Pau Gasol News: Pro Sports Daily

Gasol's dilemma: For country, or give it a rest?

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June 17

L.A. Daily News

"Will Pau Gasol go for the gold or have anextra dulce de leche on a sidewalk cafe in Barcelona? The Lakers forward said Tuesday he hasn't decided whether he'll play for Spain in the European Basketball Championships scheduled for September in Warsaw, Poland. Like his Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, Gasol has played two long NBA seasons and in the Olympics over the past two seasons, making rest and relaxation during this offseason important. But Gasol said Tuesday, as he walked to his car after meeting with Lakers officials at the team's training center, that he'd really like to help Spain win a European championship. Asked if Lakers coach Phil Jackson or general manager Mitch Kupchak ..."

Gasol needs more shots

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June 11

Orange County Register

"He talked about it Wednesday first in Spanish and then later in English. Just like he talked about it briefly during the Utah series, a little more during the Houston series and a lot more during the Denver series. There's only one way to get Pau Gasol to stop talking about it, and that's for us to stop asking about it. So, entering tonight and Game 4, here's the deal Lakers: If he's allowed to put up, the rest of us will shut up. Got it? These are the NBA Finals and no way should the Lakers' other All-Star, easily the most polished big man in this series, be shooting only 11 times in almost 40 minutes. Not when he's making nine of those 11 attempts. Not when teammate Kobe Bryant is ..."

Gasol prepared for Final run now

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June 4

L.A. Daily News

"Pau Gasol had nothing left in the tank last spring. He was fatigued as the Lakers marched toward the NBA Finals. Whatever strength he had left, he used in reaching the fourth and final round of the longest playoff run of his career. In the offseason, he decided it was time to hit the weights from the beginning to the end of the season. He lifted in the past, but never stuck to a regime. As the seasons progressed, he would usuallythe weights and stick to the basketball. "I just tried to work with discipline and (do) steady work in the weight room throughout the year, so my body is ready to compete, especially at this stage," Gasol said Wednesday. "I think last year I fell a little short, ..."

Lakers' Pau Gasol says he's ready for Kenyon Martin

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May 18

Los Angeles Times

"Pau Gasol answered the challenge for the Lakers, putting his fingerprints all over Game 7, dominating, being the force they needed to get past the pesky Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals. Now there will be a totally different challenge for Gasol, one that could test his fortitude and could push his even-keel demeanor to the limits. Gasol and the Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the conference finals Tuesday at Staples Center, and for Gasol, that means playing against the ever aggressive Kenyon Martin. Martin, a 6-foot-9 forward, tries to intimidate his opponent. He'll push, grab and trash-talk. He'll get into the face of his opponent, looking for a ..."

Ka-Pau! Lakers' Gasol dispels 'soft' label

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May 18

L.A. Daily News

columnist Ramona Shelburne

"It's a strange feeling. To have watched someone play for more than a year and just now feel like you know them. Admit it. Before he rocked the Houston Rockets for 21points and 18 rebounds in Sunday's 89-70 Game 7 victory, you hardly knew Pau Gasol. Other than being the obscenely talented center the Lakers acquired in the middle of last season from Memphis, your impression of the splendid Spaniard was pretty limited. Great player, nice guy, scraggly beard. Sunday, with his howling, scowling effort in the Lakers' most important game of the season, Gasol finally put his stamp on this team. He growled. Fixed his jowl hard and fierce, and screamed into the purple-and-gold-colored afternoon. "He ..."

Lakers forward Gasol hoping history doesn't repeat itself

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May 1

L.A. Daily News

"On heels of close games against Utah, Lakers forward recalls Game 4 collapse in Finals. It was a night that will live in infamy as far as the Lakers are concerned. The memory of Game 4 of the NBA Finals is seared in Pau Gasol's brain. He can't forget how the Lakers squandered a 24-point lead and dropped Game 4 into the laps of the Boston Celtics 97-91 on June 12, 2008, at Staples Center. He can't forget how the Celtics went on to win the series four games to two. Who's to say what would have happened if the Lakers hadn't blown Game 4? Maybe they would have seized the momentum and won the series. Maybe the Celtics would have bounced back to win Game 5. "Who knows? It's all hypothetical," ..."

