While the Milwaukee Bucks continue their trek towards the NBA Finals, they will have to achieve their ultimate goal without veteran midseason acquisition Pau Gasol. According to a release from the Bucks, Gasol underwent foot surgery and will miss the remainder of the NBA playoffs.
Milwaukee Bucks center Pau Gasol underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair a navicular stress fracture in his left foot. The surgery was performed in Green Bay, Wis., by Dr. Robert Anderson with oversight by Bucks team physician Dr. William Raasch of the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin health network.
Gasol will miss the remainder of the Playoffs and a full recovery is expected in time for training camp.
Now well out of his prime, losing Pau Gasol shouldn’t hurt Milwaukee much, if at all from an on-court standpoint. The Bucks added Gasol in March, and he appeared in three games for them all season in which he averaged only 10 minutes of playing time.
In his prime, Gasol was one of the premier power forwards in the NBA and a pioneer of the now immensely popular “stretch-4” movement. His ability to work the pick and roll flawlessly and nail outside jumpers led to six NBA All-Star appearances for the Spanish big man and two championships during his days with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now 38 years old, it remains to be seen how much Gasol has left in the tank. Hopefully, he’ll be able to return next season and make some sort of impact for this Bucks team who seem to be on the cusp of breaking through.
