Marc Gasol is the Glue of the Lakers' Offseason
Although not the splashiest of the team's signings, the 35-year-old may turn out to be the connective tissue that brings the new roster together.
Welcome to issue #22 of Throwdowns.
It’s been awhile and a lot has changed since we last spoke. The Lakers on paper, resemble a completely different team. Basketball is set to return in less than two (!) weeks. And the NBA is about to venture into playing the sport outside of a “bubble” for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
That’s a lot to digest. So instead, let’s resume our ongoing conversation and zoom inward on a new — yet familiar — name.
When Marc Gasol steps onto the STAPLES Center hardwood for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, he will do so at his own cadence.
He is undoubtedly aware of the history of the franchise that initially drafted him, as he is cognizant of the popular chapter his brother Pau helped write. But whatever happens next, will have to be by his own doing and stamped with his own signature.
The Gasol signing was not the splashiest move Rob Pelinka and the team’s braintrust pulled off this offseason, but it could prove to be the most pivotal in making this new roster work. A task, and skillset, that suits the Barcelona native.
On a team that both just won a title and got slapped with a fresh coat of paint, it is not his production that will be vital — but rather — his power of connectivity.
Like a Tetromino block in Tetris, Gasol’s impact on the floor is more elastic than singular. More spiritual than tangible. At this stage of his career, the veteran center does not put up the gaudy numbers he used to, but rather, serves as a conductor between teammates.
He sets the screen that opens up a driving lane. He makes the pass that leads to the pass, that becomes an assist. His shooting stroke behind the arc forces opposing bigs to respect him, hug his hip a little closer. He creates extra breathing room that over the course of the game, snowballs into extra points that helps result in a win.
The Athletic’s Eric Koreen, even penned and created a metric in his honor (The Gasol) in an attempt to quantify his unique statistical outputs against the context of his value.
Rocky Widner - Getty Images | Throwdowns Illustration
On these Lakers, and next to these specific players, Gasol’s skillset is arguably more valuable here than if he landed on nearly any other club this offseason.
As the likely front-court partner to Anthony Davis, Gasol simply provides offensive skills at the position absent among the team’s former centers.
Playing beside the likes of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard forced Davis into the role of spacing big himself, which equated to less pick and roll opportunities, more jumpers and a crowded paint whenever he did attempt to attack the rim.
Next to Gasol, Davis theoretically can be deployed more in the low post, off-ball via cross/back screens, see more roll opportunities and ultimately be put in spots where he no longer has opposing centers roaming in his peripherals.
One avenue in which the Lakers can accomplish this and simultaneously exploit both Gasol’s stellar ability to read the floor and drag opposing centers out into uncharted waters, is to use the center in the high post or behind the 3-point line.
This set-design and positioning were staples within Nick Nurse’s playbook, and are aspects Frank Vogel and his staff should absolutely study (steal) for inspiration heading into the new campaign.
*It’s worth noting, having a near 7” footer who can make a one-handed entry pass like this to a cutter from the top of the key is so damn useful. Especially when the recipient is as skilled as Davis.
Gasol’s arrival is not mutually beneficial for just one of the Lakers’ stars, as playing beside the new big can also prove advantageous for James himself.
Faced with a truncated season and blistering quick turnaround, James likely will be looking for a lighter workload than ever before. This may be where Gasol’s presence on the floor can be most fruitful.
Even with a considerable amount of miles under the hood, Gasol’s aforementioned ability to space the floor (82nd percentile in 3PT Shot Making/Bball-Index) and in particular — play-make (83rd percentile/Bball-Index) — can allow James to finally breathe on offense. Or in the very least, make his job a little easier.
When James needs to take a trip off in the half court, Vogel can select to use Gasol either from the low, mid or high post and functionally generate efficient looks like these.
He’s a great trigger man and with proper spacing/cutting from his teammates, can still pick apart lazy defenses. Notable off-ball players like Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso, will also likely adore their newest comrade as a result.
Between his ability to pop out behind the arc, or make reads out of the short roll, James can simply dump it into Gasol and let him make the necessary secondary reads. Two cerebral minds on the same team, and touching the ball on one possession.
Not completely unlike the thought process of synching two high-IQ players like James and Rajon Rondo, the positional and functional difference with Gasol however can yield more actual lineup success. In other words, a cleaner fit.
