2012-13 Statistics: 

33.8 MPG 13.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 BPG, .466 FG%, .702 FT%, 33 games missed due to injury

Season Recap:

The seven-foot Spaniard had his worst statistical season as a Laker in terms of points, rebounds, and shooting percentages, but some of that may have been due to injury or to early unfamiliarity with Mike D’antoni’s offense.

In November and December and the early weeks of Mike D’antoni’s tenure, Pau Gasol seemed to be on the wrong end of an offensive experiment. He found himself attempting more mid-range jumpers than ever before and even a handful of threes for a short while. That’s not who Pau Gasol is. He’s a crafty, skilled post player on the low block. Pau Gasol’s efficiency increased as the Lakers began to use him in the same ways that he is accustomed.

In January, Pau Gasol didn’t look quite like himself. He suffered a concussion and missed five games. Soon after returning, Mike D’antoni decided to play Pau Gasol off the bench and start Earl Clark instead. Clark took the world by storm and played really well, but you have to wonder if that hurt him emotionally. Gasol had started 345 games for the Lakers and now was being asked to play a bench role behind someone who barely made it off the practice squad? 

Gasol still hadn’t fully figured out his role in the new Lakers offense at the time that he went down with plantar fascia. He missed six weeks with this injury. When he returned, he actually looked like the Pau of old. He was scoring efficiently, rebounding well, and passing spectacularly for a big man.

The biggest concern with Pau Gasol as a whole this season was how he was on the floor with Dwight Howard. He had never had a real issue in a dual big man lineup with Andrew Bynum. Heck, they won two championships together. But with Dwight, it was different. The defensive spacing seemed off the whole year with both big men on the floor, and the defensive numbers were terrible when they shared the court. It was not uncommon to see miscommunication leading to wide open lay-ups off of pick-and-rolls. There were flashes of great ball movement between them offensively, but that was the exception–not the trend. Mike D’antoni even said it himself: The Lakers were best with only one of them on the floor. Unfortunately, they are both high enough caliber players that they needed to share the court during a portion of every game.

2013-14 Forecast:

Who knows what’s in store for Pau Gasol next season? How will he respond from knee surgery this off-season? Will he return to the Lakers? Will they trade him? Will they amnesty him? If Pau stays, will Dwight stay too? There are questions surrounding everything for Gasol next season and his future is in total flux. I’d prefer that they get rid of him. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pau, but he doesn’t seem like a great fit with Dwight Howard, the most talented young player on the Lakers and the likely cornerstone of the future of the franchise. I’d prefer to trade him and get Josh Smith or another younger and smaller athletic power forward who can stay out of the paint and let Howard control the game and do his own thing, without interference from any of his teammates.

If Pau Gasol stays on the Lakers, with Dwight Howard, and the team is composed similar to the way it is now, I’d expect him to play more of a facilitating role like he did in the waning weeks of this past season. Gasol is an excellent decision maker at the high post and had six games with at least 9 assists, including the playoffs, after returning from injury. Defensively, it’s going to be difficult. He’ll need to communicate with Dwight more and develop better chemistry during training camp so they are on the same page in terms of assignments and roles on defense during the actual season.

Highlights:

This is a clip from Pau’s triple-double against the Warriors near the end of the season. Although the game is marred by Kobe’s Achilles tear, it also happened to be Gasol’s best performance of the year.

What do YOU believe will happen to Pau Gasol this offseason? COMMENT below with your thoughts.

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Jun 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) celebrates with the Bill Russell mvp trophy after winning the NBA championship in game five of the 2012 NBA Finals at the American Airlines Arena. The Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

With Dwight Howard taking a breath of fresh air before making his ‘decision’ and Kobe Bryant climbing an uphill battle against an Achilles injury, there’s no telling if either of them will be suiting up for the Lakers in 2014.

What we do know, however, is that Steve Nash is currently the only contract on the books for the Lakers in 2014.

With that, I’d like to take a look at a few of the biggest names on the market in 2014 which the Lakers could potentially pursue. Never to early too start looking ahead, right?

Lebron James

So it’s far-fetched, but the best basketball player in the world will be hitting the market in 2014. For whatever reason, there’s mumblings around the web that he’ll reunite with the Cavaliers – which I’m not seeing the validity in myself. Adrian Wojnarowski doesn’t either.

Be that as it may, James could either be in the midst of a dynasty with the Heat in 2014, or on a team losing steam with the inevitable decline of Dwyane Wade. Should it be the latter, we could see the big three in Miami go their separate ways.

Carmelo Anthony

We’re dealing with a double-edged sword here. Melo is a supreme talent and an elite scorer in the league, no one can deny that. But on that same token, there are serious questions surrounding his ability to lead a team to a title.

Even so, LA would probably be in a better position to surround him with talent – mostly because their pockets have no conscience.

Rudy Gay

Gay will be 28, entering his prime and ready to get the hell out of Toronto in 2014. No offense, Toronto.

While Gay has never shed his label as a borderline star, he’s the type of player that could settle into a Robin role – with some Batman upside. The Grizzlies ascent to the Western Conference Finals in his departure is a little concerning though.

DeMarcus Cousins (restricted)

We’ll toss in a few restricted free agent because the Lakers are never afraid to overspend for mediocre talent.

Alright, so you can overlook the ‘mediocre talent’ bit with this guy, his ceiling is one of the highest you’re likely to come across. On the other hand, he’s kind of a head case. It’ll be interesting to see how that crazy/upside scale grades out in a couple of years.

Eric Bledsoe (restricted)

With Chris Paul in town, Bledsoe is second fiddle and only biding his time till he can get out of a Clippers uniform. And while it’s likely the Clips will try to move him before he skips town, we can only hope that he finds his way to the Lakers. Mark my words, this kid will be elite.

Honorable mentions: Evan Turner (restricted), Kyle Lowry, Danny Granger, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh

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