Pau Gasol
Age: 35
Height: 7 feet
Career stats: 35.3 mpg; 18.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.7 bpg; 51.0/29.7/75.5 shooting splits
2015-16 stats: 72 games, 31.8 mpg; 16.5 ppg, 11 rpg, 4.1 apg, 0.6 spg, 2 bpg; 46.9/34.8/79.2 shooting splits
Strengths:
• Rebounding: Pau Gasol has been a superior rebounder throughout his career, but has taken it to a new level with the Bulls. He’s averaged 11.8 and 11 rebounds his last two years with Chicago.
• Scoring: Gasol has a wonderful, well-rounded scoring arsenal. He can dominate from the post or sink the mid-range jumper efficiently, and can even step out for the corner 3.
• Passing: Gasol, like his brother, is one of the NBA’s most skilled passing big men and can run the offense from any of his spots. He averages 3.3 assists for his career, and hit 4.1 in 2015-16.
Weaknesses:
• Age: Pau Gasol is 35, and despite putting up huge statistics his last two years with Chicago, ‘Father Time’ is still undefeated. Is this the year that the timeless Gasol final begins to decline?
• Defense: Another aspect of his Chicago resurgence is his improved rim defense. He nearly tied his career high by averaging 2 blocks in 2015-16, but in truth Gasol is no longer quick enough or stout enough to provide consistent high level defense.
Why the Warriors make sense:
The Warriors can certainly use the services of a big man that can actually score and dominate inside. As good as Bogut has been, and as stout as Festus is, neither of them boast any scoring ability outside of point blank attempts. Gasol brings offensive versatility that the Warriors desperately need. Gasol is a monster rebounder, he can score efficiently from multiple spots, and is a brilliant passer. Bogut is so involved in some offensive sets with his passing and screen-setting that its impossible to imagine Gasol struggling to do the same things. And he’d add an experienced scoring touch from around the basket and midrange. Defensively, Gasol does not offer as much as Bogut does, but would unquestionably improve the Warriors and offer them a different dimension on offense.
Why the Warriors don’t make sense:
Gasol is old, and the Warriors play fast. At 35, there will be questions about his conditioning and aging body. But that wouldn’t be a huge issue. Gasol has played himself into a good-sized contract the last two years and the Warriors may not be able to afford him. But if they can, there will still be questions about his exact role, his playing time, and whether he can play the level of championship defense that the Warriors would need in order to make a third consecutive championship run. Signing Gasol would almost certainly mean sacrificing another big man (Festus Ezeli, perhaps) on the roster.