Be it Kobe Bryant's ability to move off the ball to create scoring chances, or the devastating pick-and-roll combination of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, the Lakers have diverse options on any possession to break down a defense.
One the Lakers' best options on offense, however, will be Pau Gasol in the post. The big Spaniard has long been one of the games' best big men in the pivot and the Lakers will be a better team if they try to maximize his touches on the block.
How the Lakers can get Pau the ball in the post is a multi-pronged question that has several viable answers. After all, Pau doesn't play the game in a vacuum and will need to work within the Lakers' schemes to get his touches as close to the hoop as possible.
One of the most effective ways to accomplish this goal is to get Pau on the move so he can use his quickness to flash into the post, rather than banging with his defender to establish position:
As you can see in the clip, utilizing screens is one way in which the Lakers can ensure that Pau doesn't have to tangle with his man to make a catch. Block-to-block screens, angled picks that allow Pau to dive from the elbow to the opposite block, or back picks that free him to roam the baseline and then slide into the post are all very effective.
Notice as well that it's not even necessarily about getting Pau the ball in the deep post (though that does help), but rather about freeing him to make a catch where he can then survey the floor, size up his man, and then diagram the best plan of attack on any given play.
Beyond using screens, the Lakers can also utilize Pau's post ups via weak-side duck-ins where he makes a catch after the ball is swung from one side of the floor to another. This is an especially effective technique when Pau...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