Gasol's tenacity goes on display during trip

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April 2

Orange County Register

columnist Kevin Ding

"With 3:47 left in the game Wednesday, Kobe Bryant heard the reverential serenade he receives even on the road. "M-V-P! M-V-P!" The Laker who deserved a chant even more than Bryant for a fourth-quarter rise-up effort, though, was Pau Gasol. "M-U-S-S-P-Y-N-T-W-R-T-A-F! M-U-S-S-P-Y-N-T-W-R-T-A-F!" Gasol is the Most Underrated Supposedly Soft Player You Need To Watch Regularly To Appreciate Fully. He's the NBA's unquestioned M-U-S-S-P-Y-N-T-W-R-T-A-F. There is no doubt Gasol is tired from picking up Andrew Bynum's slack the past two months. There was even less doubt that Gasol was tired on Day 13 of this trip in the fourth quarter of a low-energy Wednesday night made harder when Coach Phil ..."

Lakers forward Gasol's play draws praise from Nets coach Frank

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March 29

L.A. Daily News

"By now it's obvious Pau Gasol is the Lakers' second-best player behind Kobe Bryant. Even when fellow 7-foot center Andrew Bynum is healthy and dunking and rebounding with gusto, he lacks Gasol's versatility on the court. Gasol scored a season-best 36points on 14-for-19 shooting while leading the Lakers to a victory Friday over the New Jersey Nets. It was a fine scoring game, to be sure, but he also added 11 rebounds and seven assists in more than 44 minutes. Later, New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank heaped praise upon him. "Gasol was great," Frank said after watching the Spaniard score, rebound and set up teammates for baskets during the Lakers' 103-95 victory. "You can make an argument that ..."

Lakers need to take a hint when it involves Gasol

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March 17

L.A. Daily News

columnist Ramona Shelburne

"He's not the kind of guy who will complain. Not even in Memphis when the Grizzlies seemed intent on squandering some of his most productive years, would Pau Gasol openly criticize a teammate or his organization. He's a good teammate, selfless and professional, all those great things fans say they want from their superstars but then vent about later because there's nothing juicy to talk about on sports radio. The furthest the serenely talented Spaniard will ever come to complaining is an acknowledgement of polite frustration after game like Sunday, where he went 10 for 10 from the field in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks but got only three shots in the second half as the ..."

The brotherhood: NBA siblings not all that rare, but Gasols' quality uncommon

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March 3

Memphis Commercial Appeal

"They make up Spain's first family of basketball, and are the only brothers to be traded for each other in the NBA. Marc and Pau Gasol's hoops heritage will always be impressive for those reasons, and another not-so-heralded one: The 7-footers this season have joined the list of basketball brothers with an above-average impact on NBA teams in the same season. The league has seen nearly 50 brother acts through the years, including three this season. What separates the Gasols from Jason and Jarron Collins, and rookies Brook and Robin Lopez among current brother acts is that they both start and are integral parts of their teams. Tonight will mark the third meeting this season between Marc, the ..."

Gasol makes the most of extra playing time

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February 23

Los Angeles Times

"Pau Gasol stood before the media Friday night, his hair still damp after a shower, his shoulders slumped, and sighed. "I'm tired," he said. Gasol had just played 49 minutes of an overtime game for the Lakers. It was taxing for Gasol, who once again had led the Lakers in minutes played. His minutes have increased substantially since center Andrew Bynum went down Jan. 31 because of a torn ligament in his right knee, and it has taken a toll on Gasol. He has averaged 42.1 minutes a game in the 10 games since Bynum was injured. "Yeah, I'm playing a lot of minutes," Gasol said. "It's hard. It's demanding. But I'm not going to complain at all. I love playing. I love helping my team and doing what ..."

Pau Gasol makes the most of extra playing time

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February 22

Los Angeles Times

"Pau Gasol stood before the media Friday night, his hair still damp after a shower, his shoulders slumped, and sighed. "I'm tired," he said. Gasol had just played 49 minutes of an overtime game for the Lakers. It was taxing for Gasol, who once again had led the Lakers in minutes played. His minutes have increased substantially since center Andrew Bynum went down Jan. 31 because of a torn ligament in his right knee, and it has taken a toll on Gasol. He has averaged 42.1 minutes a game in the 10 games since Bynum was injured. "Yeah, I'm playing a lot of minutes," Gasol said. "It's hard. It's demanding. But I'm not going to complain at all. I love playing. I love helping my team and doing what ..."

