Pau Gasol To The Timberwolves? – Fiesta In Minnesota!
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been reported to have high interest in Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol. The Timberwolves are definitely trying their best to get the 2-time NBA champion to team up with his fellow home countryman in Wolves point guard, Ricky Rubio.
Gasol and Rubio have played together multiple times together in the Spanish National Team that competes in the Olympic games from the FIBA European Games to the Summer Olympics itself. Together the two have won a silver medal in the 2008 Summer Olympic games in Beijing, China and have won gold medals together in the FIBA European Tournament in 2009 and last year. All in all, these two professional basketball players know each other very well. Moreover, they compliment each other.
Rubio has somewhat proven himself worthy to play in the NBA before his season-ending injury this past season and Pau Gasol has definitely earned his spot in the NBA tough guy list after being the second best player in the Lakers’ back-to-back title run in 2009 and 2010.
With the Timberwolves being unable to make the playoffs heavily caused by the loss of Rubio and the severe injuries dealt to the rest of the players on the roster from Kevin Love to J.J Barea, Rubio had to watch his buddy Gasol try to win another championship in the 2012 NBA Playoffs.
However, despite having averaged 17.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in the regular season, Gasol had a subpar playoff performance. Gasol averaged 12.5 points per game and grabbed 9.5 rebounds per game. Both are definite minuses and shows that Gasol is slowly losing his touch and probably even his toughness.
Despite Gasol’s poor performance in the playoffs, the Wolves should still pursue Gasol and his addition to the team would bolster their front line the same way the Lakers are when Bynum and Gasol play together on the floor. With Pau Gasol and Kevin Love together in the low post … I just wish every other player in there a good riddance. Moreover, with Kevin Love becoming one of the best three point shooters in the game, the Timberwolves will still have a guy inside to muster up a missed shot and put it back in. No disrespect to Nikola Pekovic, who already began to develop into a better center in the NBA than he was ever before, but Pau Gasol is simply the guy the Wolves would want to start with at the center position if they are able to acquire him. Pekovic will certainly be a great back-up center for either All-Star big men Pau Gasol and Kevin Love. Aside from that size factor Gasol brings, Gasol adds that championship experience factor to the Timberwolves the same way Barea slightly did last NBA season.
Pau knows what it takes to win an NBA championship and also a gold medal.
So, without a doubt the Timberwolves must really try to push on getting Pau Gasol to the Timberwolves. Even though it might take getting rid of last year’s #2 overall pick in Derrick Williams, the Wolves can’t ignore this huge opportunity. Another #2 pick being traded early in his career? Hmmmmm. Sounds like another Timberwolves player who was drafted by the Heat in 2008. Yes! It’s Michael Beasley. However, that’s not the point I’m trying to get to but I’m just adding that interesting fact.
Anyways, the Wolves should get Pau Gasol. Just don’t trade either Pekovic, Love, or Rubio. Let’s go get this Spanish big man.