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Tag: Pau Gasol

  • Chicago Bulls Rumors: Boozer Gone to Free Salary Cap

    With the excitement of the World Cup finally dwindling down after Germany’s thrilling extra-time win against Argentina, the world can now spend its time obsessing over the latest NBA moves. Of course, we all know that LeBron James has decided to return home and take his talents back to Cleveland, the place where he was born and raised. However, there are several other teams that are making big-time moves to better their rosters for the upcoming 2014-15 NBA season. Coming off of a successful, yet still slightly disappointing, season last year, the Chicago Bulls are one such team looking to reinvigorate its roster with some new acquisitions.

    The latest news from the Bulls’s camp is the signing of two key, low-post players: Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic.

    Gasol comes to the Bulls via the Lakers, where he won back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and 2010. Despite still playing with All-Star potential, averaging 17.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, Gasol found himself on the outside-looking-in on a Lakers team that is trying to rebuild itself around Kobe Bryant through newer, fresher faces than injury-plagued and aging Gasol.

    Mirotic was first acquired by the Bulls in the 2011 draft, but the organization has selected to keep the stretch-four player in Spain for the past three seasons, allowing the 6’10’ forward – and arguably the best basketball player in Europe – to develop his game to NBA level.

    With the acquisition of two new big men, though, comes the loss of someone currently in the Bulls organization – Carlos Boozer. While nothing has yet been confirmed, most sources agree that the Bulls are going to use the amnesty clause of the collective bargaining agreement to waive Boozer and his $16.8 million contract for his final year in order to clear more space under the salary cap. The amnesty clause means that the Bulls will still have to guarantee Boozer his contracted money, but that Boozer’s salary will not count against the Bulls’s overall salary cap.

    The acquisitions of both Gasol and Mirotic will take up most of the room created by the release of Boozer. There will be some room still left under the salary cap, though, leaving many to wonder who the Bulls will go after next. Much speculation has been made about the Bulls pursuing Carmelo Anthony. However, with the latest news reporting that Anthony has agreed to stay in New York for $120+ million, the odds are not in the Bulls favor.

    Which leaves one, big name left on the table – Dwayne Wade. The Miami Heat guard has never played for a team besides the Heat throughout his entire NBA career, but with the loss of James and potentially Bosh (both to their respective home town teams), the prospect of taking his talents to Chicago may be more tempting now than never – despite the fact that a person close to Wade has said he shows no interest in returning:

    With the return of Derrick Rose, though, and the addition of a great passing center in Gasol and a stretch-four in Mirotic, the Bulls may have no room for Wade in a theoretically stacked roster. And, with the Bulls already sporting an injury-prone roster (Rose, Gasol, and Noah), Wade may not be the right fit anyways.

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  • Pau Gasol Will Not Play Tonight Due to Vertigo

    As this article is being written, the Lakers are set to play against the Phoenix Suns in less than an hour without another one of their top players.

    According to Lakers Nation, Pau Gasol has missed the last three games after being diagnosed with vertigo, and he will miss an important game against their division rivals tonight. The starting lineup will instead consist of Kendall Marshall, Jordan Hill, Kent Bazemore, Jodie Meeks and Chris Kaman. If Steve Nash plays at all tonight will be a game-time decision.

    The Lakers admittedly are nearing their end of this season with their pile of injuries, especially from a certain star player on the team. The Phoenix Suns especially need this win to continue; they are seventh in the division and need to win every game to gain a playoff berth.

    After MRIs and spending the night in a hospital, Gasol was diagnosed with vertigo a week ago. Since then, he’s missed three games and this will be his fourth.

    What is vertigo? It can get quite scary. Vertigo is an inner ear or vestibular nerve disease that causes a person to get dizzy and lose their balance when looking down from a great height, which causes one to wonder if Gasol’s seven foot frame makes it a bit more intense for the four-time NBA All-Star.

    Be sure to catch your local listings to see how the war-torn Los Angeles Lakers play tonight without many of their starting players.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Los Angeles Lakers Suffer Worst Loss In Franchise History

    Things just seem to be getting even worse for the Los Angeles Lakers with another tragic loss to their hometown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers are one of the worst teams in the league, and continue to lose, with no sign of improvement.

    The Clippers delivered the Lakers their worst loss in franchise history last night, and the embarrassment in their season continues. The game ended with a final score of 142-94, in an unlikely score that puts their embarrassment at a whole new level.

    Following their blowout loss, Lakers center Pau Gasol said “We did not create plays for each other, and that is how it started to fall apart. But you can’t dwell on this game or it will really get you down.”

    Pau Gasol was rumored to be traded earlier this year, and continues to deal with the struggle of being on a team that is unable to win.

