It’s ironic how things come full circle.
With the Lakers failing to get anything going in the game two of their series against Dallas, the chorus of boos engulfing STAPLES Center were reminiscent of those directed at the man who Kupchak traded for Pau: Kwame Brown.
When the trade went down three years ago, the Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich suggested there should be a trade committee that can veto NBA trades. “I would’ve voted no to the L.A. trade,” said Popovich. This year, Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies were the ones to slam the door shut on the Spurs’ title window.
The Gasol brothers have always possessed something the other didn’t. Pau needed a bit more of Marc’s ruthless aggression, while Marc could use a bit of Pau’s finesse around the hoop. But now, they share do share one thing: playoff success.
With the Grizzlies rapidly on the rise and the Lakers’ future looking cloudier than ever with the looming off-season filled with vital decisions, dare I say that the Pau Gasol trade made three years ago can finally be classified as one.