Report: Bryant says Gasol needs to be more assertive - HoopsWorld

Updated: May 20, 2012, 6:00 pm ET

By HOOPSWORLD
Basketball News & NBA Rumors

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant seemed to be calling out teammate Pau Gasol when Bryant suggested after the Lakers’ Game 3 loss to the Thunder on Saturday that Gasol needs to be more assertive and made a poor decision at critical part of the game.

“Pau’s got to be more assertive,” Bryant said, according to ESPN.com. “He’s the guy out there that we need. When he’s getting the ball he’s looking to pass. He’s got to be aggressive. He’s got to shoot the ball. He’s got to drive the ball to the basket and he will in the next game.”

Gasol did take a single shot from the field in the fourth quarter, and he passed up a shot with 33.9 seconds left and the game tied. Instead he threw a pass that was intercepted by Kevin Durant that helped the Thunder take a 3-1 series lead.

“It was just a bad read,” Bryant said of Gasol’s turnover. “It was just a bad read on Pau’s part. It happens.”

That did not bother Bryant as much as Gasol’s lack off agressiveness.

“He’s just looking to swing the ball too much, he’s just got to shoot it,” Bryant said. “We played pretty much the same way the entire game. The second half what they did was front Andrew (Bynum), so when they front Andrew and in the fourth quarter they crowd me, the other guys have to be more aggressive, simple as that.”

Gasol admitted he made a mistake but did not think that one play cost Los Angeles the game.

“It’s definitely one play, one mistake, but there was a lot of mistakes in that fourth quarter and a lot of mistakes during the game,” Gasol said, according to ESPN.com. “Obviously if I could’ve gone back, maybe I could’ve shot it, and I would’ve. But it’s one play â€" obviously at a critical time â€" but I don’t feel like we lost the game on one turnover. There’s plenty of bad plays or mistakes in the fourth.

“I am unselfish, sometimes that kind of plays against me.”