Los Angeles Lakers: The answer we expected from Marc Gasol

In the wake of Andre Drummond‘s acquisition by the Los Angeles Lakers, Marc Gasol was not secretive about how he felt about his upcoming role change. He clearly manifested his disappointment in a press conference when asked about the new situation.

Although he did not say anything compromising or showed any hard feelings toward the organization, stressing the business nature of his job and the need to adapt, he sounded rather disappointed and not so convincingly committal to the team’s project. He instead kept stressing that things change constantly in the NBA, almost to suggest that a departure from the team was not to be excluded.

On the other coast, on the team widely considered the main threat for the Los Angeles Lakers to repeat, another center faced the same situation:

DeAndre Jordan went from starting for the Brooklyn Nets to multiple DNPs when, in a similar fashion to the Lakers, they acquired LaMarcus Aldridge in the buyout market.

Things did not go as planned for the Nets, as Aldridge had to suddenly retire for heart issues, and Jordan regained his playing time. Yet, he still faces a renewed competition from young Nicolas Claxton, who emerged in the meantime as a significant contributor, and Blake Griffin, acquired shortly before Aldridge.

MUST-READ: Why Andre Drummond won’t return after this season

Anyway, DJ gave the right answer when asked about his fluctuating role in the rotations, the one everyone expects to hear.

The ultimate goal is what counts. Given how difficult it is to win a championship in the NBA, he understands how unique of a situation he finds himself and is ready to make every necessary sacrifice to make sure it happens.

That is the kind of answer Los Angeles Lakers fans wanted to hear from Marc Gasol, who clearly understands it too.

Of course, anyone else in his position would think the same he does, but he should not have let it transpire in a press conference. That is not what we expect from a 12-year pro and NBA champion, who has been for years the face of a franchise and a consummate professional on the tail of his career.

He should have probably maintained better professionalism, not letting transpire a certain vent for the situation.

We are talking about just a small error of judgment in an emotional moment. He corrected his declaration a few days later after leading the team to a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a season-high 18 points, reiterating his commitment to the team.

We know Marc will do everything in his power to contribute to a championship run and he will be a professional throughout the whole time.

Although he does not appear so convinced of the likelihood, his time will come to play an important role in the playoffs. Especially as a first-round matchup with the Denver Nuggets and MVP-candidate Nikola Jokic becomes increasingly probable.