The Los Angeles Lakers bolstered their roster for the stretch run when they signed Andre Drummond last week, but the move likely means Marc Gasol will have a very minimal role going forward. As you might expect, that has not been easy for Gasol to take.
Gasol, who has averaged just under 20 minutes per game this season, was immediately sent to the bench when Drummond joined the Lakers. Backup center Montrezl Harrell has played extremely well this season and is a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, so Gasol will likely be buried on the depth chart. Despite that, Gasol says he is committed to the Lakers.
“Things can change quickly in the NBA as they have changed for me,” Gasol said Friday night, via Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation. “I’m committed to this team. It’s a hard pill to swallow because I know I’m going to be out of the lineup. … But we’ll see.”
Drummond is dealing with a toe injury and will not play against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. The injury is not considered serious, however.
Gasol said after the Lakers’ win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday that he is unsure of how often he will be needed.
“I think there’s an ‘if’ — ‘if’ they need you. And it’s a big 'if,'” Gasol said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “You’re not Plan A right now. You’re Plan C, D. … You have to accept it because that’s your job. And that’s what you sign up to do. It’s never easy to accept that.”
The Lakers should obviously be better with Drummond in the starting lineup. Gasol has averaged just 4.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game this year, while Drummond is averaging a double-double.
Even if Gasol understands why his role will be diminished, that doesn’t make it any easy for a veteran player to swallow. There has been talk that the Lakers could buy out Gasol, which might be preferable for him given the situation.
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