The Lakers are the Lakers, Pau is Pau, Bulls fall 108-93

If I learned anything about the Lakers last night, it’s that I don’t give Pau Gasol enough credit. For years i’ve been referring to Gasol as “pre-viagra“. Well, those days are over, and it’s time for a new nickname.

It’s not that I don’t see Pau as a talented player, but I certainly think I underrate him, and this probably has lots to do with my love of Garnett who’s dominated him. The fact remains that Gasol fits into the Lakers’ system like a glove. Great hands, good perimeter touch, and although not the strongest or best defensive player, he’s long and does more then a adequate job of closing off the paint. (Evidenced by last night’s game)

Of course the Bulls drew the talents of Gasol as he made his season debut off of a hamstring injury. Though tired and clearly trying to regain his legs, he stepped right in to put 24 and 13 on the board, leading the Lakers to a 108-93 win.

The Lakers are too big, too long, and can score the ball right down your throat, clearly emphasized by last night’s contest. Joakim Noah did all he could with 12 points and 15 rebounds, but you need another big time body up front to compete with a trio of Gasol, Bynum, and Odom. However, I saw a couple positives from the Bulls’ point of view that have to be addressed:

-Derrick Rose is having his issues shooting the ball, thanks in large part to the Bulls’ inability to stretch the defense. But Rose was in attack mode last night, showing the explosiveness to get to the basket. If Rose continues to be aggressive and keep the tempo up, he’ll silence the idiots claiming he’s going through a sophomore slump.

-John Salmons looks to be coming around. His ability to keep the defense honest from the three point line means a lot for Derrick Rose having the space to maneuver. A lot of the same goes for Luol Deng, who isn’t going to fly under the radar anymore.

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Bulls, who will travel to Denver for a Saturday contest at 8 PM.

Tags: Andrew Bynum, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Derrick Rose, Gar Foreman, John Salmons, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers, Luol Deng, Pau Gasol, viagra