The fourth member of L.A.'s four-headed monster played alongside a full complement of stars on Monday night for just the 19th time this season. And for the 13th time in those 19 games, the Lakers lost, this time winding up on the wrong side of a 109-103 tilt with a Pacific Division rival, the Golden State Warriors.
Gasol managed to corral eight rebounds in his 22-plus minutes of work. And that's where the positives ended. He hit just 3-of-8 from the field and 1-of-4 at the free-throw line en route to seven points.
Believe it or not, that was actually an improvement over his first game back from a nearly two-month absence due to a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. In the Lakers' 103-100 loss to the Washington Wizards on March 22, a game in which L.A. squandered an 18-point lead, he finished the night with four points after an atrocious 2-of-10 showing from the field.
Prior to that Wizards game, Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said that he toyed with the idea of easing Gasol back into the lineup as a reserve, but moved him into the starting five because Gasol is "more comfortable that way," (according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com).
If D'Antoni's assessment of his seven-footer is accurate, then I'd hate to imagine what an uncomfortable Gasol would have looked like.
L.A.'s star-studded quartet—Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash—was the reason for its lofty preseason aspirations (via Chris Fedor of SportsRadioInterviews.com). But those four players have yet to find a win in the seven games that they've all been featured in the Lakers' starting lineup.
Whether D'Antoni is the right man to lead this unit is a pointless debate at this time of the year. He's the one tasked by the Lakers front office to lead these players, and it...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
