Los Angeles Lakers center Marc Gasol admitted Friday night that he has questioned his place on the team since Andre Drummond was added to the buyout market last weekend.
Drummond was named the starter almost immediately after his arrival, and Gasol was played in a team that already had Montrezl Harrell, one of the leading candidates for the sixth man of the year, in the rugby center.
Gasol, who spoke 115-94 over the Sacramento Kings Friday after the Lakers victory, said he was not sure how often his number would be called with Drummond in the kraal.
“I think there’s an ‘if’ – ‘if’ they need you. And that’s a big ‘if’,” Gasol said when asked about Lakers coach Frank Vogel, who maintains Gasol’s persistence. Repeat interest. “You are not Plan A right now. You are Plan C, D. … You have to accept it, because that’s your job. And this is what you need to sign up for. It is never easy to accept that. “
With Drummond standing out from the line against the Kings after having a torn nail on his right minor toe, Gasol (36) is back in the starting line-up and has five points, nine rebounds, six assists and ‘ a steal contributed. His assist total was the second-highest in the team, behind eighth-man Dennis Schroder, and LA defeated Sacramento by 20 points in the 28 minutes Gasol was on the floor.
“I think people need to understand how good a player Marc Gasol is and how valuable he is for what we do,” Vogel said afterwards. “And we’re going to play our most important players, so he’s going to help us win a championship this year. That’s the plan. That’s the vision. It’s clear that Andre who’s coming together is giving us the depth. “Three of those guys. We said it’s from day one and Marc’s one of our top players. He dominated the game tonight with five points, OK? And that’s what Marc brings to the table.”
Gasol had previously refused to speak to reporters three times since LA signed for Drummond, and he apparently still had a bit of frustration over the franchise’s decision when he broke his silence along the way.
“Things can change quickly in the NBA, just as it has changed for me,” Gasol said when asked if he wanted to stay with the Lakers or buy out. “But I’m committed to this team. It’s a difficult pill to swallow because I know I’m going to be out of the series at some point. It’s never easy for a player. As a basketball player you want to play. “You want to contribute, especially if for that reason you made that commitment. But we’ll see.”
In the off-season, Gasol signed a two-year contract with defending champion Lakers to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Pau Gasol, and help LA lift another Larry O’Brien trophy. His intention was not only to be part of a championship team, but to play and have his skills elevated the whole group in the pursuit of the ultimate prize.
He entered his average low career points in points (4.8), rebounds (3.9), field goal percentage (40.3%) and minutes (19.5) on Friday and recently dealt with the contracting of COVID-19, which caused him to miss nine consecutive games.
As Vogel alluded to, the value of Gasol to the Lakers was more about the overall performance of the team than its individual numbers. the middle.
“You ask if you did something wrong when you tried to do everything for the team,” he said. “It’s pretty obvious that I do not care much about my stats and the blows I get, or getting setbacks. I try to get my husband out of the way and make the next play, everyone helps. It’s not easy, but it’s life. You have to adapt. Like I said, you take it as a challenge or you go on. “
Vogel maintained that Gasol would continue to play a role in LA, and outlined how he and the organization around him would come together, while Gasol adapted to the lineup.
“The approach is full support,” Vogel said. “It’s hard to see your role changing: how can we support you? And make sure they understand that this is an important piece, as Marc is an important piece for us to win the championship this year. And there is no other way to look at it. “