Is Pau Gasol a viable offseason target?

[Darkwaters]

Also note, the Spurs may gamble to go over the cap with Gasol at 10m per. It'll be Duncan and Manu's last year of course.

Spurs may do this only to ensure they have a decent center for the next 3-5 years.

How do you propose we sign him for 10M a year? Unless Manu or Tim walks I don't think we have the cap space. Just the MLE. (especially when you factor in the resigning of the much more pressing Patty Mills and Boris Diaw)

[ceperez]

Well looks like Gasol has something to say about the Spurs:

http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-n...es/2014/06/01/

[SouthernFried]

I just saw the best basketball I've ever seen. Why mess with it at all?

If you need to bring in anyone...bring someone you can work with for the future.

[Chinook]

Meh, why can't he play alongside Duncan? I don't see why he would only fit if hes a replacement. Gasol is on record as wanting to come to a contender. His list was short, and as I recall, the Spurs were the only real contender on it. If he's really serious about it, he'll presumably take less money to get it done. He's also the piece that ensures we get past the Clips and OKC next year.

Duncan, Gasol, Splitter, Diaw.

Wow.

Duncan's mobility is awful, and Pau's is even worse. The Spurs would become a pretty poor defensive team with those two next to each other.

[Seventyniner]

Meh, why can't he play alongside Duncan?

Pick and roll defense. Both of them have poor lateral mobility and are bad defenders away from the basket. The Gasol/Duncan pairing could only work against teams that play very big and don't use much PnR for their bigs like Memphis. There aren't enough teams like that out there, and that pairing would be a disaster against the two biggest threats to the Spurs (Thunder and Heat).

Edit: ninja'd by Chinook

[Chinook]

Pick and roll defense. Both of them have poor lateral mobility and are bad defenders away from the basket. The Gasol/Duncan pairing could only work against teams that play very big and don't use much PnR for their bigs like Memphis. There aren't enough teams like that out there, and that pairing would be a disaster against the two biggest threats to the Spurs (Thunder and Heat).

Edit: ninja'd by Chinook

I think teams like Dallas and Portland become bigger threats to the Spurs as well, and the Houston match-up would be even worse.

[Agloco]

Duncan's mobility is awful, and Pau's is even worse. The Spurs would become a pretty poor defensive team with those two next to each other.

Pick and roll defense. Both of them have poor lateral mobility and are bad defenders away from the basket. The Gasol/Duncan pairing could only work against teams that play very big and don't use much PnR for their bigs like Memphis. There aren't enough teams like that out there, and that pairing would be a disaster against the two biggest threats to the Spurs (Thunder and Heat).

Edit: ninja'd by Chinook

I think teams like Dallas and Portland become bigger threats to the Spurs as well, and the Houston match-up would be even worse.

Any worse than Duncan and Splitter together? I'm not getting how Gasol is essentially being argued as a downgrade to Splitter.

Gasol gives you a "real" big that can pass and hit a midrange jumper consistently. We don't have that right now. I think it's important against teams like OKC

[Chinook]

Any worse than Duncan and Splitter together? I'm not getting how Gasol is essentially being argued as a downgrade to Splitter.

Gasol gives you a "real" big that can pass and hit a midrange jumper consistently. We don't have that right now. I think it's important against teams like OKC

Splitter is the Spurs' best defensive big. You replace a good defender with a poor one, your defense gets worse. It's not all that complicated.

[TheGoldStandard]

If this were to happen and that's a huge if, Gasol would come off the bench. Diaw comes in for Splitter and Gasol comes in for Tim and they spread the floor, that means they would have shooters and passers at all positions if they are able to bring back Mills. Diaw comes out and you pop Splitter back in, Splitter and Gasol works fine because Splitter can man the paint and Gasol can play around the key. Pau has that international knowledge, team ball and wouldn't rock the boat, wouldn't have to deal with some guy trying to throw him under the bus every loss.

Gasol is leaps and bounds better than Ayres and Baynes.

[Spur|n|Austin]

No need for Gasol here, not with the exact same roster as 2014.

[spursparker9]

If we can get Gasol, man we will have 4 of the best passing big men. (Boris, Timmy, Tiago and Pau)

[anakha]

Splitter is the Spurs' best defensive big. You replace a good defender with a poor one, your defense gets worse. It's not all that complicated.

This, plus the fact that Splitter is above Duncan or Gasol as a PnR defender at this point in their respective careers.

[Mnky]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers...507-story.html

“The Spurs players maybe don’t rack up statistics, but the team and the coach they have, to me, seems like a very good option,” he said. “In the end, I’m more interested in a team than an individual player and how I would adjust and be worked into a system.” - Pau Gasol

He's looking for a contender. Memphis has the edge because of his brother, and the Bulls have a good chance if Rose is set to be healthy and they have his Spanish friend. Spurs are on his radar though, it's about whether he's on the spurs radar.

Spurs just put a butt whooping to the NBA defending champs. They're going to be receiving more interest than usual.

[DAF86]

Folks saying no to adding Gasol are crazy. It wouldn't only make us better for next season (not that much better though since it can't get much better) but it would also allow us to extend our contender status beyond Duncan's retirement. A core of Parker, Green, Kawhi, Pau and Splitter with Pop's system would be a great team for the next 5 years.

[jkid12456]

no
No
nO

and

NO!!!!!!!!

[jkid12456]

gasol is washed up why the fk would we want him when hes gonna retire in the next 2 years. you gus have some old fetish thats for sure.

[DAF86]

gasol is washed up why the fk would we want him when hes gonna retire in the next 2 years. you gus have some old fetish thats for sure.

17.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.5 bpg. Age 33. lol "washed up".

[BatManu20]

He'll be a Grizzly imo. He doesn't fit with Timmy still here and we can't afford him anyways.

[Mnky]

17.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.5 bpg. Age 33. lol "washed up".

[Richie]

People focusing too much on one side of the ball. Pau destroys the defence of any team he plays for at this stage.

[will_spurs]

As usual, it depends on the price. Pau isn't washed up (although he's certainly at the end of his career). The thing is, he's somewhat redundant with Duncan--which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it could help limit Duncan's minutes next year and Pau is a great insurance in case something goes wrong. I imagine he's going to be too expensive, though.

[Uriel]

If Pau is willing to take a discount and can be had for the MLE (a la Ray Allen with Miami), it would be a tremendous offseason pickup for the reigning NBA champions.

[Mnky]

He would make the players around him better on offense, and his defense was good enough to win a couple les. Get out of here with that.

The team is better with him. No question. Does the team need him...Well, What team doesn't want to get better?

[Emperor]

His defense is sorta lacking, but with his championship and international experience, passing, already known interest in coming, and pretty darn good stats for his age. I'd say Gasol would be a tremendous fit for the Spurs. He has alot of respect for the Spurs and how they run things. If he's willing to accept the midlevel then they should bring him. Would definitely mean we'd have the best frontcourt in the NBA by far.

[100%duncan]

Who and why the would you say no to Gasol? Smh.