Pau Gasol 2008-09 Season Thread

Today imma look at Pau Gasol's first real full season with the Lakers and his impact in winning his 1st Championship with the Lakers playing alongside Kobe Bryant

Pau's 08-09 RS Overall Numbers

18.9 PPG 9.6 RPG 3.5 APG 1.0 BPG
56.7 FG% 78.1 FT%

18.9 PPG and 56.7 FG% were both highs for Pau Gasol in a single season on the Lakers

He shot over 50% in 58/81 Games that he played in. He was very efficient

Pau Gasol's impact on the floor was huge for the Lakers on the offensive end

when Pau was on the floor Lakers had a 115.1 ORTG (Best in NBA) and when he was OFF the floor, the Lakers ORTG was 106.4 (Would be 8th Worst in the NBA)

At the end of January, Andrew Bynum would get hurt and Pau Gasol would have to play the Center position and his game would elevate. From the Start of February till the end of the RS Pau averaged these numbers

20.5 PPG 10.4 RPG 3.7 APG 1.0 SPG 1.2 BPG
58.3 FG% 77.1 FT%

Pau Gasol even managed to win a Western Conference Player of the Month award in February 2009

20.8 PPG 10.9 RPG 4.8 APG 1.1 BPG
58.6 FG% 78.7 FT%
11-2 Record
2 30 Point Games
7 20 Point Games

Between 30 Jan and 8 Feb, 2009, Lakers went on a 6 game road trip and swept it including getting wins over CLE and BOS

Pau during that Streak
24.8 PPG 12.0 RPG 4.2 APG 1.2 BPG
62.5 FG% 79.6 FT%

21/9/3 @ MIN
24/8/4 @ MEM
31/14/5 @ NYK
31/15/4 @ TOR
24/14/3 @ BOS
18/12/6 @ CLE

Pau Gasol was a really good playmaking big. In fact one of the best in the league

among all the PFs and Centers, Pau's 3.5 APG was tied 2nd in the league with Duncan (Only Diaw was ahead)

He had one Triple Double with assists that season (1 of 14 Players to post a T-D in 08-09)

Pau's Season Highs in 08-09 RS

- 36 PTS
- 19 REB
- 10 AST
- 3 BLK

Obviously can't talk about Pau's 08-09 Season without bringing up this legendary Fastbreak

On Christmas Day, the Lakers would host Boston in a Finals rematch and Pau would dominate in the clutch scoring 7 Straight Points and getting a block that set up an Ariza dunk to put the game to bed

In his first full season with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol would experience the winningest Regular Season of his career

Pau was a clear cut #2 Option on a 65-17 Team that was a #1 Seed in the West and was rewarded with a couple of accolades

Pau would not only make his 2nd All-Star Selection, but would also make his First All-NBA team making the 3rd team All-NBA

Pau's great play was finally rewarded

In the 1st Round it would be Lakers-Jazz.

Pau had a solid series, scoring efficiently and helping the Lakers get a 4-1 Series win

Pau in R1
18.4 PPG 9.0 RPG 1.6 APG 1.6 BPG
58.6 FG% 64.9 FT%

Oh and this play

In the 2nd Round it'd be Lakers-Rockets

Pau in the series
18.6 PPG 12.0 RPG 2.6 APG 2.0 BPG
53.1 FG% 70.3 FT%

Again a solid series from Pau, this series actually went to 7 and Pau dominated in G7 posting 21 PTS 18 REB 3 BLK in a 89-70 Win

in the WCF, Pau and Kobe would take on Denver

Yet again, Pau had a steady series:
17.5 PPG 12.3 RPG 3.5 APG 2.3 BPG
63.3 FG% 74.4 FT%

Lakers would win in 6 Games

In the closeout G6 in Denver, Pau posted 20/12/6

In the Finals it'd be Lakers-Magic

Pau in his 2nd Finals
18.6 PPG 9.2 RPG 2.2 APG 1.8 BPG
60.0 FG% 77.8 FT%

Outscored and was more efficient than Dwight and had this memorable and one finish in Game 2 to cap off his 09 Finals high 24 Point performance

Pau's Overall 2009 Playoff Run
18.3 PPG 10.8 RPG 2.5 APG 2.0 BPG
58.0 FG% 71.4 FT%

Lakers ORTG with him On Court - 112.4
Lakers ORTG with him Off - 106.2 (NET RTG +6.2 with him On)

Pau averaged at least 17.5 PPG in every series and showed great consistency in 09 Playoffs

In his first full season with the Lakers, Pau won 65 Games in RS and his first NBA Championship alongside side that individually he made an All-NBA team and the ASG.

Pau and Kobe established themselves as a legendary Lakers duo that season

End of Thread