HOUSTON – Never mind the big boy pants. Pau Gasol is going to try some rest for his ailing knees to try to get his game back in shape.
“It was something I didn’t want to think,” Gasol said in the locker room before Tuesday night’s game against the Rockets. “I didn’t want that thought to cross my mind. But it got to the point that I had to face the reality of the situation and evaluate and talk to the trainer and talked to the doctors and made a decision for the good, for the better.”
Gasol said his status will be day-to-day, though he indicated it’s unlikely that he’ll play Wednesday night at New Orleans and even made weekend games at Oklahoma City (Friday) and home against Utah (Sunday) seem doubtful.
“I’m not assuming that it’s gonna be two days and the knee is going to feel wonderful all of a sudden,” he said. “That would be not realistic.”
The Lakers forward has been feeling the effects of tendinitis in both knees since training camp and it has shown in his play. He’s been averaging just 12.6 points per game and shooting 42 percent from the field, both of which are career lows.
“Some of the things have been noticeable,” Gasol said. “I see plays that I just don’t get to or don’t finish the way I want to. Those happen a couple of times every game. Those have been frustrating.
“It hasn’t really improved. We just kept it under control and I was hoping that we would see some kind of improvement, some kind of pain relief. But it hasn’t happened, so we had to make a decision.”
His struggles have been a big part of the Lakers disappointing 8-9 start as he’s struggled to fit to the offensive system of new coach Mike D’Antoni.
Gasol said he’s hoping the decision to shut down for now will pay off later in the season.
“Playoff time comes and that’s when we have to deliver, when we have to be evaluated,” he said. “That’s what’s going to determine whether we’ve had a successful year or not. The first month is just an indicator that things have been rough so far.”
Oh no, who would they blame now if things go wrong?
3-game win streak; I’m calling it now
3 game win streak on the road against Houston, New Orleans and OKC?
You gotta stop dreaming at some point and realize you are still trapped in the Dwightmare. Loss at home to the Magic and loss on the road in Houston.
4 game losing streak, I’m calling it now.
They should be able to take care of NOLA, OKC is another story though. Are those back to back? If so, the Lakers will have it tough in OKC.
if LA loses next matches, it will be his fault too
whinning kobe should just shut up
better fine the lakers, you can’t just rest ailing injuries. hope there’s no nationally televised games in that little group he’s missing
If they benched Kobe, Pau, Howard, and Artest all on the same night for no good reason, they would have been fined
YOU WON´T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!!!!!
lol Thank You, that is exactly what I said to myself as a I read that last line.
hahaha i love this guys they are so funny and i agree with them ,and what a life they have hahaha, happy people!
He is thinking if he wants to stay with Lakers. He cannot take Kobe’s rant about him. As if he didn’t help with those championship years. Kobe should be thankful to him, then now he is trashing him again. Maybe he should ask for a trade to Heat, for Bosh. The Heat wins even without defensive center, they just need some talented players to go with LBJ and Wade, something that a low post player that lacks the Heat. esp now that they have shooter. I am a Lakers fan, but i am hating what D’Antoni and Kobe doing to Pau. D’Antoni will doesn’t have a championship on his belt, Pau does. Respect should be given to Pau.
Way to stick it to them Pau!
That is if they do make it to playoffs.
Lakers are a perfect example of why the game is not played on paper. Just like when they had Malone, Payton, Kobe, and Shaq all on one team and still didn’t win it. This may be just as disappointing if this team doesn’t get it done.
You forgot that the Lakers went to the NBA Finals with Shaq, Kobe, Payton & a injured Malone. So, obviously they won enough games to get to the Big Dance. Also, it will be hard for any team to 3-peat!
take a break gasol your the best powerful in the league
Tim Duncan called and said that he doesn’t agree with you.
Thanks for setting that one Straight Frank
thats right leave hima lone, when howard leaves he gonna be our center again
yep!
the best what? powerful in the league? what? Is that what you think PF means? LOL.
go to the chicago bulls gasol yea
Go write on a board somewhere in your second or third language and see what google translate does to you…
Pau just take your rest and get healthier. We believe in you. Never let those rumors and talks influence your game. Trust in your skills.. because the fact is you’re on of the best at what you do! Thats been proven many times before! Just get back and start having fun. See every game as a practice.. that will get you back to your own game! Best of luck big guy!
So will the commissioner fine gasol for making himself unavailable so that he can rest early in the season?
gasol has never been a problem…its always been kobe…hes a cancer for any team hes on…this is a fact and only lakers fans will deny it
Only a Lakerhater would call Kobe a cancer to a team he’s helped get five championships! Since you’re not a Laker Fan how can you judge our team honestly. Gasol’s play of late has been the problem!
you can’t properly judge your own team.
have to be impartial fool
lol kobe cancer? teams? … he’s only been with lakers and he’s a owner of 5championship rings….u tripping man.
Hes been in the league for so long… still pts: 27 5 5 at 49% 3s 40%… lol compare that to guys that are in their prime right now.
