San Antonio Spurs veteran big man Pau Gasol stands out as one of the most intelligent players in the game today. His basketball IQ is among the elite, and even Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton, who was teammates with Gasol on the Lakers between 2008 and 2012, thinks very highly of the 38-year-old Spanish national.
According to Walton, Gasol's innate understanding of the multiple facets of the game allowed him to grasp Phil Jackson's famed triangle offense without a hitch.
“One of my favorite teammates ever,” Walton said, via Jabari Young of The Athletic. “I’ve never seen anyone pick up the triangle offense faster than Pau did. We traded for him mid-season. He started that game, and it took him about a week, and it felt like he knew what he was doing.”
As Walton said, Pau Gasol made his way to Los Angeles via midseason trade between the Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies back in 2008. The Lakers had to give up Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Marc Gasol, Aaron McKie, and two future first-round picks in exchange for Gasol and a future second-round pick.
Those were definitely a lot of assets the Lakers had to let go of, but it was the price to pay for the acquisition of one of the best big men in the game at that time. Nevertheless, the move paid off soon after, with Gasol and the Lakers winning back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
Many believed Jackson's triangle offense was a key component to the team's success, and the fact that Pau Gasol caught on so quickly and seamlessly definitely contributed to the Lakers' historic accomplishments.
Follow Us
Subscribe