(Photo Credit: Mike Ehrmann)
The Miami HEAT host the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday afternoon at AmericanAirlines Arena. The HEAT have won four straight games and sit at 33-14 and atop the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are 24-27 and 3.5 games out of the playoffs in the West. Tip off is set for 3:30 PM.
1: What does Pau Gasol's injury mean to the Lakers?
Couper Moorhead: Before Gasol's injury, the most important thing for the Lakers as they attempted to get back into the playoff picture was to figure out what to do with him. Were they going to get him a consistent role on the team, possibly in a staggered-minutes system with Dwight Howard so Gasol and Steve Nash could run well-spaced pick-and-rolls? Or were they going to try to find good value for him on the trade market? Either way, they had to find a solution, and while they don't have to concern themselves with that question now with Gasol likely out past the trade deadline, that loss of value could be a critical blow to those playoff hopes?
Danny Martinez: Besides the actual play on the floor, Gasol’s injury makes a thin frontline even thinner. The Lakers came into the season with three players likely to play most of the front court minutes in Gasol, Dwight Howard and Jordan Hill. Hill is out for the season, Howard has dealt with a myriad of injuries and now Gasol is out for an extended period. The Lakers are now having to play Earl Clark, Robert Sacre and even Antawn Jamison at center for stretches. It’s tough. On the floor, Gasol’s absesnce hurts because he’s such a valuable player. He’s struggled some this season, but Gasol is still one of the more talented big men in the league. His creativity and shooting will be missed. The healthy bigs can fill some of the roles, but none are as complete as Gasol.
2: LeBron said he doesn't buy Kobe as a distributor. Do you?
Couper: I buy it only in the sense that Kobe has always been entirely capable of being a facilitator -- he's just that talented. But he doesn't seem to be wired that way, and it's ridiculous to praise someone for changing their identity when there is nothing more than four or five games of evidence to back up that claim. This was a storyline more than anything else, but that shouldn't be an indictment of Bryant's abilities.
Danny: I don’t. While I think Bryant has the skills to be a facilitator, he doesn’t really use them on a consistent basis. Bryant likes to score and is great at it. While the Lakers won some games with Bryant facilitating, it likely wasn’t the reason the Lakers were winning. Their defense and schedule were the real reasons. Bryant is as creative as they come, but he chooses to use that creativity to score. I think his track record proves he knows what he’s doing.
3: If Chris Bosh is ready to play, does Shane Battier return to the bench?
Couper: Most likely, but then again it's impossible to know what exactly Erik Spoelstra's timeline is for this season. He's been starting Udonis Haslem and bringing Battier off the bench primarily in order to preserve Battier for the playoffs, but at some point he's probably going to want to get his team ready for the postseason. The chances of that time coming before the All-Star break, however, are unlikely. But you never know.
Danny: Yep. I don’t see why he wouldn’t. In the postseason, when things matter, I think we’ll see Battier inserted back into the starting lineup. It creates so many offensive mismatches that I don’t think the HEAT will be able to resist the urge. But in February, things aren’t do-or-die, playing “small” or positionless can be draining, particularly for Battier. There’s no need to submit him, and others who slot up a position, to extra wear and tear. We know what Battier adds when in the starting lineup. We also know it’s not necessary for the HEAT to use that weapon to win regular season games. There’s no need to push it right now.
