Will Pau Gasol prove to be the difference for Bulls in Game 6?

The Chicago Bulls are a slim two-point favorite as they look to avoid elimination in Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. Part of the reason the Bulls are the favorite is because the game is at the United Center in Chicago, but another reason is that Pau Gasol is set to return to the lineup after missing the last two games.

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The Bulls lost both of those games that Gasol missed, and a common theme from both contests were long scoring droughts. Needless to say, not having Gasol played a big part in that. The big Spaniard averaged 18.5 points during the regular season and is averaging 15.1 points in the postseason, and he’s a guy that can do damage from both the post and on pick-and-pop.

The Bulls have played much better with Gasol on the floor in the postseason, but the thought was that the team would survive without him thanks to their frontcourt depth. Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic both played big roles in Chicago’s Game 3 victory, and as long as those two played well, the Bulls would be just fine.

However, both Gibson and Mirotic really struggled in Game 4, and neither guy was a big contributor in Game 5. Gibson started strong but tailed off before getting ejected after a scrum with Matthew Dellavedova, while Mirotic is really struggling with his jumper and his defense.

The question becomes just how much Gasol can contribute. He’s definitely not going to be 100 percent, and that could be a big problem on the defensive side of the ball. His mobility is already limited as is, and with a hamstring injury, it won’t be any better. The Cavaliers would be smart to attack him as much in possible in pick-and-roll, and perhaps also look to push the ball in transition to take advantage of him. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are players that can do that very well, even if they’re battling injuries of their own.

Even with Gasol not at 100 percent, the Bulls need anything they can get from him as they face elimination. He can make an impact on offense regardless, and Chicago is hoping he’ll prove to be the difference. If the Bulls can pull this game out at home, anything can happen in a Game 7.