    The Los Angeles Lakers have been without two of their veteran players for much of this season, and most notably Kobe Bryant, who has spent his entire career with the Lakers, as one of the best players to play the game.

    As if matters could not get any worse, it was announced recently that the return of either Kobe Bryant or Steve Nash is unlikely. Bryant has missed most of the team’s games since the 2012-2013 season, although he was still voted to the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, and shortly beforehand, the team revealed that he would not be able to play, which everyone had already expected.

    With the tragic loss that the Lakers suffered last night, losing that way to the Clippers makes things even worse. With the way that the Lakers have performed recently, and the rise to power of the Clippers, it is showing that there is a new team that rules Los Angeles.

    It is hard to know what will finally be able to turn this Los Angeles Lakers team around that has gone downhill to such a degree in recent years, as the veterans are plagued with injuries, and the younger guys are unable to compete with the other teams. The Lakers are currently in last place in the Western Conference with a record of 21-41.

    The Lakers only have six weeks left in the season, and clearly have no chance of making the playoffs anymore. They will certainly need to take a look at their roster, and analyze what to do with their veteran players when heading into the 2014-2015 season. The Lakers are also in danger of finishing with their worst record since moving to L.A. from Minneapolis in 1959.

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  • Lakers Rumors: Pau Gasol Ending Season With Lakers?

    Lakers Rumors: Pau Gasol Ending Season With Lakers?

    Many guys in the NBA enjoyed their All-Star break maybe spending time with family and friends, watching the Olympics, catching up on some reading, or watching Oscar nominated movies so they can get caught up before the awards show. Others spent this time wondering if they would be wearing the same jersey once the break was over.

    In less than 24 hours all possible NBA trades will be over and done with.

    The team that many people are paying attention to and talking about is the Los Angeles Lakers.

    The possible Lakers trades include Pau Gasol, Jordan Hill, Chris Kaman, and Steve Blake. The most talked about possible trade is that of Gasol.

    Rumors started circulating that the power forward/center might be leaving the Lakers after he made some disparaging comments about Coach Mike D’Antoni.

    Gasol addressed the trade rumors after practice on Tuesday,”It fills up a lot of pages and f—— airtime. It’s something that’s there and there’s potential that it might happen. Who knows? We might be saying that it’s been great to see you guys [in the media] and we’ll see you around. But hopefully that won’t be the case because it’s always hard and I think if it ever happened, it would be tough.”

    While Gasol is in his last year on his contract with the Lakers, many speculated that he could be traded to the Phoenix Suns, but that idea seems to be a thing of the past now.

    It looks like many people are ready to see Gasol leave the Lakers. (Wonder how bummed they’ll be if he doesn’t get traded?)

    There is one fan who doesn’t want to see Gasol go.

    A major get for the Lakers would be the Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Love. The only issue with this possible trade is the Timberwolves aren’t getting enough from the Lakers to make such a trade.

    Other Lakers who could be wearing a different jersey after the trade deadline include Jordan Hall, Chris Kaman and Steve Blake. Hall is rumored to be receiving interest from the Brooklyn Nets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Phoenix Suns, and the Dallas Mavericks. Kaman could be heading to Cleveland. And Blake could be wearing the royal blue and gold of the Golden State Warriors.

    All the rumors will die down after 3:00 pm on Thursday, the trade deadline.

    Image via Pau Gasol, Twitter

  • Pau Gasol: Is This His Last Year With The Lakers?

    Unless you haven’t noticed, it’s easy to see the Los Angeles Lakers’ Pau Gasol hasn’t been playing all that well the past couple of seasons and some believe the addition of Dwight Howard last year had a lot to do with that.

    But once Howard left the team for the Houston Rockets, some believed it would open the door for Gasol to play better, since most of the low-post plays were designed around Howard’s ability to score in the paint. However that didn’t happen and Gasol continues to struggle, only shooting 41.7 percent this season, which is an all-time low for the 33-year old forward and occasional center.

    And while the Lakers continue to play below 500, with a disappointing record of 10 and 12, Gasol decided to express his frustration about head Coach Mike D’Antoni and his chosen style of offense.

    “The fact that I’m not getting the ball in the post affects directly my aggressiveness,” he told a Los Angeles Times reporter.

    “When I’m not getting the ball where I want to, where I’m most effective, where I can bang guys and utilize my skill, that affects my aggressiveness and overall intensity. This year hasn’t been ideal for me,” he continued. “But that’s not going to change any time soon.”

    Typically when a coach receives this kind of public undermining he addresses it behind team walls, but D’Antoni did the opposite and fired right back. “I can’t lie to him,” he said. “Our number tell us the worst thing we do is post up.”

    And what was Gasol’s response to all of the negative feedback from fans and the press? “I don’t pay attention,” he declared. “Mike is sometimes all over the place. I don’t give much credit to things like that.”

