Pau Gasol and Mike D’Antoni have had their share of disagreements over the past two seasons. The latest rift between the two occurred earlier this week.
After Tuesday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, Gasol said the team lacked discipline, which would seem to be a shot at the coach. D’Antoni responded by calling Gasol’s comments “disturbing,” and also said they should stay in-house.
Gasol would talk to the Spanish newspaper, Marca, and explain that did not expect D’Antoni to take his comments personally:
I’m a happy guy who likes peace. I do not want problems with anybody. I do not know why they have offended Mike D’Antoni. You would have to ask him, but I did the fellow journalists. I know what I will say is typical when he says certain things that you feel that you have gone a little hand, but I think my sentences, minutes after a painful defeat in Indianapolis, have been taken out of context.
While Gasol may not have meant for his comments to offend D’Antoni, it’s easy to see how many would believe them to be a shot at the coach.
It is the coach’s job to instill discipline on a team, and not only did Gasol say the team lacked discipline, but that it still needed to be instilled.
Gasol would never be confused with a disgruntled, angry player bringing unwanted drama to the team, but he has become more open about his frustrations and voicing them to the public.
Frustrations are always going to be high after a blowout loss, and even though he never mentioned D’Antoni by name, it was obvious who he was talking about.
