So far this season Pau Gasol has received a lot of minutes and has put up the numbers to reflect it. With the ten man rotation a thing of the past, I can see him averaging 25 ppg, 12 rpg, and 3 rpg, or at least somewhere around there, just so long as he continues to play 38-42 mpg. He's always had the talent, but now Fratello's finally doing the smart thing and playing him the minutes that a player of his caliber deserves. I'd take him over Brand, J. O'Neal, Webber, and most other All-Star power forwards when he's playing those kind of minutes. In the Heat game, he had nineteen points and eight rebounds at the half. He would have gotten well over thirty points and fifteen rebounds, on Shaq at that, but he hurt his knee in a collision with the big fella, and after that his productivity dropped off, resulting in a final line of 26 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks; an amazing line, but even that didn't reflect what he can do in major minutes. So what does everyone think? Pau Gasol, an NBA Superstar?
I agree to a certain extent. He's certainly exciting to watch, and he can clearly change games. He is a monster statistically. My only concern with Pau is his defense, from what I saw from him the guy isn't all that good of a defender. O'neal is a better defender under Carlisle - but I could see your argument for taking him over Brand. He's five times what Webber is, there's no doubt about that. However, you've told me that he has made strides in improving his defense. If this is true, and he has come into form as a solid defender, then yes he is at the NBA-superstar level. It's all a matter of when he gets the ink he deserves on a higher scale.
KA took the words right out of my mouth. From wha tI've seen, Gasol's defense has to improve, but if he has turned into a good defender, than yes, you could be looking at an NBA star. I don't think he's a superstar simply because of his marketability level. Someone that strikes me as an NBA superstar would be someone like Iverson, Kobe, Shaq, and the rest of the names you hear all the time. If superstar ability was strickly basketball, if Pau improved his defense greatly, than he is a superstar.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Knicks Analyst:</div><div class="quote_post">I agree to a certain extent. He's certainly exciting to watch, and he can clearly change games. He is a monster statistically. My only concern with Pau is his defense, from what I saw from him the guy isn't all that good of a defender. O'neal is a better defender under Carlisle - but I could see your argument for taking him over Brand. He's five times what Webber is, there's no doubt about that. However, you've told me that he has made strides in improving his defense. If this is true, and he has come into form as a solid defender, then yes he is at the NBA-superstar level. It's all a matter of when he gets the ink he deserves on a higher scale.</div> I agree with you about his defense, but what I've told you is true. In the past I've been one of the harshest critics of his defense, but he has looked amazing on defense in the preseason and in the first two games. One game in particular that stands out in my mind is the first preseason game against Chicago. He was matched up with Tyson Chandler, a player with his exact body type, and he was able to draw five fouls and hold him to just three points and five rebounds. The other game that impressed me was the first regular season game against Miami. He logged some time at center, where he defended Shaq, the best center in the last ten years. I don't want to say he shut Shaq down, because that'd be an overstatement, but he did as much as a defender can do against Shaq, even getting a block off on him. Those performances in particular makes me really optimistic about his play heading into this season. His offensive game is there, and if he continues to play this caliber of defense, I don't see a reason why he shouldn't be on an All-NBA Team. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't think he's a superstar simply because of his marketability level. Someone that strikes me as an NBA superstar would be someone like Iverson, Kobe, Shaq, and the rest of the names you hear all the time. If superstar ability was strickly basketball, if Pau improved his defense greatly, than he is a superstar.</div> You're forgetting the overseas market. In Spain and even in other Spanish speaking countries, Pau Gasol is a very marketable player. When the Grizzlies played a game in Spain a year or two ago, Pau Gasol was treated like Michael Jordan. The stadium that they played in was packed, and almost everyone there was cheering incredibly loud for Gasol. He's essentially the face of Spanish basketball, and with the NBA's game as global as it is these days, that's great marketability. As for the American markets, playing on a small market team like Memphis does hurt his chances of being mentioned with the other superstars, but the minutes should really help his cause. It's hard for people to remember the name of a guy who only plays a little more than half the game and whose numbers reflect that, but now he'll be in all the highlights, he'll standout in the boxscores, and he'll be talked about on sports talk shows. With that said, I don't think marketability is a very big factor in him being a superstar.
