Pau Gasol Powers Forward

Lakers power forward Pau Gasol is seamlessly adapting to his new NBA position after a summer of international play that included the Olympics. It has been a tumultuous few months for the Lakers, with Kobe Bryant and Sasha Vujacic suffering injuries and Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom engaging in contract squabbles. For Pau Gasol, however, it has been smooth sailing, with a 10.5-point average in 18.8. minutes per game and consisten shooting (64%) as well. Gasol isn’t on the contract chopping board either; he is locked in until July 2011. All Gasol has to worry about currently is the remodeling of his Redondo Beach home.

The Lakers acquired Gasol in February and he was a center before learning the triangle offense as a power forward, a position which he is assuming flawlessly. In his new post, Gasol will shoot more from the outside, guard slightly smaller players and won’t be the main focus in the post anymore. Gasol told the L.A. Times “The center position’s pretty easy to figure out in our system. Playing [on the] wing is definitely more complicated. There’s a lot more options on the wing, with more mobility. It’s been a challenge, but I’ve been enjoying it.” Coach Phil Jackson previously expressed concern that Gasol and Bryant would have tired legs after such a short off-season (due to the Olympics) but it seems they are getting on just fine.

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