Every GM must be thinking, "Geez, I coulda done that." Yeah, but you didn't. Mitch did, and he has the Lakers as the favorite to come out of the West (assuming Bynum is coming back this year, which might be a misguided assumption). Don't overestimate the impact of this deal. It doesn't tilt everything in favor of L.A. But it does at least put them in the top 4 in the West, along with the Suns, Spurs, and Mavs.Gasol's arrival means the Lakers won't skip a beat while Bynum takes his time to return. Kobe won't have to jack up 30 shots a game. Odom can pull an Odom and cower into the background where he's more comfortable. When Bynum returns he won't have the pressure of being the lone post scorer because offensively, Gasol fits the triangle like a fake titty in Beverly Hills. He can score from the block or the high post and he's a great passer. Plus Gasol doesn't have the pressure he had in Memphis of carrying the team. He has Kobe, now. Before he had Mike Miller. On top of all that they got rid of Kwame Brown, the tin man. This is a near perfect trade.
But nothing is perfect. Gasol will be the 4 when Bynum returns. That means he's going to have to guard other power forwards in the West. He's mobile, but he's not exactly agile. No way can he keep up with the likes of a Shawn Marion or a David West. Odom was athletic enough to come out and guard these guys. Gasol isn't. By spreading the floor, perimeter oriented power forwards are going to kill Gasol. Come to think of it, traditional power forwards will too. Since when has Pau ever guarded anyone? They gave up on the concept of defense in Memphis after Fratello and Hubie Brown left. Bynum is going to be forced to guard the opposing team's best big man because Gasol is more important to the team offensively. Guarding the Duncans and Nowitzkis is a tough task for a 20 year old.
The Gasol trade also puts the Lakers over the cap. If Buss is cool with that, then no big deal. But this trade forces Odom to play out of position at the 3. He has become less and less of a scorer or facilitator and used more and more to stretch the defense with 3s and as defensive rebounder. Gasol's arrival makes Odom expendable, especially with Ariza coming back soon and Luke Walton coming off the bench. His contract is up after next year. Expect his expiring contract to be traded in the offseason.I would take the Suns, Spurs (assuming they're healthy), Mavs (ditto), or Lakers in a 7-game series against any other team in the entire league. But the question is, can this Lakers team now beat any of the big three? Before this trade I'd say no. With Gasol, I think it gives them the upper-hand against the Spurs and Mavs because it will force Duncan and Nowitzki to guard someone. The Suns are a different story though. L.A. has had success against them because they slow down the game and play terrific transition D. But Gasol will be a lost soul defensively against the Suns. Expect these two to be in the conference finals.
