Pau Gasol's First Game in Purple and Gold
After the stunning trade from the Memphis Grizzlies for Kwame and pocket lint, Pau Gasol stepped onto the court tonight for his debut game as a Laker as a starter. Despite Gasol's sore back - and a season-low 6 points from Kobe - the Lakers came away with a victory over the dismal New Jersey Nets, 105-90. Gasol had a strong game, getting a double-double with 24 points and 12 boards (plus 4 assists and a steal). Awesome.
Side note: the most points Kwame scored this season was 10 points (in three appearances). Most rebounds - 11 (twice).
This is exciting. In his first game in purple and gold, Gasol displaying strong numbers and helped the team to victory. And these numbers come after just a couple days with the team and only one practice. Wait until he picks up the ins and outs of the Triangle Offense. Wait until he has his role down as the big man at the high post and is able to either take the J, dump it down to Bynum on the block, or kick it out to Fisher, Kobe, Sasha, or Odom for the long ball.
Next up for the Lakers is the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are playing better than most people expected this year, but they're still mired in the Leastern Conference with a sub-.500 record. But tomorrow's game will be a back-to-back affair for the Lakers, so who knows how it will play out. Hopefully they'll come out energized and Kobe will feel compelled to make up for his lackluster performance in tonight's game. Following that, they play the scorching Orlando Magic on Friday and then play the Miami Heat on Sunday on national television. Will Shaq still be in Miami come Sunday?