The offense can also simply benefit from having wrinkles outside of isolating James and Davis ad nauseam, which while effective, may not be the best route given the recent wear and tear that comes with a lengthy postseason run.
Including more actions like weaves (as seen in the clip above) dribble hand-offs or directly working off Gasol’s ability to be a hub on offense, can result in easier looks and make the team harder to stop overall.
Outside of the team’s stars, Gasol’s inclusion on this roster also better aligns the complementary pieces into their natural places.
If we assume he starts at center, this essentially slots reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner Montrezl Harrell, back into his most familiar role and nearly guarantees either Gasol or Davis will be beside him on defense for a majority of his minutes. Helping shroud any of defensive limitations that may have been unearthed in the playoffs.
Gasol in particular, not only replaces Howard as another Defensive Player of the Year award winner on the roster, but can also be looked upon to shoulder the burden of checking the opposition’s most bruising bigs. Preserving Davis’ body and moving Harrell into more optimal matchups in the process.
Last season, Gasol not only proved still able on defense, but produced at an elite level in several regards en route to yet another stellar campaign. Thriving both within the interior and overall.
Rim Deterrence : 96th percentile
Percentage of Shots at Rim Contested: 91st percentile
Adjusted Rim Points Saved/Per 36 Minutes: 89th percentile
Defended All-NBA Players (8.7% of the time) : 87th percentile
Defensive PIPM: 99th percentile
- Data via: Bball-Index
Beside the aforementioned pros in starting Gasol next to Davis, bringing Harrell off of the bench also subsequently would give Dennis Schröder a dynamic pick and roll partner to work with, and make the transition down the hall for the energy big a smoother transition given his success with Lou Williams.
If Gasol ends up not starting, this would still put Schröder in a position to succeed. With the Thunder last season, and namely within the team’s stellar 3-guard-lineup, the point guard quickly built a solid chemistry with the team’s center, Steven Adams.
Although he will likely be mostly used on-ball in Los Angeles, Schröder’s ability to slither through empty spaces combined with his absurd speed suggest the makings of an effective off-ball threat (86th percentile/Movement Impact).
That is, if he has a big who can find him. Something Gasol is quite capable of.
While there is plenty gained with Gasol, there are noteworthy traits lost with the departures of McGee and Howard, as a key part of the Lakers’ success last year was the sheer size and athleticism the team was able to deploy in their front court.
Although singularly not the caliber of player of Gasol’s stature, the combination of McGee and Howard offered the team two rim-runners, dangerous vertical threats and on most nights, a physical advantage over their opposition.
To quote friend Pete Zayas (aka Laker Film Room), the Lakers were simply: “Bigger, Faster and Stronger” than a majority of the NBA last year.
That may not exactly be the case again this season, but it could be argued that adding “smarter” to that equation can also pay big dividends. And that’s exactly what you get with a player like Gasol. Who not only is is highly intelligent, but self-aware.
“There are some things I don’t have. I don’t have the above-the-rim lob threat all the time,” Gasol told reporters during his introductory press conference. “But I can do a lot of other stuff to help a team win and be better and help my teammates be better as well.”
Although he is pushing 36, Gasol still extrudes a youthful enthusiasm and charm whenever he speaks. Similar dulcet tones as his older sibling, and a wisp of wisdom that dangles on his every word.
He is always up for passing down his knowledge to other players, namely being an inspiration for other bigs like Al Horford and Bam Adebayo, but also is not done trying to win.
In order to bide as much time as he can in the league, Gasol has done everything from adapting his own game, stretching out to the perimeter and most recently, going on a Paleo diet. The latter helped introduce the world to “Skinny Gasol.”
There is no sugarcoating the fact that Gasol is not the player he once was. His struggles in the most recent playoffs also rose concerns of his ability to hang on the big stage at this point of his career.
With that said, there may be no assortment of talent better suited to hide any signs of aging that may come his way than this one when the season tips off.
And for the Lakers, there may have been no center better suited to be the connective tissue between an array of new, and returning pieces than Gasol himself.
A master of conducting l'orchestra dal gomito, a man who has a stat named after him because he is too unselfish and the brother of one of the most beloved players in team history is now a Laker. Again.
The story writes itself, but the next chapter will be Marc’s to tell.