Game Countdown: Problem Gasol-ved or Com-Pau-nded? – Bulls @ Lakers

Rejoice, Laker fans!!!  Pau Gasol is coming back tonight!!!  All our problems are solved!  Yeah… maybe not so much.  While getting an All-Star big man back in your line-up is almost always a good thing, this might be the one instance where it might not be.

One ball, three post-up players. Something here doesn’t quite add up.

OK, I know that sounds like a crazy thing to say, but stick with me for a minute here.  There is no doubt that having Gasol back in the line-up will improve the Lakers overall depth, a real boon to the team considering how spotty the bench mob has been this year.  The real question is will he do anything to help alleviate the offensive stagnation that has plagued the Lakers so often this year?

But how can adding an excellent scorer hurt the offense you say?  Simple, because of the way Gasol does his scoring.  Pau is at his best operating out of the high and low post positions, positions that are currently occupied right now.  Andrew Bynum has been kicking ass and taking names on the offensive block this season and, as everybody has noticed, Kobe Bryant is suddenly a post-up machine.  Is there really going to be room for Pau to get his shots too without disrupting the success of Bynum or Bryant?  If you thought the motion and spacing in the Laker offense has been terrible of late, just wait until you get a load of Pau, Kobe and Drew all crashing into each other in the paint every other possession.

These three guys have all played together before, so it isn’t like this is a totally new problem, but it is a bit different than before because for the first time in a long-time Bynum is playing at the top of his game with Pau by his side and now they have to mix in Kobe’s new style of play.  Surely the talented trio can find a way to make it work, but can they make it happen in the near future without any of them compromising their production?   I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Chicago Bulls (6-4) @ Los Angeles Lakers (8-3)

Game Info: 7:30 PM PT TV-TNT  Radio-710 AM, 1330 AM

THREE Questions:

• Pau is going to be back, but will his minutes be limited so that he doesn’t overdo it and hurt himself again?
• Can any Laker guard Derrick Rose or should they just not even bother trying?  Sadly, I feel  like the best idea is the latter option.
• How many minutes will Odom and Bynum play now that Gasol is back in the fold?  There is no way that they will continue to play 35 and 39 minutes per game, respectively, but Bynum definitely deserves boost in minutes over the 29 he averaged the last two years.

TWO Predictions:

• Laker fans will want to send Vinny Del Negro a gift basket after the game as thanks for the extreme likelihood that he will fail to realize that he can have his young athletic team take advantage of the Lakers in transition.

• No Laker point guard is even going to come close to stopping Derrick Rose.

ONE Wish:

• I wish that in honor of Pau Gasol’s CSI: Miami guest spot that every Laker comes out for introductions and does the David Caruso sunglasses move before running down the line.

ZERO Tolerance for… lack of consistent effort.  I can’t stand watching another big lead magically shrink down to almost nothing like it did on Tuesday night.  Is it really too much to ask for this team to play hard for all four quarters?

Leave your own questions, answers, predictions or wishes as a comment or just hang out with us during the game or hit us up on Twitter @LakersOfFire.

Tags: Andrew Bynum, bench mob, Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Game Countdown, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Vinny Del Negro