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The closer Derrick Rose gets to the reality of playing with Pau Gasol with the game on the line, the more the Bulls star dreams. |
“I see automatically the fourth quarter, he’s got the ball and I’m out on the perimeter just waiting to get a set shot,” Rose said. “Joakim (Noah) and Taj (Gibson) in there and I just see (Gasol) at the post. ... You can pick your poison.”
Put another way, the Bulls consider Gasol an antidote to what ailed an offense suffering from poor shooting and versatility last season. Gasol’s 7-foot presence provides another legitimate scoring option that, among other things, will ease Rose’s transition back. Gasol will be good as a mentor for rookie Nikola Mirotic. But Gasol could be even better as a complement to Rose.
“He just gives us a different dimension,” Rose said. “There are going to be a lot of games I won’t have to do a lot to win the game.”
It worked for Kobe Bryant. Nobody’s suggesting the Bulls will win two NBA titles the way the Lakers did in 2009 and 2010, but they believe Gasol’s impact can work similarly for Rose. Funny how quickly after the roster acquired a Spanish accent the Bulls started talking championship.
“We can develop a special bond,” Gasol said of Rose. “I look forward to him dominating the way he used to.”
The promise of Rose went a long way toward luring Gasol in one of the smartest, quietest deals of the offseason. To sign Gasol to a three-year, $22.3 million contract, the Bulls beat out the Spurs, the Heat, the Knicks and the Lakers. The process stressed out Gasol so much he intentionally separated from his phone. Breaking the news to Bryant, among the first he told, nearly broke his heart.
“Kobe wanted me to stay and retire together and that was an attractive option,” said Gasol, 34. “One part of me wanted to stick with him, but another part wanted to put myself in a position to be highly stimulated.”
Mental stimulation came courtesy of the Bulls, who made their pitch in a downtown Los Angeles office. Rose wasn’t there but called and immediately sensed Gasol “wanted to come here.” Noah did his part in person with Bulls executives John Paxson and Gar Forman, as well as coach Tom Thibodeau.
“He’s very forward and doesn’t sugarcoat much,” Gasol said of Noah. “He was very humble. He showed his excitement about potentially playing together. He also told me he was extremely hungry. I wanted to hear that.”
Ultimately, it wasn’t what Gasol heard that swayed him as much as what he felt.
“My gut told me this was the place,” Gasol said. “I thought the Bulls had a great opportunity to do something special.”
Instant upgrade
After they lost out on top free-agent target Carmelo Anthony, Gasol saved the Bulls’ summer in what represented an instant upgrade over Carlos Boozer.
“He could’ve easily been in warm weather, but he picked the cold,” Noah said. “We can laugh about that, but it says a lot about his character.”
Calling himself “rejuvenated,” Gasol instantly becomes one of the hardest big men to guard in the Eastern Conference. Only time will answer valid questions: Will Thibodeau watch Gasol’s minutes? Can Gasol play defense up to Thibodeau’s standards? Can the Bulls find a way to use Gasol, Noah and Gibson at the same time? But on the eve of training camp, hope muted doubt.
“We love his ability to score inside and outside but also to facilitate,” Forman said. “He gives us great length.”
Not to mention Gasol gives the organization more depth _ and not the kind that involves coming off the bench. Sure, the Bulls will be an improved team with Gasol in the lineup, but Chicago also will be an enriched place with him in the city.
Gasol, who grew up in Spain with his mother a physician and his father a nurse, originally wanted to attend medical school. As the story goes, Gasol was 11 in 1991 when Magic Johnson announced he was HIV-positive. Immediately, the boy wanted to become a doctor. “I wanted to find a cure (for AIDS),” Gasol once told ESPN.com.
He speaks four languages and fluently answered questions from the crowd of Spanish-speaking journalists surrounding him. He considers opera star Placido Domingo a friend. His view of the world extends well beyond 94 feet, which also benefited the Bulls.
“Finding a culturally rich place was important,” Gasol said. “I’m not just a basketball player. The city had a lot to offer.”
After Gasol made the final decision, he received a text from Phil Jackson, the former Bulls and Lakers coach. It said: “You are going to love Chicago.”
Don’t be surprised if the feeling is mutual.
