The Los Angeles Lakers are struggling. Despite the return of Kobe Bryant, the team is dismantling and frustrations are mounting. Health appears to be the biggest issue facing the Western Conference team right now. However, according to veteran Pau Gasol, there are more issues than a hamstring injury or two.
Gasol's numbers are down for the second straight season. This year, the Lakers need him more than ever but he is struggling on the court on both defense and offense. So what does the big man do? Blame head coach Mike D'Antoni of course.
"The fact that I'm not getting the ball in the post affects directly my aggressiveness," Gasol said, via the Los Angeles Times. "When I'm not getting the ball where I want to, where I'm most effective, where I can bang guys and utilize my skill, that affects my aggressiveness and overall intensity. ...What do you think? I'm not going to say anything, but it's easy to see. You see a guy with a certain skill set, where does it fit better, where it doesn't."
Gasol's production has all but gone away in the perimeter system that D'Antoni runs. Last season, he put up a career-worst 13.7 points per game. Many people assumed that might have been due to the fact that Gasol did not function well with Dwight Howard on the court. Now that Howard is gone, Gasol's production is no better. This year he is shooting 41.7 percent from field goal range, another career-low number.
"He can always move closer to the basket," D'Antoni said, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "That's on him. He needs to dive and we need to get the ball into him. He needs to go where he feels comfortable."
While Gasol and D'Antoni battle it out to see who is right and who is wrong, Bryant is trying to figure out how to get the team past the recent blow of injuries. The Lakers were looking up after Bryant returned and Steve Nash appeared to be on the mend, but now Steve Blake is likely to be out for the next six weeks after tearing a ligament in his right elbow. Pair that with the loss of Jordan Farmar and now Bryant is apparently playing point guard.
"I don't really have much of a choice right now. I gotta get out there and do a lot more than expected," Bryant said.
To make matters worse, Mitch Kupchak does not believe the team will make any sort of trades because he told reporters there are not any point guards available who could play ahead of Bryant. When the team matches up against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, Bryant will be placed on Russell Westbrook. Just two games back from a torn Achilles and Bryant appears to be the best option the Lakers have.
