Kobe Bryant Invokes Confidence in Pau Gasol

A mere few days removed from essentially calling himself and Pau an unstoppable offensive duo, Kobe took his support of the seven footer up a notch.

Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the New Orleans Hornets, Bryant called Gasol his “dude” and asserted that we’re all seeing the Pau from 2010, not the hot mess we had been watching for most of the season.

Kobe on Pau: “That’s my dude. I know what he brings to the table. He’s 2010 Pau now. For sure.”

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 10, 2013

While not impossible to disagree with the Black Mamba, it is difficult. Not only did Gasol go 9-of-15 from the field against the Hornets for 22 points, but he’s scored at least 14 points in four of his last seven games, and scored at least 12 in all of them. He’s also grabbed eight or more rebounds in eight of his first nine games back from injury.

Declaring that the Lakers are housing the 2010 version of Gasol free and clear may be a bit bold, but this is undoubtedly the closest Pau has been all season. And he was certainly the player of 2010 against New Orleans.

The secret behind his rejuvenation of sorts? Kobe, who’s apparently telling Pau to go down in the post and “screw” everything else.

Pau: “Kobe’s telling me to just go down to the post and stay there and screw everything else”

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 10, 2013

Forget about Xs and Os, Bryant just wants Gasol on the block, and he’ll find a way to make it work. And it has been working.

Kidding and Bryant’s sarcastic advice aside, it helps that Kobe has assumed more of a point guard role. He understands the importance of Gasol on the offensive end and to the Lakers overall, so he can emphasize running the ball through Pau.

Which is something Gasol is grateful for.

Pau: “It helps that Kobe has a lot of control with what happens out there. He wants me to be there and sees that it works and is supportive”

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 10, 2013

The importance of Kobe’s support cannot be lost on anyone. What he’s doing for Gasol is huge for both the big man himself, and the Lakers in general.

Gasol hasn’t appeared confident on the court all season long, and while he’s still averaging a career low in points (13.3) and shooting percentage (46.4), you can tell he’s not as hesitant to shoot or be involved on the offensive end. He’s simply carrying himself better, something no statistic will measure.

At the heart of Pau’s improvement is Bryant, who has understood that the Lakers needed Gasol to be productive all along, and comprehended where he was most likely to be productive from. It is him that has directed Pau to the proper spots, something he normally wouldn’t need to do, but does now. Spacing alongside Dwight Howard remains an issue, so it’s imperative that the ball handler direct the traffic between the two.

Clad with Pau’s resurgence, the Lakers are still clinging to fleeting postseason hopes. Should they ultimately get there, though, there’s no denying they’re only more dangerous with a productive Gasol.

And a supportive Kobe.