When Lakers' Bynum goes down, Gasol and Odom step up

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February 18

Los Angeles Times

"Both recognize what's at stake and what the Lakers need from them. Both know they have to step into a huge void left when Lakers' center Andrew Bynum went down with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. As they have since Bynum was injured Jan. 31 against Memphis, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom continue to deliver in a big way for the Lakers. With the spotlight on them again, Gasol and Odom shined, combining for 27 points on 12-for-21 shooting, 33 rebounds, 15 assists and four blocked shots in the Lakers' 96-83 victory over the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night at Staples Center. "We play good basketball together off each other," Odom said. "You don't see too many guys in the ..."

Gasol burns Knicks for 31 to complement Kobe

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February 3

Newsday

"Just about every eyeball at Madison Square Garden last night was fixated on the guy wearing No. 24 who dropped in 61. Even Mike D'Antoni's. "Hey, I can only watch one guy at a time. I can't watch him, too," the Knicks' coach cracked when asked about Pau Gasol's performance in the Lakers' 126-117 win. "Every time Kobe didn't make a shot, they threw it to him. That's a big guy. It seemed like he had all kinds of blocked shots. He was always at the rim. Pau is a very, very good player." With Andrew Bynum on the shelf for at least eight weeks with a torn MCL in his right knee, Gasol stepped back into the starting center position - the spot he occupied during the Lakers' run to the NBA Finals ..."

It will be more Gasol until Bynum returns

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February 2

Orange County Register

columnist Kevin Ding

"On the one-year anniversary of Pau Gasol coming to the Lakers in trade, nothing was taketh away from them. But no good news was giveth, either. Andrew Bynum's much-anticipated MRI was administered Sunday, but no results were available because Bynum's New York-based doctor, David Altchek, was not in town to read and analyze the diagnostics. The Lakers remain hopeful Bynum skirted major injury to his right knee when Kobe Bryant collided with him in Memphis on Saturday, but they will keep their fingers crossed - and Gasol's literally were late Saturday night - that the pain on the inner part of Bynum's knee is only a sprain. "He has been playing amazing," Gasol said of Bynum. However long ..."

Lakers' Pau Gasol to be named NBA All-Star reserve

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January 29

Los Angeles Times

"Lakers forward Pau Gasol was selected to the Western Conference All-Stars as a reserve, The Times has learned from a source who was not authorized to announce it. Gasol was voted onto the team by NBA coaches. An official announcement will come today on TNT at 4:30 p.m. Gasol, 28, is averaging 17.3 points, nine rebounds and 3.4 assists a game. He has struggled in some games -- including a forgetful 10-point effort Tuesday against Charlotte in which he was benched to start the second overtime -- but he has come up big in the headline-grabbing games. Gasol had 20 points and five assists in the Lakers' Christmas Day victory over the Celtics, including numerous key baskets late in the fourth ..."

Pau Gasol has a shot at All-Star team

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January 28

Los Angeles Times

"On Thursday, Lakers forward Pau Gasol will find out whether he has been selected to the Western Conference All-Star team. His coach, Phil Jackson, will be coach the West team, and his teammate, Kobe Bryant, will be on the team as a starter. The West coaches vote for the reserve players in their conference, but they can't vote for a player on their own team. The coaches' votes were due Tuesday and they had to decide on two forwards, two guards, one center and two wild cards. "I would love to be a part of it," said Gasol, who played in the 2006 All-Star game while with the Memphis Grizzlies. "I think it's something that gives me a lot of pride and I think it's an honor to be a part of that ..."

Pau Gasol doesn't let rebounding go by the board

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January 12

Los Angeles Times

"Pau Gasol couldn't get any shots to fall, so he began filling up another category. Gasol tied a career high with 18 rebounds Sunday against Miami, the second time in the last three games he had hit the same mark. He isn't necessarily known for ferocious rebounding, but he was strong on the boards yet again, getting eight at the offensive end on the way to a three-game total of 47 rebounds in Lamar Odom's absence. "I'm trying to go get it," Gasol said. "The ball doesn't fall in your hands 18 times if you don't go get it, if you don't work and box out defensively. It's just a matter of hustle and being aggressive out there." In the last three games, Gasol has increased his rebounding average ..."

