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Good HH, distinguish between the Kobe fans and the Laker fans...always an important distinction to make tbh.
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/...urn=nba-288174We know that LeBron James, when firing on all cylinders, is the best player in basketball.
We know that Kobe Bryant is the biggest rapist, the most devastating when he has to be, that Chris Paul can affect the game differently than any small man, and that Dwight Howard can absolutely dominate a game even while going full quarters at a time without a field goal.
But has Pau Gasol been the best player in the NBA during its first month? I'm OK with saying yes to that.
Sure, a nice game (to say the absolute least) against the defenseless Golden State Warriors is always good to pump your stats up, but the most shocking part about Pau's 28-point, four-block, 12-rebound night (with five assists; and he didn't miss a free throw or field goal in 18 combined tries) is that it didn't really pump his stats up too much. They were already that good.
And to the naked eye, without any actual do entation to marvel at, the man has been beastly. Never seems to drop the ball below his shoulders, always finishes well, hits cutters, moves his feet defensively, and every time he misses you feel as if something has gone terribly wrong.
The do entation, though? Let's marvel.
About 23 points and 12 rebounds a game. Four assists, and over two combined blocks/steals. Fifty-six percent shooting, and just 1.6 turnovers a contest. The Lakers are eight points worse (per 100 possessions) with him off the floor defensively, and over 11 points better (per 100) with him on the court offensively. Chris Paul and Al Horford(notes) have slightly better Player Efficiency Ratings, but Pau's work is done over 38 minutes a contest, as opposed to 34.4 (Paul) and 31.5 (Horford) a game. So he's nearly as good, for longer.
This production likely won't fade, either, even when Andrew Bynum comes back from surgery, and Bryant starts to take closer games over. The guy is 30, in his ostensible prime, so this is no fluke. This is just a guy playing the best all-around ball of anyone else out there right now, and when you get right down to it (even in a world gone mad with obsessing over scoring leaders in the time since Michael Jordan proved that a points-per-game leader can also lead a team to a le), that's the mark of the best player in the game. Someone who does everything, just about better than anyone else.
So, armed with that knowledge, what do we do?
Appreciate it, I guess.
Kobe fans in the comments section are hilarious, trying to shoot down these articles..
With this type of recognition starting to come out in the media, I wonder if Kobe starts going harder..
Good HH, distinguish between the Kobe fans and the Laker fans...always an important distinction to make tbh.
Yep. it's been Pau so far ...
I still don't trust Pau.
He may have had the best month. So what, every dog has his day. Its not like hes is a top 5 player.
Pau hasn't been much better than last year. Difference is more minutes, touches and Bynum being on the shelf.
His defense has also been shaky. Rose has been overall more impressive, imo.
He is a joy to watch and putting up huge numbers. I'm not sure I would start my team with him, however.
21, with the goods, per usual.
Well if you wanted to win a single playoff game you obviously wouldn't build around the dude..
It has, but that has been more on teh team minus Barnes and Artest ...rest of team not digging in like when they are in "playoff mode" ...conistently. When we do play "d" we are pretty tough to beat because our ofense is "hummin' comin' at cha ...so ya know I had to gat ya"
No Bynum hurts the D. Pau needs him on that end. Otherwise it's 2008 all over again.
With dominating performances from Kome like 8-27 and 11-32 I don't know how anyone thinks this...
What's up with the Hype's 8-6 record Ace? Regardless, welcome back idiot.
Like I said marathon not a race.What's up with the Hype's 8-6 record Ace? Regardless, welcome back idiot.
That ain't saying much. Statistically Pau was better than Kobe last year too. To be blunt, so far, he's really only got 2 other compe ors this season - CP3 and DH12. He's doing more than DH12, and I can't see CP3 hold the pace - I think he's just having a heck of hot streak right now...
Koolaid, where were you when the Celtic fan was regulating your ass? You were posting, all high and mighty, then stopped when he started owning you
Thank you Kobe.
Kobe knows how to make his star teammates better..unlike that dude over in South Beach.
Kobe is more important than the Lakers. Once Kobe leaves, I'll probably become a Thunder fan.
Stick this years Gasol back in his old Grizzlies team and you see it....not...
If you judge by tonight's game .... No. no!
When was the bet between you and cubby uplifted?
He is a great robin but you don't want him to have to be batman. See Memphis for results of that.
No you won't...Lakers will somehow get Durant and Dwight to come to LA...
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