While on Lakers star (Kobe Bryant) may be headed to the trainer’s table, Los Angeles may see another one return to help the team’s attempt of securing a playoff place.
Pau Gasol was interviewed on ESPN Radio’s “Coach & Co” on Wednesday and said he could return from a torn plantar fascia in his foot as early as next week.
“Hopefully, everything will go well this week and then next week is a possibility,” Gasol said. “We’re in the last stretch of my recovery. It’s been a rough season for me in terms of injuries. I’ve never missed this many games before in a season, and hopefully I won’t have to again. It’s been difficult, but hopefully, I’ll be able to be back with my team soon and help us play even better than we have.”
Prior to the Lakers loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said he hoped that Gasol’s return would “knock us up to another level.”
“The next big step for us is getting Pau back and integrating him really well with the team and making sure we run smoothly,” D’Antoni said. “We got to make sure that works out.”
With the Lakers rocky ride so far this season, Gasol said it would be important if the team was to go on any sort of run come playoff time.
“It would mean a lot,” Gasol said. “It would mean that after all we’ve been through and ups and downs of the season, it would mean when crunch time comes, we were ready to be a team that’s been playing extremely well. But right now, we’re trying to finish the season up, trying to move up as much as we can, and find that rhythm and game shape we want to be in. Then once the playoffs start, it’s, ‘Who wants it more?’
“We have the talent to do it, even though we probably won’t have home-court advantage, it’s just a matter of going out there and taking it and at that point, ‘Who wants it more?’
Speculation continues to persist that if Dwight Howard signs a new deal with the Lakers in the summer, Gasol will be leaving Los Angeles. He addressed his future during the interview.
“I think it’s all going to be determined by team performance,” Gasol said. “If the team is able to perform and fulfill expectations, there’s going to be more stability. If we’re not, they [management] are probably going to be willing and looking to change things up to find the right formula.”
