Gasol exit a colossal Lakers' blunder

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Just when the era of greatness that began with the Shaq-Kobe summer of 1996 and the tapping of Phil Jackson to coach in 1999 began to wane, Gasol came along to revitalize the franchise. Playing a video tribute and giving him center court to himself to bask in the applause of the fans in his return to Lakerland with the Chicago Bulls Thursday night was the least the team could do. Rest assured, his No. 16 will join the rest of the giant retired jerseys high on the Staples Center walls one day.

Gasol didn't just provide points and rebounds, he also provided a Spanish voice to a team with a huge Latino following. He'd patiently provided bilingual answers after every game, endearing himself to the local media. His commitment to children's hospitals endeared him to the rest of the population.

He was the embodiment of what the Lakers aspire to be -- classy winners -- so it's strange that he isn't viewed as a defining player. Such is the shadow that Kobe Bryant came to cast over the past 10 years. Gasol wasn't loud on or off the court, so he just doesn't ... stick. And that's why it was important that Gasol had this moment, a time to reflect on his value.

"I think people remember ... remember what we accomplished as a team, my dedication and commitment to the team, to the city, to the community," Gasol said. "It's up to the people to remember. I appreciate the memories, I appreciate the support, I appreciate the respect that I get."

It was clear it mattered to Gasol, mattered as much as it did to Shaq, even though Shaq left under more acrimonious terms. Shaq still wanted his jersey to hang in this building, and he's grateful it went up while Jerry Buss was still alive. Pau was a part of the last of the 10 championships the Lakers won during Buss' ownership. He was the finishing touch of the golden era.

The Lakers limited their options because they didn't want to take back long-term contracts in order to preserve their 2014-15 salary cap space. We saw how that worked out last summer. And it would have been hard to pry a pick from the teams hoarding draft selections because those teams couldn't use an expensive older player on an expiring contract when they had no intention of winning in the short term.

In retrospect, the time to move Gasol would have been in 2013-14, when the Steve Nash- Dwight Howard experiment wasn't working and the Lakers needed to give Howard a reason to believe the Lakers were building a long-term foundation. At the minimum they would have been better positioned for when Howard left them that summer.

There are a few reasons Howard's departure didn't hurt the Lakers as much as Gasol's. First, getting Howard only cost them Andrew Bynum, who played only 24 games in the 2 1/2 seasons since the trade. Second, it was worth the gamble on Howard's free agency because it was their best shot at landing the next franchise fixture. Finally, Howard's departure doesn't seem as bad these days. He has missed 14 games so far this season and Thursday he was diagnosed with a fluid buildup in his knee.

Gasol, meanwhile, was coming off an 18-point, 16-rebound, eight-assist game against the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night and his averages of 18 points and 12 rebounds compare favorably to his best days in L.A. Perhaps Gasol would have flourished under the traditional coaching approach of Byron Scott, who played in the days when big men ruling the paint was the accepted approach to NBA success.

But it's clear a fresh start has helped him -- no "Black Swan" prodding from Kobe Bryant necessary.

"I'm motivated, I'm energized and I'm excited about what I'm doing again," Gasol said. "I think it's perfect for me."

Gasol has given the Bulls a low-post scoring option and another high-post passer to go with Joakim Noah. The Bulls are still figuring out how to play with the restored Derrick Rose and determining how much of his old self Rose can be.

Gasol wound up with 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists Thursday night, but he started slowly and needed the extra minutes afforded by double overtime to post those numbers. It's not as if he continuously reminded the Lakers of what they're missing throughout the night.

The Lakers have a daily reminder of what they miss from Gasol when they look at their own roster and their ledger of draft picks.

Eight years after his fortuitous arrival they have nothing to show for his departure.