Author's Note: No extra analysis for tonight's game, because I'm tired of writing the same stuff about the same results for the same team, and we all need a break from the same analysis even if it remains true.
Pau Gasol is a strange player. Take tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers, for example. I can't say that Gasol played all that well, since he shot only 4-12 from the field, did not go to the free throw line, scored just 8 points and pulled down just 8 rebounds (in a game that had 93 of them). But he did have 10 assists. Think about that ... the Lakers star power forward had more assists than he had points or rebounds. How does that even happen? I'm not sure, but what I am sure of is that Pau Gasol is the best passer on this team. Hell, he's one of the best passers in the league. Not for his position ... Pau Gasol is one of the best passers in the league period. How else can one explain this?
That, my friends, is a no-look, behind the head touch pass. Any one of those traits in a pass is usually pretty cool. Any combination of the two is usually pretty spectacular. Doing all three at once? In a live NBA game? I can't remember ever seeing anything like it. That might be one of the single greatest passes in NBA history ... and nobody is going to remember it. Because Andrew Bynum couldn't finish the play, and because Pau Gasol didn't play all that well overall, and because the Lakers lost in typical Lakers fashion, this glorious pass is destined to be pushed into obscurity.
There hasn't been much to smile about in Lakerland over the past few months. We were disgraced by our team's exit from the playoffs, we were less than thrilled with the head coach brought in to replace Phil Jackson (for apparently good reason), and now, our team is off to a rough start to the season and looks to be completely lacking in depth and ability behind the big three. So take a night off from worrying, and just watch this highlight over and over again. It really is that good.