Chicago Bulls rumors: Can Pau Gasol be the No. 2 option?
With point guard Derrick Rose back healthy, the Chicago Bulls have championship expectations. One of the reasons for those expectations is the signing of former Los Angeles Lakers’ big man Pau Gasol.
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Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders isn’t sure Gasol can be the true number two option on offense the Bulls need.
"The Chicago Bulls were looking for some additional offensive firepower in the lineup and walked away with former All-Star Pau Gasol in free agency this summer. With a healthy Derrick Rose back in the fold, Chicago should be one of the few contenders for Eastern Conference supremacy this season.That is, of course, if Gasol still has enough left in the gas tank to be a number two option on a legitimate title contender. Gasol averaged 17.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game last season so on paper it looks like he still has some juice left. However, Gasol has also missed 55 games over the past two season battling a myriad of injuries which is never a good sign for aging big men."
Gasol is productive when healthy but Greene is right, his injuries make him and the Bulls’ ability to truly contender for a title, a question mark.
Gasol averaged 17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds 3.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game last season while shooting 48.0% from the field, 28.6% from beyond the arc and 73.6% from the free throw line. In his 13-year NBA career, the third-overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft has put up 18.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 blocks per game.
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