HoopsHype.com Rumors

Pau Gasol on Kobe Bryant: I admire him, I respect him and it's amazing what he's doing at age 34. ABC.es

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol 

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni had toyed with the idea of bringing Gasol off the bench as he rounds himself back into shape after being out since Feb. 5 with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot but said after shootaround Friday that the four-time All-Star would play with the first unit. "The reason being he'll warm up. He feels better when he gets warmed up and gets going instead of sitting over there for about 10-20 minutes and then playing," D'Antoni said. "He's more comfortable that way, and that's what we're going to end up anyway, so we might as well go ahead." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Mike D'Antoni 

D'Antoni said Gasol would be limited as he gets his "wind and legs" back but said there would be no restrictions on Bryant as he returns to the lineup after missing the last two games with a severely sprained left ankle. Tweeted Bryant after shootaround Friday: "Ankle was a lil sore from practice yesterday but should be good to go tonight #mambaface." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Mike D'Antoni 

Pau Gasol: My relationship with D'Antoni is normal, good, positive, friendly. ABC.es

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni 

Pau Gasol: When the season ends we will see if playing with the Spanish national team is good or bad for me. ABC.es

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Spain, Eurobasket 

Mike Trudell: Mike D'Antoni said he expects @Pau Gasol will play tomorrow. Said the Spaniard "looked good" in practice today. Twitter @LakersReporter

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

Pau gave a pretty encouraging answer for Lakers fans when asked what he's noticed the 20 games he's been out ... "If our minds and our hearts are really into it, we can be a heck of a team and we can beat anybody," Gasol said of the Lakers, who went 13-7 in the last 20 games without him. "That’s what I’ve learned. When we move the ball, we’re hard to beat. We have too many weapons, too many guys that can put the ball in the hole for us to focus on one or two guys mainly. "Once we share the ball and we really want to defend and get back in transition and limit our turnovers, we’re a tough team. We’re a tough team. We have size. We got to be physical. We just got to bring it for 48 minutes every night. That’s the big difference." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol 

Dave McMenamin: D'Antoni says he "expects" both Kobe and Pau in the lineup Friday vs. Washington Twitter @mcten

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni referred to Pau Gasol recently as "the final piece." Despite some ongoing pain in his right foot, Gasol now seems likely to be on the floor Friday for the Lakers against Washington. Kobe Bryant is also expected back from his left ankle sprain. "Seems like a good day," D'Antoni said as practice was concluding Wednesday. Orange County Register

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

Mike Trudell: Gasol didn't go so far as to say he'd be able to play on Fri. He wants to see how the foot responds today, & play 5 on 5 tomorrow. Twitter @LakersReporter

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

At the time D'Antoni was speaking, Gasol was playing in a full-court 4-on-4 scrimmage that marked the first time he extended himself beyond halfcourt play in his recovery from a torn plantar fascia. Gasol will see how the foot holds up after being pushed to that level -- and whether he feels OK about moving up to full-court 5-on-5 Thursday -- before deciding whether he plays Friday. The Lakers' next game after that is Monday at Golden State, beginning a four-game trip that goes on to Minnesota, Milwaukee and Sacramento. It appears that trip will be the truest test so far of where the Lakers are at full strength (aside from Jordan Hill, likely out of the season after hip surgery). "When they're all 100 percent, I think it can work," D'Antoni said, noting that Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and Gasol have all been limited physically this season. From his Twitter account, Bryant offered Wednesday: "ankle feels fine. Gonna practice full speed tmr then take it from there." Orange County Register

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Injuries 

Pau Gasol had an ultrasound on his injured right foot. Although the scan showed that his foot is healing, no timetable has been set yet for Gasol's return. Gasol was injured Feb. 5 in a Lakers win over the Brooklyn Nets. His recovery was going smoothly until he felt soreness late last week. The Lakers will continue to ramp up Gasol's activity but at a measured pace. After losing on Monday in Phoenix to the Suns, the Lakers are off until Friday when they host the Washington Wizards. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

The Lakers' lack of depth was apparent in their loss Monday night without injured Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, but it's fairly likely that both will be back in action in the next Lakers game Friday night vs. Washington. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said about the return of Bryant, who joined the team on the bench for the second half in Phoenix: "Probably Friday." Orange County Register

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

"I wish him a speedy recovery. It was a tough, tough season," Lakers forward Pau Gasol said. "He was finally having a good solid year — an outstanding year — and I wanted him to re-establish himself and be the guy on their team. It just hasn't happened.." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Injuries 

Mike Trudell: In addition, @paugasol is out tonight. He'll have an ultrasound on his foot tomorrow, and see how it feels during the week. Twitter @LakersReporter

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

"I didn’t come here and say, ‘This is my team,’ and all of that stuff," Howard said. "That wasn’t anything that was on my mind. Like I told you guys in the beginning, this is a great time for me to learn from a guy like Kobe, a guy like Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, and that’s what I intended on doing. I’ve learned so much from the beginning of the season until now that it’s going to help me moving forward in my career. So, this has been great. Everything that Kobe is doing, everything that Pau and Steve and those guys are doing will help me in the long run as far as taking a team over the hump." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard 

Pau Gasol downplayed the soreness in his right foot that has ruled him out for his planned return Monday against Phoenix. Gasol said it was "to be expected" that he'd have some discomfort from testing his foot so much, so fast. "Pretty normal reaction," said Gasol, who was examined by foot specialist Kenneth Jung on Sunday. Gasol is on track to return from his torn plantar fascia vs. Washington on Friday night, which might be Kobe Bryant's first game back from his sprained ankle. "I don't want to put any date so there are no surprises or disappointments," Gasol said. Orange County Register

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

The wait for Pau Gasol continues. After his plans to play against Phoenix on Monday had to be scrapped because he experienced soreness in his recovering right foot, the veteran Lakers forward said Sunday he was no longer publicly targeting a specific game for his return. "I don't want to put any dates out there, so there are no disappointments or surprises," he said. Gasol said foot specialist Kenneth Jung told him the discomfort he experienced Saturday while playing two-on-two at the Lakers' practice facility was to be expected as he increased the intensity in his return from the tear inside the bottom of the foot he suffered early last month. "It's a pretty normal reaction from the injury that I had," Gasol said. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said the additional pain Gasol felt in his right foot following a two-on-two game Saturday could “jeopardize” his planned return Monday when the Lakers visit the Phoenix Suns. “That could be in jeopardy,” D’Antoni said. “But he’s close.” Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

Though Gasol’s return remains uncertain, D’Antoni reiterated his stance that he will start once his conditioning returns to normal levels. Gasol had played the last six games before his injury while Earl Clark started at power forward, with D’Antoni arguing Jan. 22 that “we got to go small.” Why did D’Antoni’s sentiments change? “I think Pau went up to another level with his play,” D’Antoni said. “That changed. As you get to the playoffs, experience and being able to perform under certain conditions is a big factor. And he’s more comfortable starting. There’s a lot of things you have to think about. We’ll look at it. As soon as he gets healthy enough, that’s where we’ll go.” Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Injuries