Gasol irked by diminished role on Lakers after Drummond signing
Following the Los Angeles Lakers' addition of center Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol is beginning to question his role with the team.
"I think there's an 'if' - 'if' they need you. And it's a big 'if,'" Gasol said following the team's win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "You're not Plan A right now. You're Plan C, D. ... You have to accept it because that's your job. ... It's never easy to accept that."
Drummond replaced Gasol in the Lakers' starting lineup when he made his debut March 31. However, the Spaniard returned to the starting five Friday with Drummond unavailable because of a toe injury. Gasol finished with five points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the victory.
Head coach Frank Vogel emphasized that despite Drummond's arrival, Gasol still has a key part in the Lakers' quest for back-to-back titles.
"I think people need to understand how good of a player Marc Gasol is and how valuable he is to what we're doing," Vogel said. "And we're going to play our most important players, so he's going to help us win a championship this year."
The 36-year-old veteran reassured reporters he remains "committed" to the organization.
After signing a two-year contract this past offseason, Gasol is averaging the fewest points (4.8), rebounds (3.9), and the lowest field-goal percentage (40.3%) of his NBA career while playing less than 20 minutes per game.
Despite the lengthy absences of LeBron James and Anthony Davis due to injury, the Lakers sit fourth in the Western Conference with a 31-18 record.