Why the griping about the Lakers?

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January 5

Orange County Register

"The Lakers improved to 27-5 Sunday night and now possess the NBA's top record, which might postpone the release of Lamar Odom, the trade of Andrew Bynum and the firing of Phil Jackson for maybe two or three days. Why can't anyone enjoy this? Have we all forgotten the days of Chucky Atkins and Tierre Brown? Is it really a capital offense when you lead by 23 and win by nine? If there is a Laker nation, it's grumpier than Iran. Here the Lakers slapped around the beardless Portland Trail Blazers, 100-86, but, ahh, what about the first quarter? The Lakers kept kicking the ball around, and LaMarcus Aldridge kept draining jumpers. A startlingly springy French rookie named Nicolas Batum also kept ..."

Lakers' Pau Gasol tries to flex for success

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December 28

Los Angeles Times

columnist Bill Plaschke

"Pau Gasol rocked back and forth on his giant feet, smiling, pleasant, distracted. "You have somewhere else to be?" I said. "After this interview, yes," he said. "Where?" I said. "The weight room," he said. I gasped. I froze. I could not have been more shocked had Pau Gasol told me he was going to a barbershop. Weights? Him? When? "Two or three times a week, since the start of training camp," he said. "I've never really done it before, but I've got to do it now." Oh. So he heard. He heard last spring's cries of "Gasoft." He heard Lakers fans accusing him of disappearing under the weight of Garnett and green. He heard himself being blamed for the NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics. He ..."

Pau Gasol finishes strong for Lakers

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December 26

Los Angeles Times

"Pau Gasol was the emblem of the Lakers' woes in the NBA Finals, a lasting image of what went wrong for them in June against the Boston Celtics. Playing out of position at the time, he was unable to stop Boston from dominating down low, so much so that Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said that the Celtics simply "overran us." Then came Thursday and, well, Gasol was getting overrun again. He missed seven of his first 11 shots and was the victim of an embarrassing "pull-the-chair" tactic by Kevin Garnett, who quickly backed away after leaning into Gasol in the post. The result was Gasol falling down and fumbling the ball. Unlike the Finals, though, there was a surprise ending for Gasol, not to ..."

Gasol brothers reunite in Memphis

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December 22

Orange County Register

columnist Kevin Ding

"Studies show that no matter the political incorrectness of it, parents really do favor one child over another. In the Gasol family, who knows? Maybe it's actually baby boy Adria (just beginning his basketball career at age 15 and projected to be even taller than 7-foot Pau or 7-1 Marc). In Spain, the U.S. and worldwide, Pau is the proven one, with his stature only increasing now that he's Kobe Bryant's second with the glamorous Lakers. Tonight in FedEx Forum, though, Marc will hear the love. Marc has won over the locals with a workmanlike yet skillful rookie season - they call him "The Tank" - and he is the Gasol who chose to come to Memphis this season when he could have continued making ..."

Ex-Grizzly Pau Gasol finds a perfect fit with Lakers

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December 22

Memphis Commercial Appeal

"He'll look virtually the same when the reunion becomes official. His hair is still shaggy, falling over his ears to meet an untrimmed beard on the slender 7-foot Spaniard. Pau Gasol will appear exactly as Memphis remembers. The only exception is a Los Angeles Lakers uniform and a swagger that apparently comes along with it. "I've gotten back that motivation that maybe I lost the last year or two in Memphis," Gasol said, having become a major factor in turning around a storied NBA franchise. Interestingly enough, Gasol played in Miami a few nights ago and never looked at a locker room monitor before the game. It showed Memphis beating Miami in a game a week old. The Lakers went on to lose ..."