Except being part of 5 Championship teams. I guess they were in remission?
“the Lakers disappointing 8-9 start” – Lakers are already being doubted, and the writer is clearly biased with lines such as “…the Lakers disappointing 8-9 start…”
The Lakers including their fans hyped this team to no end and all you ever heard was. It’s all about June, we gonna attack the Bulls record and we are the team to beat. Now they stand at 8-10.
How else can you describe the Laker record if not disappointing? Did you expect them to be this bad?
That is a dissapointing start to them duh, they are the Lakers, who went for the big ticket players they expected to be have a better record heck they expected to be where the Spurs are right now.
We are in trouble! Pau is throwing a tantrum! And the coach is putting the worst line ups possible out there! Can’t he see Morris is horrible! Dribble, dribble,dribble,dribble, dribble! Give up the ball to a good basketball player! And why won’t the coach tell Jody to stop driving! He’s bad at that! And stop putting line ups without good players in it. Whats the point in having a lot of good players if you find a way to put line ups without any of them in it! SORRY I’M WATCHING THE GAME RIGHT NOW.
It should only be Pau adjusting, it should also be D’Antoni. It’s a hand in hand process. The hell with D’Antoni, I’ll go with Pau.
And maybe D’Antoni can learn from what C.Webber said.
Symptoms …Symptoms of mismanagement. Pau …….Dan Ainge is waiting to add championship calibre post player to his roster WOW !
Ya, I guess cancer is the recipe for 5 championships and a MVP. Are you kidding me?
He’s put himself on the bench because he knows if other teams think he’s injured then there is no way he will get traded.
Hey Stern!! Why don’t you fine the lakers for resting Gasol? I smell some favoritism out here…
Cause he’s irrelivant now lol
Tendinitis is an injury. I’ve suffered a couple of them myself.
My sympathies to Gasol; he’s taking a beating from pundits who don’t know and don’t care.
I am not a fan of conspiracy theories, all I have to say is if Kobe is forced to change his game, position and touches the way Pau has seen it changed he WOULD NOT BE Kobe, period.
Also, for those with short term memory, Pau almost single handedly stole the Gold from our star olympians, as if he needs any proof of how good he is, a shame the female hormone charged Lakers decided to shelve such talent indeed.
Good luck Pau, you do not need all that drama.
Wise move by Pau… Now if the Lakers keep on losing games then they should fire D’Antoni immediately or put him under injured list. That will be for the record.
come on kobe is horrible, pau is ova but he has been for years
Kobe is like a baby, always blame teammates after losing games and never find other reason, did he ever lead a team to win a champion? I don’t think so, that’s why he will never be at the Jordan’s level.
COME TO DALLAS PAU!! WE NEED A BACKUP CENTER BIGMAN!!
Wow LAkers lost to Rockets!!! how bout that, they will blame pau? haha pathetic Team. Pau you must demand to get traded to other teams, one who will not blame you. OKC will fit u, with KD and Ibaka on front court, or miami with LBJ and Bosh. Lakers are worse specially the Coach’s system and decision. If u cant use your talented players like Gasol, its going to be a mess.
Lakers LOSE AGAIN!!! Oh no, it’s Pau’s fault again for not playing. Hahaha
LAkers Fans are WINERS!!!
Good Luck Pau!! Your brother Marc in Memphis loves you as does the Grizz FANS!!! We remember what you did for us, but we also understood that you couldn’t do it all, so we had to bring in some other players. The only way to do that was to free up some money and therefore, making a trade and sending you to the Lakers for your younger brother and a few other peices.. WE HOPE YOU GET BETTER SOON AND CAN PERFORM AT 100% IN THE SPRING!!!!
LOVE YA!!!!!!!!!! GRIZZ FAN!!!!!
Whats gonna happen when 38 year old Steve Nash comes back from a broken leg and has to get into basketball shape. More losses.
So now it’s no more pau’s fault who is to blame? D’antoni? Dwight? Lakers fans are the worst I have ever seen up there with the miami fake fans. This team will not work until mister BRYANT STOPS shooting 30 times in a game and share the damn ball, will he ever learn?
If pau doesnt play we will blame the next player cmon its laker logic why dont they trade pau gasol for a kwame brown
Gasol to New York, Stoudamire to Atlanta n Smith to LA. Find a way to bring Schumbert to LA as well. Gasol will fit right in with NY n Smith fits D’Antoni’s system perfectly.
Hey Pau.. before you can deliver in the playoffs you have to reach them… muahaha. kobe played lights out again vs. houston but he dominated the ball once again in the 4th.. everytime he does that, his team goes stonecold and that leads just to more ill-advised shots from kobe..seems like nothing has changed in the last 2 years.
The only common denominator for Kobe’s five rings are Phil Jackson….Kobe will never win one with him.
Id love Pau at the TWolves. Imagine the Rubio – Gasol link up with Love just feeding off of them