Pau Gasol is out for the Milwaukee Bucks after undergoing a season-ending navicular surgery, but he still has a role to play for the team as they head to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer was clearly frustrated that Gasol was not able to play for the team this postseason; however, he confirmed that the veteran forward will remain with the team in their playoff run to give them some much-needed voice and leadership.
Asked Mike Budenholzer if the Bucks were expecting Pau Gasol to return, and what his role with the team will look like after the season ending navicular surgery. pic.twitter.com/0YBMT1Jan8
— Kane Pitman (@KanePitman) May 11, 2019
Gasol was picked up by the Bucks after the San Antonio Spurs bought him out. He played only three games in Milwaukee uniform, averaging 1.3 ponts and 3.3 rebounds over the span.
Gasol's numbers don't show his true value to the team. While he is far removed from his championship winning days with the Los Angeles Lakers, he still is an insightful and experienced voice on the bench.
In fact, this has worked out to be a great scenario for the Bucks. Gasol is no longer a force on the court and oftentimes looks overwhelmed on defense and a step slow on the offensive end. Now, he can focus on mentoring the Bucks younger players as well as giving useful advice to a team that is largely inexperienced in playoff scenarios.
Giannis Antetotokounmpo could learn a lot from the Spanish big man. Gasol was deadly from the post while playing with the Lakers, using a variety of finishing moves and a solid mid-range jump shot to help the Lakers win two championships. If the Greek Freak could adopt Gasol's soft touch and face-up game, he'd be even more deadly than he already is.
It'll be interesting to see how much of an active role Gasol takes on the bench as the Bucks look to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974.
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