Pau Gasol ruled out for Lakers’ game Wednesday vs. New Orleans

HOUSTON — The pressing question no longer involves how will Pau Gasol fit in with Mike D’Antoni’s system or if the Lakers will ever trade him.

It currently entails when Pau Gasol will return to the court after the training staff and the Lakers forward concluded he couldn’t successfully play through the tendinitis in both of his knees that he’s had since training camp.

Gasol already will sit out when the Lakers (8-9) play the Houston Rockets (8-8) tonight at Toyota Center. The Lakers forward also penciled himself out for the Lakers’ game Wednesday at New Orleans. But could Gasol return in time when the Lakers visit Oklahoma City Friday or host the Utah Jazz on Sunday?

“I’m not guessing it’s going to be two days and the knee will feel wonderful all of a sudden,” Gasol said. “That’s not realistic.”

Gasol described the tendons as “very stiff” and said the treatment and bands he’s worn around both knees has yielded little improvement. Averaging a career-low 12.6 points on 42 percent shooting and 8.8 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per game, Gasol said the injury has significantly inhibited his explosiveness, jumping, running and post-up abilities. He also plans to get an MRI shortly after the Lakers arrive in Los Angeles on Saturday.

“After games I would finish games very sore and they were painful,” Gasol said. “Even though it calmed down the next day, it came back up. I thought about it at times on maybe it’s something I should especially with things not going so well. I couldnt take that step.”

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