Brooklyn Nets: Free Agency Fun Part 2- Pau Gasol

Brooklyn Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Pau Gasol
Oct 31, 2018; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Pau Gasol (16) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Part two of Brooklyn Nets free agency fun!

Well, it’s the off-season. The Finals are a thing of the increasingly distant past, the NBA Draft is right on its heels, and every major player has pretty much left the free agency boards.

Things are more or less set in stone with just a few loose ends needing to tied. So with this series, I’m going to just throw out some names that remain out there in the Free Agency Pool. I don’t truly believe that Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets brass are looking at these players, but these are players I wouldn’t mind the organization taking a chance on.

Now I know the roster is more or less set and these are the guys we’re probably going into the season with. With that being said and understood, I would have loved if the Brooklyn Nets brought Pau Gasol in for a look. He checks many different boxes for the Nets.

For starters, Gasol is a professional’s professional. He has a long career with no problems. On the court and as far as we can tell off the court, he’s been a model citizen. These are the kind of high character guys Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets have brought in over the years to help create, establish, and solidify their culture.

The same culture that former Net Luis Scola said would grab the attention of star free agents down the line. The same culture that ended up doing just that and bringing in Kyrie Irving, as well as Kevin Durant. To help maintain this culture, you must continue to fill the roster with a player such as a Pau Gasol.

Secondly, Gasol fits a position of need. Last season, there were many games that the Brooklyn Nets got crushed on the boards and dominated on the paint. Overall, we had a small team. Our tallest guy was only 6’11” who was at the center position.

The power forward position was in great need of size, muscle, and experience while the center position was in need of depth. We saw this when Ed Davis went down right before the playoffs and the struggling that ensued because of it. Pau brings a player who can solve both these dilemmas. A player who’s spent a lengthy part of his career at the four and then played more of the five as he aged, Pau brings depth and experience to both positions. Although at this age it’s probably best for him to spend most of his time at the five, he could occasionally bring quality minutes to the power forward position.

Gasol brings a player who can shoot the three ball at a good enough clip and draw bigs away from the basket. For his career, he shots it at about a 37% clip. Ever since his departure from the Los Angles Lakers, Gasol has added the three ball with more regularity and consistency.

Mentorship is one of the final things that Gasol brings to the Brooklyn Nets. As a team with multiple champions and championship aspirations, Gasol brings another proven winner who knows what it takes to get to the big stage and win there multiple times.

He can be a leader for the team and help show them how to carry themselves towards the promised land. He also can tutor the younger players, specifically Jarrett Allen and Nic Claxton. He’d probably be the most skilled big on the roster, so teaching them how to maneuver and giving them a handful of post moves to master would be great. Not to mention helping them get a better feel and understanding of the game. Pau Gasol had the ability to do wonders for the Brooklyn Nets if we had signed him.