2010 Finals, they can use "crowded" defense against the Hornets' swarming guards, dropping the ball over the top or through to an around-the-basket savvy Gasol.
Overall, there was a lack of jump hooks, bankers and dunks that could have been there but, for lack of reason, weren't.
Gasol can't shy away from his shots, whether because of physical intimidation or over-sharing. He's as integral to the Lakers' offense as Bryant and proved in Game 1—scoring 10 under his average—that they really needed his points.
Just get your shots, big fella.
1. Play Like a Champion
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This should be the easiest.
The pride, the desire, the blood, the fire, it all has to be there to win the title.
Gasol is a winner, but no one says it isn't harder every time around.
Now it might be over the top to say he didn't play like a champion in Game , but there was definitely something lacking in his focus.
Whether it's player chatter, a bloody cut or even Hollywood, Gasol simply needs to bring his entire mindset back on the team and winning.
He must be aware of the hunger and fight of the underdog and be ready to take all the hits, scrapes and cuts of their first-round desperation.
But most of all he needs to play smart.
Champions are made because they figure out how to win.
With the winningest coach in NBA history on the bench the game plan should be clear: Out-hustle, out-defend and out-think your opponent.
Gasol's done it before, it's time again on Wednesday.