Gasol's return to Memphis should be cordial

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December 21

Memphis Commercial Appeal

"He still holds several Grizzlies franchise records. And there's something else you should know about Pau Gasol since the last time he's set foot in Memphis. Monday has been on the 7-foot Spaniard's mind for months. "To be honest, that's the first thing I was looking for when the schedule came out," Gasol said of his return visit Monday with the Los Angeles Lakers. "I wanted to know when I was going to have that first game back in Memphis. It's special, no matter what the situation is." Situation? Gasol's happy. Memphis has cap space. Gasol's more appreciated in LakerLand. Memphis is learning to love its team again. Gasol's playing for championships. Memphis has first-round draft picks. ..."

Pau Gasol does his best work inside for Lakers

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November 26

Los Angeles Times

"The emphasis was for the Lakers to go inside, for Pau Gasol to use his length and experience against New Jersey's frontline. Gasol, an eight-year veteran, had his way with all of the big men the Nets tried to throw at him. Gasol scored 26 points and had eight rebounds during the Lakers' 120-93 victory over the Nets on Tuesday night at Staples Center. He went to work first on Nets second-year forward Yi Jianlian at the power forward spot. When Gasol moved to the center position, he went to work on Nets rookie center Brook Lopez. When the 7-foot Gasol encountered the Nets' 6-10, second-year reserve forward Sean Williams, he just used his height advantage. Gasol took all of them to school. "I ..."

Elbows motivate Pau Gasol

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November 10

Los Angeles Times

"The first elbow upset him, but all Pau Gasol did was look toward the referees for help. The second elbow that immediately followed angered him, but this time Gasol stood up for himself. Gasol got in the face of Houston's Carl Landry, stared him down and exchanged words, letting the physical forward know he wasn't going to be pushed around. From that point on late in the second quarter Sunday night, Gasol refused to back down to Landry and he became a force for the Lakers. Gasol scored all eight of his second-quarter points after Landry's elbow smacked him in the face. That was the spark Gasol seem to need. "At least as far as my aggressiveness," Gasol said. "I think it really raised my ..."

Kobe, Gasol could miss Thunder preseason game

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October 1

The Oklahoman

"News out of L.A. today says Lakers coach Phil Jackson is considering holding out Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol from a preseason game or two because the Olympics may have worn them down. The Thunder will travel to California to play the Lakers in what will be the final preseason game for both teams on Oct. 24. Will Bryant and Gasol sit out that game? We'll have to wait and see. "This week I'm just seeing how they feel, how's their energy level, and then we'll adjust," Jackson told NBA.com. "I was told not to say that I wasn't going to play Kobe in exhibition games. So I'm not going to say Kobe's not going to play in this exhibition game or that exhibition game. But there is a chance they may ..."

Gasol takes a hard look ahead

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June 20

Los Angeles Times

"Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were finally together. It wasn't on the court, though. They went one after the other in exit meetings Thursday, passing in the hallways of the Lakers' training facility after meeting with Coach Phil Jackson and General Manager Mitch Kupchak . Gasol set an early agenda for next season by saying the Lakers should aim for the league's best record in order to secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs."

Odom, Gasol finish meekly

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June 18

Los Angeles Times

"Just as quickly as they arrived, the Lakers' big men disappeared in the NBA Finals. After a Game 5 effort that helped push the series back to Boston, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom faded in Game 6. In a decisive first half, Odom missed all four of his shots and would have been scoreless if not for making four free throws. Gasol was also unproductive as the Celtics took a 58-35 halftime lead, scoring six points and committing four turnovers. Gasol and Odom were also the main reason the Celtics outrebounded the Lakers, 48-29. The Lakers did not have an offensive rebound in the first half. The Celtics finished with four blocked shots, the Lakers none. Odom finished with 14 ..."

Lakers' Gasol shows he can be tough

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June 16

Riverside Press Enterprise

"A few minutes into the Lakers' first true must-win game of the season, Pau Gasol found a way to tap into the toughness and resiliency his critics say he lacks. Ripping down an offensive rebound in traffic under the basket, Gasol absorbed heavy contact and rose up for a putback, finishing the play with a tarzan-like bellow. The play proved to be a good omen for the Lakers as the 7-foot Spaniard had his most productive game of the series, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to help his team come back from a crushing Game 4 loss with a gritty 103-98 victory. "It was required for us to give our very best effort, intensity and aggressiveness tonight to be able to bounce back ..."

