I picked March because the Lakers had Pau for about a month then and I picked December because Bynum had been playing well for about a month. April the Lakers only played 8 games. Actually I just realized Gasol missed most of March with an injury. Let me try again. Odom in February 14/12/4 on 62% shooting with Gasol Odom in December averaged 15/10/3 on 48.9% shooting with Bynum Odom's numbers in March weren't all that bad even though Gasol wasn't in the lineup.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ May 24 2008, 06:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I picked March because the Lakers had Pau for about a month then and I picked December because Bynum had been playing well for about a month. April the Lakers only played 8 games. Actually I just realized Gasol missed most of March with an injury. Let me try again. Odom in February 14/12/4 on 62% shooting with Gasol Odom in December averaged 15/10/3 on 48.9% shooting with Bynum Odom's numbers in March weren't all that bad even though Gasol wasn't in the lineup. </div> The difference is still quite noticeable if we compare 55% to 63%. Fish was not this good in the regular season unfortunately.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (huevonkiller @ May 24 2008, 06:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ May 24 2008, 06:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I picked March because the Lakers had Pau for about a month then and I picked December because Bynum had been playing well for about a month. April the Lakers only played 8 games. Actually I just realized Gasol missed most of March with an injury. Let me try again. Odom in February 14/12/4 on 62% shooting with Gasol Odom in December averaged 15/10/3 on 48.9% shooting with Bynum Odom's numbers in March weren't all that bad even though Gasol wasn't in the lineup. </div> The difference is still quite noticeable if we compare 55% to 63%. Fish was not this good in the regular season unfortunately. </div> If you want to reward Gasol for having a bigger impact on Odom's game, I would concede that point, but I don't think Odom's overall improvement trumps the contributions Fisher has made throughout the lineup and overall culture of the team. Fisher was consistent during the regular season for us. He shot 40% from behind the arc and 43.6% from the field. He never went through a stretch of bad games for us.
Well both were great moves by Mitch. Pau and Fisher both have really fit in perfectly with the Lakers. For the regular season I'd have to say clearly Pau. For the Jazz series I'd still lean on Pau, just because getting a 7 footer who can defend and give Boozer the trouble he did, as well as find the open Kobe, or Fisher, or Odom, and be a #2 scoring option. That is a hard find. Fisher's also though stepped up big though in that series. Crazy 3 point shooting. I think if Smush or Kwame were there instead of Fisher or Gasol, they Lakers would have had a much harder time.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ May 24 2008, 06:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (huevonkiller @ May 24 2008, 06:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ May 24 2008, 06:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I picked March because the Lakers had Pau for about a month then and I picked December because Bynum had been playing well for about a month. April the Lakers only played 8 games. Actually I just realized Gasol missed most of March with an injury. Let me try again. Odom in February 14/12/4 on 62% shooting with Gasol Odom in December averaged 15/10/3 on 48.9% shooting with Bynum Odom's numbers in March weren't all that bad even though Gasol wasn't in the lineup. </div> The difference is still quite noticeable if we compare 55% to 63%. Fish was not this good in the regular season unfortunately. </div> If you want to reward Gasol for having a bigger impact on Odom's game, I would concede that point, but I don't think Odom's overall improvement trumps the contributions Fisher has made throughout the lineup and overall culture of the team. Fisher was consistent during the regular season for us. He shot 40% from behind the arc and 43.6% from the field. He never went through a stretch of bad games for us. </div> No, Fish's pace adjusted numbers were incredibly average. Pau was clearly the catalyst for our team the second half (Kobe aside).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Shapecity @ May 24 2008, 09:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>What are his pace adjusted numbers? His TS% is solid.</div> As you'll see, it's not even close... http://www.82games.com/0708/0708LAL.HTM http://www.82games.com/0708/07LAL2D.HTM http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2008.html
This question is actually really legit. After thinking about it for a while, I'm going to have to say Pau Gasol. Shape brings up Fisher's leadership and able to help Kobe mentally and help him with his leadership But, I think the reason Kobe was so frustrated is because the Lakers didn't have that legit second option, which Gasol provides. Also, this question is hard to answer because we don't know how Fisher fit with the team because of Andrew's explosion. If Andrew doesn't have such a breakout year, I don't think we would be talking about Fisher's impact. Fisher has made a huge impact, but not as large as Gasol. Gasol has made Lamar an all-star and allowed him to play his natural position. We essentially gain 2 all-stars with Gasol's addition, while Fisher's addition, we have zero. Also, let's forget about Smush for a second and talk about Jordan Farmar. If there was no Fisher, then I think Farmar and Sasha share the PG position, so Smush is a non factor. Gasol's numbers and our record with him are just too staggering to choose otherwise. Aren't we like 47-6 with Gasol in the line up? You can't deny his impact. Gasol's addition can be argued just as huge as Fisher's leadership because of the intensity Gasol brings and he gives the Lakers a legit BIG Three with Kobe, Gasol, and Odom. No one would have ever in their right mind thought we would have got Gasol without giving up Bynum, Lamar, or even Kobe. So in conclusion, Gasol without a doubt.
The question is 'who has had a bigger impact' on the turnaround, NOT who is the better player. Too many of you guys who are so quickly dismissing Fish are interpreting the the question as the latter, in which case there is no doubt it's Gasol. But to answer the question that was meant, the Lakers were already turned around by the time Gasol arrived. The Lakers had already been at the top of the conference, and Gasol helped solidify that. But Fish was a difference maker since DAY 1 in training camp
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (notmuchgame @ May 25 2008, 01:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The question is 'who has had a bigger impact' on the turnaround, NOT who is the better player. Too many of you guys who are so quickly dismissing Fish are interpreting the the question as the latter, in which case there is no doubt it's Gasol. But to answer the question that was meant, the Lakers were already turned around by the time Gasol arrived. The Lakers had already been at the top of the conference, and Gasol helped solidify that. But Fish was a difference maker since DAY 1 in training camp</div> While you are right about the first part (and I actually meant to put that in my post), how quickly you forgot the dismay this team was in when Andrew Bynum went down. Luckily, we only had to go a few games before Pau's arrival so we didn't really get exposed how bad we were gonna be without Bynum.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (illmatic @ May 25 2008, 01:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (notmuchgame @ May 25 2008, 01:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The question is 'who has had a bigger impact' on the turnaround, NOT who is the better player. Too many of you guys who are so quickly dismissing Fish are interpreting the the question as the latter, in which case there is no doubt it's Gasol. But to answer the question that was meant, the Lakers were already turned around by the time Gasol arrived. The Lakers had already been at the top of the conference, and Gasol helped solidify that. But Fish was a difference maker since DAY 1 in training camp</div> While you are right about the first part (and I actually meant to put that in my post), how quickly you forgot the dismay this team was in when Andrew Bynum went down. Luckily, we only had to go a few games before Pau's arrival so we didn't really get exposed how bad we were gonna be without Bynum. </div> Any time a team loses their second option they are going to go in a funk. I don't think you can hold that against Fisher or use it to define Pau as having impact. I'll say this about Pau though, he was a big part of the Lakers pulling off that impressive winning streak when they had 10 out of 11 games on the road. We ended up going 10-1 during when a lot of us were hoping the team would just play .500 basketball.
Fish obviously had a huge impact on Kobe. He had a big impact with his veteran leadership and his IQ. However, you can make an argument that overall BOTH Bynum and Gasol had a bigger impact on our team this year then Fisher. Like illmatic pointed out...without Gasol and Bynum; we were a .500 ball club...their impact on us this year vaulted us to the top of the Western Conference.
