According to ESPN, Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni is flirting with the idea of bringing forward Pau Gasol off the bench, and reportedly, Gasol is none to thrilled by the prospects.
"I've never come off the bench in my career," Gasol said. "(Thursday) was my first game off the bench with the Lakers, maybe a couple other games due to injuries, but that's it. I've been a starter my entire career. I've been a star starter my entire career, so I want to continue to be a star starter."
Gasol's statement does sound a bit selfish, and he may need to face the reality that his days of a "star starter" may be over, but it also illustrates a larger issue for D'Antoni and the Lakers.
Why can't D'Antoni find a way to utilize one of the most skilled big men in the NBA? And is Gasol's career-worst season more a reflection of his declining skills or an indictment of his seemingly clueless coach?
It seems like Gasol and D'Antoni have been at odds since D'Antoni accepted the job. While most of Gasol's failure to adapt to a new system was blamed on the absence of Steve Nash, Gasol hasn't seen much real improvement since Nash returned.
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Article written by Hadarii Jones
The L.A. Lakers Should Bench Mike D’Antoni Instead of Pau Gasol
January 19th, 2013 by Hadarii Jones Leave a reply »
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