IT’S OFFICIAL: GotEmCoach.com announces ban on...

9:44 pm - Sun, Jan 16, 2011: 93 notes

IT’S OFFICIAL: GotEmCoach.com announces ban on Pau Gasol

I will not post any Pau Gasol content until he stops playing like garbage. Gasol spends the first 30 games complaining about how many minutes he’s playing. The media and fans defend him, saying he’s spent. Bynum comes back, and Pau regresses, which is understandable as the two find their chemistry on court again. However, Pau has continued his slide in recent weeks, as Bynum has come on strong. So what’s the excuse now?

Another putrid performance today versus the Clippers and Blake Griffin doesn’t help matters. Eventually, I will do the research and present the hard statistics, but for now I stand on firm ground with this completely unsupported claim: Pau Gasol gets killed against strong, rugged forwards who are not afraid to be physical (Griffin, Milsap, Garnett, Noah, etc.).

Lets look at today, as a microcosm: Griffin struggles all game long, through early foul trouble, never finding his rhythm against the Lakers length, but played strong and hard through the 4th quarter to finish with 18-15-3 on 7-20 shooting. He showed me guts today. No excuses.

Conversely, Gasol was completely absent and thoroughly lackluster. After making his first hook shot, Gasol went on to miss 3 straight jump shots (way to go strong to the basket), then turned the ball over and missed a free throw, before going back to his hook shot, which was blocked by DeAndre Jordan. He finished the first quarter by missing a free throw. He finished with 13 and 8.

Griffin battled after a slow start. Gasol wilted after his. The Clippers took the lead when Griffin backed Gasol down, almost under the basket, to score on a short shot. The Clippers started to pull away as Griffin put a simple post move on Gasol to score a layup. Gasol was laying on the floor after flopping.

Knowing Kobe is probably on the back end of his career, how comfortable are Laker fans with Pau Gasol picking up the Top Dog Torch of the L.A. Lakers?

Although he’d never say it, Lamar Odom, who is playing the best basketball of his career and deserves to be an All-Star, must be disgusted with Gasol’s play of late.

Here’s is Lamar, who after playing the entire summer leading the USA National team, is grinding through the season, playing extra minutes, picking up just as much Andrew Bynum-slack early, performing as the Lakers’ most consistent player through half the season, and now completely accepting of his role as sixth man behind Pau Gasol.

Gasol might be handed an All-Star spot by the coaches. Odom has earned it.

Again, lets look at today’s game for a comparison. While Gasol was laying on his behind, under the basket, watching Griffin score late, Lamar Odom was grabbing him by the jersey, tossing him out of bounds.

Laker reporter, Mike Trudell spoke to Odom post-game, “Odom said he took exception to Griffin running up his back with 5 seconds left. [Odom] Said he may have overreacted, but was making a point.”

Just checked again. No points made by Pau Gasol.

Got ‘Em