The Los Angeles Lakers proved to not be satisfied with the configuration of their roster after winning the NBA Finals. They went out and added talents like Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, and Marc Gasol to reinforce the supporting cast around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

While much of the attention has been placed on the surprising free agency addition of Harrell and the trade for Schroder, it’s important to take into account how Gasol will elevate the Lakers, too.

One of the main areas where Gasol will provide his greatest contributions for the Lakers is his passing ability. That was a critical element to the Toronto Raptors’ successful NBA championship run as he applied pressure from inside-out within the half-court.

During the Lakers’ preseason matchups with the Los Angeles Clippers, Gasol was using great timing and precise passing to get the ball to shooters and cutters. There wasn’t an answer for the Clippers as the Lakers managed to benefit from new layers of their half-court offense.

The effective perimeter shooting ability that Gasol brings to the game in addition to his passing is not easy to find in a complementary player. Pairing that combination of attributes with a dominant interior threat like Anthony Davis as well as LeBron James is a scary thought for defenses.

While Gasol isn’t quite as impactful as the defender he once was in the prime of his NBA career, he remains more than capable of making an impact. His ability to protect the paint will go a long way for the Lakers as they replace role players like Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee.

The numbers that Marc Gasol posts in this stage of his NBA career are not going to get him close to an All-Star nod. However, he will be an integral component of what the Los Angeles Lakers accomplish by adding to the already impressive supporting cast around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.