Lake Show Life
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Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons from celebrating fans in loss to Celtics

By Ronald Agers

Apr 15, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Alfonzo McKinnie (28) handles the ball as Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) guard Payton Pritchard (11) and center Luke Kornet (40) move in during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 15, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Alfonzo McKinnie (28) handles the ball as Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) guard Payton Pritchard (11) and center Luke Kornet (40) move in during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports – Los Angeles Lakers /

Marc Gasol is going to start a Los Angeles Lakers “Center Controversy” if he keeps playing like this! 

Like the Los Angeles Lakers need any more drama going into the playoffs. Well with the sudden inconsistency of Andre Drummond’s play and Marc Gasol’s entrance into that certain “zone” from the 3 point line, there is a storm brewing in Lakers Nation.

No, not the storm LeBron James was talking about when he and Anthony Davis return to the lineup…   

Ever since Andre Drummond was signed and named the starter in the middle, quietly Marc Gasol has been balling!

For the second time this season, Marc Gasol led the starters in scoring and scored a season high 18 points (7-10 shooting!) while filling out the box score with 4 rebounds (2 offensive!), 3 assists and only one turnover.

The plan was for Frank Vogel to give Drummond as many minutes as possible to get him ready for the playoffs. The minutes was going to come a the Big Spaniard’s expense. Gasol is show everyone that this is a bad idea to bench him especially with what Marc has to offer.

Gasol’s ability to shoot perimeter shots have enabled the Lakers to pull opposing centers out of the paint and for Schroder and Talen Horton-Tucker (Much more on him in a second!) to get to the rim.

With 16 games left in the season with the next four games be a determining factor in playoff seeding, Frank Vogel will have to realize that Marc Gasol could be a better fit because he can pull opposing centers out to the 3-point line. The Utah Jazz will bring out Rudy Gobert and the Dallas Mavericks will probably use Kristaps Porzingis or Dwight Powell in a small lineup.

Plus his level of play has quietly improved on both ends of the floor. Let’s look at his performance over the previous road trip.

  • Gasol had 97.0 defensive rating (Best on the Lakers)
  • His net rating was the best of the team’s centers.
  • He averaged 8.0 points, 5.5 boards, and 3.5 assists in les than 20 minutes while shooting 60 percent from the land of the extra point. 

With Andre Drummond’s admitted issues to fit in with the Lakers scheme after the Hornets game, Marc Gasol’s resurgence is now in the spotlight.

Will Frank Vogel make a switch in the starting lineup? PFFT! Please. He’s notoriously reluctant to change his starting lineup (Have you seen KCP hit the bench yet?). However, it will get to the point where starting Gasol could be their best option to survive the next four games and remain in the top six in the West.

Talen Horton-Tucker has been improving all season long. But his part in a 24-4 run to put fear in Brad Stevens enough to bring back the starters to finish the game leads to the point from the Lake Show Life Lessons staff. Read on… 

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