God, I already hate myself for putting that title.
So Pau Gasol will be out for, at least, three weeks (hamstring injury... more as it develops). Luckily for the Lakers, this isn't happening in the postseason. Without Gasol, the Lakers lose one of their HUGE advantages (the frontcourt)... and I don't think they can win the title without Pau. We know what we're going to get with Pau; he's an easy 18 and 9 guy and clogs the lane with his presence. His length bothers the opposing team and he opens up the floor for the rest of his teammates, especially Kobe Bryant. And with Gasol missing, their frontcourt downgrades from superior to very good. The Lakers NEED Gasol.
Lamar Odom has been pushed to the starting line-up because of Gasol's absence. Now the Lakers bench looks painfully thin. Their scoring punch from the bench is gone. Plus this move is more noticeable because Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic haven't returned to their 2007-08 forms. But since it's becoming more and more likely that it won't happen... then why not start Josh Powell and move Lamar back to the bench?
Josh Powell is no slouch. He can hold his own against the opposing team's starters. And he can take the opposing power forward out of the key with his outside shooting. And Powell will have no problems banging the boards. And when the opponents' second team comes in, L.A. will have the advantage with Lamar joining the Lakers' second team. That's supposed to be the real rotation for L.A., anyway, right?
And with Lamar coming off the bench, there will be less pressure on Farmar and Sasha to perform (who were the two top guys off their bench in 2007-2008). We all know Lamar's all-around game. With his presence, he may be able to improve Farmar and Sasha's games. And at least, the Lakers bench with Odom would cover a lot of weaknesses and look that much more imposing.
But of course, we're hoping for Pau Gasol to have a speedy recovery. Then the Lakers, as an overall team, will look that much more imposing.
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