Lakers To Go Gasol-less Again

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The only thing more common than the losses piling up for the Lake Show these days are the DNPs Pau Gasol is compiling.

The Spaniard already sat out a good chunk of games while resting his ailing knees. Now he’s sidelined once again due to persisting concussion symptoms. After tonight’s contest against the Milwaukee Bucks Gasol will have missed five straight since suffering his concussion and 13 overall including his time missed due to knee tendinitis.

Of course when Pau has played the results have been extremely underwhelming. Whether its Mike D’Antoni’s inability to get the most of his talented big man or it’s simply the downswing of Gasol’s career the Lakers haven’t seen anything close to the best of their once valued asset.

At one point Pau was a major chip the Lakers looked to cash in in hopes of improving the team. Were it not for Commandant Stern’s heavy hand Gasol would have been worth his weight in Chris Paul. Now at days the Lakers would be lucky to move him for Cliff Paul.

Despite his lack of production the stats don’t lie and the Lakers are better this season with him than they are without. Of course they’re still below .500 either way so it’s really an ugly contest. None the less the mounting challenge of making a playoff push is made all the more difficult without all hands on deck.