What Marc Gasol brings to this Lakers team

The Los Angeles Lakers signed former Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol — his career coming full circle after being traded by the team for his brother Pau — for the veteran’s minimum a few weeks ago, a move that LeBron James is really excited about.

With the Catalan center self-admittedly dead-set on winning another ring, lets go through what he brings to the team on both ends of the floor, and how he can help the the Lakers accomplish that goal:

So there you have it. Gasol brings an elite level of defending — from his individual post defense prowess to his relative versatility in the defensive pick and roll, as well as his communication and ability to protect the paint. On the other end, he’s a very astute passer — especially out of the high post and beyond the arch — as well as a floor-spacing, smart pick and roll player who understands how to pick his spots, and one who also has the ability to go to work in the post when needed, especially when attacking mismatches.

Gasol capped off an incredible free agency haul for the Lakers and vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka that only got better when they team extended LeBron James and re-signed Anthony Davis. What an amazing offseason for the defending champs.

Dr. Rajpal Brar has a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona University, and runs his own sports medicine and performance business, 3CB Performance, in West LA and Valencia, CA. He also works at a hospital — giving him experience with patients in the immediate healthcare setting and neurological patients (post stroke, post brain injury) — and has been practicing for 1.5 years. Brar is additionally training at UCLA’s mindful awareness research center (MARC), and analyzes the Lakers from a medical perspective for Silver Screen and Roll and Laker Film Room. You can follow him on Twitter at@3cbPerformance.