By itself, the number is almost arresting: Starting center Marc Gasol is averaging 3.7 points per game entering Saturday night.
There’s more than meets the eye to the lowest scorer in the Lakers’ starting lineup, of course, but for the 36-year-old, it’s a concerning trend in a season when he’s producing a career low. So far, he’s shooting just 36.5 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range.
In the larger picture, the Lakers’ starting lineup has still been devastatingly effective: Their 16.8 net rating is fourth-best in the NBA among lineups that have played at least 100 minutes. Scoring from Gasol, at the moment, is a plus, Frank Vogel said.
“He’s out there to defend and rebound and play-make from the top of the key and sometimes that’s going to mean he’s going to get a couple of good looks at the three-point line, a few short rolls and some other situations, some post up on switches and whatnot,” Vogel said. “And then sometimes he doesn’t. We’re not asking him to be a scorer in our offense. We’re asking him to be a facilitator and to shoot open threes when they come.”
Accounting for minutes, Gasol is also rebounding and assisting slightly below what he produced last season. But playing a more central role in the team’s defense, his shot-blocking (1.2 bpg) has shot up. There’s the issue of a lack of competition: The only other center on the roster is Montrezl Harrell, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, who has settled in well to his off-the-bench role and has often played closing minutes.
Noting his low shooting percentages, Vogel said the Lakers are still encouraging Gasol to shoot when he’s open. The Lakers had some similar problems last season with Avery Bradley as he adjusted into the offense — Vogel foresees a similar jump back to the mean for Gasol.
“If we continue to get open looks for him,” he said, “the percentage will come around.”
Pistons wind up shorthanded as trade rumors brew
While the Lakers may have been shorthanded last week when they visited Detroit, the Pistons were the ones who found themselves a few weapons short on Saturday night.
Derrick Rose sat with what Detroit coach Dwane Casey termed “personal reasons,” but minutes later The Athletic was first to report that Rose, the 32-year-old former MVP, was on the trading block, potentially bound for his old digs with the New York Knicks. Rose is averaging 14.2 points and 4.2 assists so far for the Pistons, with whom he signed in 2019. The report indicated that Detroit’s front office and Rose came to a mutual agreement that he might be best served on another team.
Former Clippers star Blake Griffin also sat out, resting on the second night of a back-to-back. Griffin, 31, has not played both games of a back-to-back this season. While he had a vintage night with 23 points against the Lakers in the last meeting, he’s only averaging 12.2 points per game this season.
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February 07, 2021 at 12:16PM
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Lakers not worried about Marc Gasol’s low offensive output - OCRegister
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