We also have to take into account the way Pau scores...you can throw him the ball in the post and let him cook, with his array of moves he can get you 20+ damn near every game in his prime, and hit the open shot, and a very good passer. All things that fit Kobe's game perfectly, because even when Marc evolved (meaning Kobe would have to wait a couple more years) he didn't develop exactly into that type of offensive player.
Now like I said Pau never went far as a number one option, but as a number two he was damn near perfect : steady scorer in the post (crucial in the playoffs), low profile, very good passer and low-key could bring up the ball/go coast-to-coast if needed. All things that relieved Kobe, who could trust a guy who's been a league for some time and doesn't need to "grow" (and has dominated high-level Euro bball, which we know Kobe respects) but could still go Psycho without having another player demanding the ball.
Who knows what would've happened if the trade doesn't go down? But we can't dismiss Gasol like the same would've happened with any given player. Kobe had other inside players before (post-Shaq) and after, and we saw what happened. Sometimes one player (Pau) just really complements another player (Kobe) well. Doesn't mean that Pau is superstar (Malone, Webber, Garnett) status, it just means that AT THAT MOMENT he was a near perfect compliment to Kobe in PJ's system.
Now that's all about the NBA, because if we discuss FIBA bball dude's been a dominant force