Gasol, Odom finally pitch complete games

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June 16

Orange County Register

columnist Marcia C. Smith

"They had been billed as streaky, inconsistent players, as wild-card offensive complements to Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant and as the scattershot and sometimes scatterbrained Lakers starters on the front line. But when the Lakers head-butted NBA Finals elimination on Sunday night in Game 5 at Staples Center, center Pau Gasol and forward Lamar Odom showed up for four quarters to make sure the "(if necessary)" was dropped from the TV listings for Tuesday's Game 6 and the Larry O'Brien Trophy wouldn't be wheeled out onto the Lakers' home court for the Boston Celtics, who still lead the series, three games to two."

Gasol faring well against Garnett

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June 12

L.A. Daily News

"Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics stands 6-foot-11. The Lakers' Pau Gasol is an inch taller. As matchups go, theirs is one of the better ones during the NBA Finals. Certainly, Garnett has not abused Gasol in the low post or on the perimeter. In fact, Gasol has played tighter defense on Garnett as the best-of-7 series has progressed. Garnett has averaged 18 points on only 35.5 percent shooting in the first three games of the Finals and is coming off a 13-point performance in which he shot a woeful 6 for 21 in Game 3 on Tuesday night. Many of his shots were well outside the paint. "I think his game this year has moved out a little more (to) the perimeter than it has in the ..."

Watching From Bench, With Visions of Lakers? Future

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June 8

New York Times

"A crisp championship banner and a sun-soaked parade await the Los Angeles Lakers if they can solve the Boston Celtics in the next two weeks. What awaits them next fall is nearly as enticing. The mere mention of it makes Lamar Odom ’s eyes widen. “We’re focused on the task at hand,” Odom said. “But we already know.” The Lakers’ not-so-distant future looks like this: 7 feet by 7 feet by 6 feet 10 inches. Those are the heights of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Odom. Next season the three should form the longest, tallest, most imposing and versatile frontcourt in the N.B.A. “Size matters,” Odom said, grinning."

Pau Gasol deal an absolute steal

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June 5

Boston Herald

"While much of the Celtics’ focus will deservedly be on MVP Kobe Bryant during the NBA Finals, it was a Feb. 1 transaction that made it possible for the Lakers to make it here in the first place. It was that day the Lakers went from a team struggling to keep its head above water in the ultra-competitive Western Conference to a championship-caliber squad when general manager Mitch Kupchak acquired center Pau Gasol from Memphis for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Gasol’s brother, Marc, and two first-round picks. “A donation,” is how Bryant has often described what for now looks like an incredibly lopsided deal."

Lakers' Pau Gasol cleans up on the boards

May 30

Los Angeles Times

"The key piece who helped bring the Lakers this far wasn't shooting or scoring with much efficiency in Game 5, but it didn't matter. Pau Gasol found other ways to be active. He had 19 rebounds, one shy of his career best, and took a whopping nine offensive rebounds, tying his career high."

Lakers look to Odom, Gasol for help in Game 4

May 27

L.A. Daily News

"After missing 9 of 11 shots and 5 of 8 free throws, after blaming himself for the Lakers' 19-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game3, after eating a late dinner with his teammates and after watching the game on videotape in his hotel room, Lamar Odom tried to get some sleep early Monday morning. It wasn't easy. He replayed the game over and over in his head. He thought about everything that went wrong and everything he needed to do in order to avoid repeating his mistakes in Game4 of the Western Conference finals tonight at the AT&T Center."

Lakers want Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom to get hungry

May 27

Los Angeles Times

"They had fed off each other since the Trade That Changed Everything, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol hungrily snapping up each other's passes and missed shots, practically completing each other's sentences as the Lakers rolled to a 32-8 record with Gasol in their lineup. Then came Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, and Odom and Gasol were left without any sustenance. They missed 20 of 29 shots, many from close range, and were privately singled out by Coach Phil Jackson for not being aggressive enough."

Gasol making a difference for the Lakers

May 8

Los Angeles Times

"The questions came fast and furious at Kyle Korver and his Utah Jazz teammates in their locker room Wednesday night after the team fell to the Lakers, 120-110, at Staples Center. Really, it was the same question, asked by various media members in various ways. To boil it down to two words: What happened?... Korver pointed to another factor beyond the score sheet, the man who has catapulted the Lakers in just three months from playoff hopeful to championship favorite, Pau Gasol."

