I know that Health is a Fleeting thing..but how can a Man go from Defensive player of the Year in 07-08 to near fouling out against Gasol? No matter what rank Gasol is.
KG has lost a step, but he hasn't lost This much...even with his loss of natural ability, he is a Smart player..he hasn't gone Dumb on Defense in two games.
Unless there's a hidden injury (and who knows with that stuff - Pierce lied all year about how banged up he was), what's happening isn't that much of a shock.
KG is an older player, whose game was largely based on his athleticism. Because he's older, he'd be in decline anyway. Because there's an injury on top of that, that decline might come faster or with more peaks and valleys.
I think you, like a lot of fans (including me) and KG himself, are still hoping for the return of the player he was. I rewatched the 08 finals last week and one thing you notice is how often KG explodes off the dribble and takes Gasol to the bucket. Those moves are now gone from his arsenal. Same thing on D - he's lost things there.
It's not at all shocking that he might have a bad game or two or even a whole bad series, especially against an elite offensive PF like Gasol. Add in games where the Lakers blow by the C's perimeter D, and the task becomes nearly impossible for KG.
Well, I know he won't be as explosive as he was in 07-08, but I do remember him being 08-ish in the CLE series - he even took Sideshow off the dribble and took it to the rack one time..I had not seen him do that in a long time.
I just don't see how he has lost This Much..I cannot believe it. IMO, it has more to do with the Refs - they have taken him out of his game to elevate Gasol.
Also - KG guarded Dwight Howard for stretches, and didn't pick up fouls as quickly as he is racking them up on Gasol.
Like Bahku mentioned - it is more than likely mental, but to me, Mental issues are affected by outside forces..