    Historically, D’Antoni hasn’t been much of a low-post kind of coach, as he usually favors either the run-and-gun style of basketball or perimeter play and Gasol’s comfort zone is on the block, playing close to the basket. Not only has he always been effective down there as a scorer, but he’s proven himself to be a great interior passer too, and that’s where the conflict lies.

    But will all of this be resolved before the Laker’s fall into an even bigger hole or before Gasol and the organization part ways? It’s hard to tell, but there’s a good chance we might be seeing the talented 7 footer in a different uniform next season. Especially since he’s in the last year of his contract.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Pau Gasol Unhappy As A Laker, Continues To Blame Coach Mike D’Antoni

    Pau Gasol has had a great deal of success in the NBA as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, earning himself a couple of national championship rings, although things have turned sour as of lately.

    He has continued to have troubles with his coach, Mike D’Antoni, and after they supposedly worked out their differences during last season, Gasol continues to wonder if he fits within the Lakers system.

    The trade of center Dwight Howard was supposedly going to help Pau Gasol in the way that he is utilized in Los Angeles’ game-play, but that has not happened, and continues to frustrate him. His contract is expiring, and while the Lakers would consider re-signing him, they would only do it on a budget.

    Pau Gasol understands that he is not being utilized in the way that he should, and would like to see something change. However, he is not sure how that will happen, saying “This year hasn’t been ideal, certain things are not ideal for me, but that’s not going to change any time soon.”

    His numbers have also been struggling, and as he is unhappy with his current situation, a trade in the near future may be what the veteran needs. Gasol is struggling on the offensive end, and having his worst shooting season of his career and is hitting 41.7 percent of his shots through the Lakers’ 10-11 start. It is by far the worst shooting percentage that he has had throughout his career, and to compare, he shot 46.6 percent from the floor last year.

    The Los Angeles Lakers have also been without their star player, Kobe Bryant, for much of the season, causing them to have such a bad record to start the year. Bryant returned to the team last Sunday, but after not playing since his injury in April, he found it tough to score, and they lost to the Raptors in that game.

    While once one of the best big men in the league, Pau Gasol has had trouble working wtih the system that Mike D’Antoni has created in Los Angeles. D’Antoni has fired back with some comments of his own, saying that Gasol’s comments are simply an excuse to not play hard.

    After the back and forth between Pau Gasol and Mike D’Antoni involving his role on the team, where do fans think the NBA star will end up next? He has already mentioned that he is open to the idea of returning to the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that has improved greatly since he left.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Host City 2020 Olympics Will Be Tokyo, Japan

    Tokyo will be sports fans’ destination for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympics Games. The International Olympic Committee selected Japan’s capital city today, home to over 36,000 people.

    Tokyo last hosted the games in 1964. This round they used the slogan, “the Olympics will be safe in our hands.” This pitch and Tokyo’s pledge to spend a fraction of what the London Olympics cost likely weighed heavily in their favor against the backdrop of cities that have struggled to pull off the massive event, specifically Athens in 2004 and the Rio de Janeiro anticipating 2016, added to next year’s winter host Sochi coming in as the most expensive Games in history.

    Competing cities Istanbul and Madrid are feeling the sting of multiple disappointments in their Olympic hosting dreams. Both have congratulated Tokyo on the win.

    I was in Madrid during their attempt at winning last year’s Summer Games, when beat out by London, and the excitement (before) and disappointment (after) were palpable. This is Madrid’s third consecutive pitch, having been knocked out of contention for the 2016 Games as well by Rio. Barcelona was the site of the 1992 Summer Games.

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    NBA basketball star and Olympic silver medalist Pau Gasol, a prominent figure in Madrid’s presentation, said, “It’s a shame because we were confident and had a good feeling… I don’t think our work has been duly recognized in this instance.” Madrid actually presented the least expensive option to the IOC.

    Istanbul is suffering its fifth rejection by the IOC—it beat Madrid but a silver second can sometimes be most painful. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had optimistically flown to Buenos Aires, where the vote was being held, to make the country’s bid after attending the Group of 20 Summit in Russia. But Istanbul suffered problems in June when protesters and government officials clashed violently. Probably not working in the country’s favor either are a series of doping scandals involving Turkish athletes and uncertainty about violence in neighboring Syria.

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    Erdogan said after the vote, “It wasn’t our fate.”

    London mayor Boris Johnson sent Tokyo his congratulations, one host to another, “Huge congratulations to Tokyo for winning the honor of hosting the greatest sporting spectacular on the planet… I am sure that, like London, your great city will put on an extraordinary event.” He promised to share experiences from last year’s Games.

    [Images from Olympics and Istanbul Facebook pages and the author.]