Round 1 against Utah goes to Lakers' Gasol

May 5

L.A. Daily News

"A scraggly beard is a good start, but it can only take a reputation so far. Banging with the Utah Jazz and forcing its bruising All-Star forward Carlos Boozer into an off night? That's the kind of thing that earns a NBA player tough-guy cred. During the Lakers' first-round sweep of the Denver Nuggets, Pau Gasol proved two things: He can win a playoff game, after going 0-12 during his 6 seasons in Memphis. He runs the triangle offense exceedingly well. But the Nuggets aren't exactly known for tough defense or physical play, so Gasol wasn't able to do much to prove his ruggedness."

Lakers Find Magic In Center Gasol

April 23

Washington Post

"The moment he heard that the Los Angeles Lakers had acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis, Kobe Bryant sent his new teammate a text message, in Spanish, that read: "Welcome to the team. Happy to have you as part of the family. Let's go get this ring.""

For the Lakers' Gasol, the weight is gone

April 21

Los Angeles Times

columnist Bill Plaschke

"He is standing in the Staples Center tunnel, waiting to step inside the interview room, a giant wet mop with this dorky, delightful smile, and you just have to ask him. "It's the monkey, isn't it?" you say. Click here to find out more! "What?" says Pau Gasol. "You got the monkey off your back, didn't you?" you say."

Gasol makes first playoff victory look easy

April 21

Orange County Register

columnist Jeff Miller

"The Denver Nuggets arrived at the postseason Sunday flashing their celebrated body ink and nastiest Kenyon Martin glare, their jerseys and dispositions equally untucked. How did the Lakers respond? Pau, right in the kisser."

Lakers Have Center to Hold Playoff Run Together

April 21

Riverside Press Enterprise

columnist Gregg Patton

"If anyone wondered how Pau Gasol, their midseason gift, would perform under the squeeze of playoff basketball -- after losing all 12 of his previous postseason games for the straggling Memphis Grizzlies -- the early returns are in."

Diesel fuel, or Gasol?

April 21

L.A. Daily News

columnist Ramona Shelburne

"It feels blasphemous to even think it, much less say it aloud, but these Lakers - Kobe's and Pau's Lakers, that is - just might end up being better than Kobe and Shaq's dysfunctional, but brilliant bunches of the early 2000s."

Just call him the breeze

April 20

L.A. Daily News

"He blew into town like a perfect ocean breeze - softly, lightly and just when they needed him most. For two weeks before Pau Gasol's arrival in Los Angeles, the Lakers had been down."

Gasol-driven geometry gives Lakers some space

April 14

Los Angeles Times

columnist Mark Heisler

"They're 21-5 with Pau Gasol in the lineup, an .808 winning percentage which, projected over a season, would be better than Boston's NBA-best .800. With Gasol, they go from erratic fits and starts (see: the last three seasons) to sleek efficiency."

Gasol gets credit for Duncan's long day

April 14

San Antonio Express-News

"Tim Duncan didn't even bother to look at the stat sheet waiting for him at his locker after Sunday's 106-85 loss to the Lakers. He didn't need to see it. He knew it was bad."

Lakers' Gasol feels OK the day after

April 4

Los Angeles Times

"A day later, Pau Gasol felt fine. Good enough to practice, anyway. Gasol went through a full workout with the Lakers the morning after collecting 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a 104-91 victory Wednesday night against Portland."

His presence helps to fill a huge void

April 3

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"Center Pau Gasol, out of the Lakers' lineup for nine games after spraining his left ankle, said he wanted to play enough in his return Wednesday to get back into a routine. That he did, playing the first six minutes, 37 seconds against the Portland Trail Blazers and nearly 32 minutes overall."

Lakers expect Gasol to play Wednesday

April 2

Los Angeles Times

"The Lakers received their most upbeat medical report in weeks after practice on Tuesday: Pau Gasol is expected to play tonight when the Lakers play host to the Portland Trail Blazers, after missing nine games because of a sprained left ankle."