Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol will start on Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats after missing the previous eight games with knee tendinitis, according to Mike Trudell.
The Lakers went 3-5 in the eight games without Gasol but they have won their last two games. Trudell also tweeted that Gasol feels like he has the explosion back that he didn't have early in the season, which is a good sign for the Lakers.
Gasol was averaging only 12.6 points on 42 percent shooting and 8.8 rebounds per game before he sat out. The shooting percentage can be attributed to him having to play more on the perimeter than in the past due to the presence of Dwight Howard and the need for Mike D'Antoni's offense to only feature one low-post big man.
Gasol is now back in the fold and the Lakers will try again to see if he can work in D'Antoni's offense. With Steve Nash trying to make his own return next week, the Lakers can finally get a chance to see their whole stable of talent under D'Antoni. If they hit their stride, then all will be well in Lakerland. But if they continue to struggle like they have during their 11-14 start to their season, then changes could be on the horizon.