Tonight against the Cavaliers, Gasol continued to play like a superstar and even scored a season high. His final line was 29 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks on 11-15 (73%) shooting. That game brought his season averages to 25.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, and 2.7 bpg on 59% shooting, all the while with stellar defense. The points jump out at you, but I like the assists and shooting percentage even better. I knew he could score, but I didn't know he could distribute the ball as well as he has been doing so far, and if he keeps shooting as well as he has been shooting this season, then he'll probably lead the NBA in field goal percentage. What's also impressive about his shooting percentage is his shot selection. Coming into the league, it was thought that Pau Gasol could hit from the outside like fellow European big man Dirk Nowitzki. However, this is the first season where I have actually seen him attempting and making mid-range jumpers. I think he made about three in this game, which is almost more than I saw him make all last season. His rebounding numbers are nice, but I think they can improve to about 10-12 rpg if he continues to play 38-42 minutes consistently, and I'm chalking tonight's decent, yet not spectacular, seven rebounds up to the fatigue of playing three games in four days. Now that the Grizzlies have some time off, I expect his rebounding numbers to go back up. Defensively, Gasol continued to impress me; he had three blocks on Big Z and changed a lot of shots as well. Most importantly, he forced LeBron James to miss a layup (pic) late in the game that could have brought the game within reach for the Cavaliers; last year he would have let James have a basket like that.
Yeah, I love Gasol, he always has an edge to him and he's gotten a bit bigger and more confident down on the block from the looks of things these first couple of games. As far as him being a marketable superstar? What hurts his marketability is that he plays for Memphis which has a population of what, 138,000?? If he played in L.A. he would be a household name among non-basketball fans. Also, 7 footers aren't as marketable as shorter players either. I'm not sure why but maybe those guys are too tall, a bit freakish whereas a guy like a Dwayne Wade or Jason Williams would be considered more like an ideal height. The only guys who would rather be 7 feet than 6'4" are aspiring forwards/centers. Shaq is an exception but that's because he's so dominant. I wouldn't want Shaq's body if you paid me.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting phunDamentalz:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah, I love Gasol, he always has an edge to him and he's gotten a bit bigger and more confident down on the block from the looks of things these first couple of games. As far as him being a marketable superstar? What hurts his marketability is that he plays for Memphis which has a population of what, 138,000?? If he played in L.A. he would be a household name among non-basketball fans. Also, 7 footers aren't as marketable as shorter players either. I'm not sure why but maybe those guys are too tall, a bit freakish whereas a guy like a Dwayne Wade or Jason Williams would be considered more like an ideal height. The only guys who would rather be 7 feet than 6'4" are aspiring forwards/centers. Shaq is an exception but that's because he's so dominant. I wouldn't want Shaq's body if you paid me.</div> Actually, the greater Memphis metropolitan area has roughly 1.2 million people, according to Wikipedia, and the population of the city within city limits is 671,929, which makes Memphis the 17th largest city in America; bigger than Boston, Miami, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Washington D.C., Seattle, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Portland, Denver, etc. So while it's a small market compared to New York and Los Angeles, it's not like a small town or anything. Just like Kevin Garnett can make himself a household name in Minnesota, and just like Gary Payton made himself a household name in Seattle, I think that Pau Gasol can make himself a household name in Memphis. It has more to do with the amount of airplay that a team gets, as well as how many games they win and their post season success, than it does the population of the team's city. Like I said earlier, Pau Gasol also has the entire nation of Spain behind him, so that adds another dimension to his marketability. As far as marketable big men go, outside of Shaquille O'Neal you have Kevin Garnett, Amare Stoudamire, and Yao Ming. Tim Duncan isn't marketable, but that's not because he's a big guy; it's because he has no personality. As for Jermaine O'Neal, Chris Webber, and Elton Brand, I feel like Pau Gasol is a better player than all three. You also have to look at the quality of big men that have come into the NBA lately. You used to have players like Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, etc. Now that the league is more guard dominant, you're going to see more guards than big men being marketed, but that has more to do with the player's talents than their marketability.
Pau has the ability and all the tools to be a genuine NBA superstar, it's just a matter of whether he wants to be the focal point enough. He's the consumate team player, a guy who doesn't crave the spotlight. To be an NBA superstar, at least initially, he needs (and is showing he is willing, so far) to step up and demand the ball and the attention. We need him to become a legit superstar and i'm certain it's going to happen.
just saying.... Just putting this out there: if you guys are gonna call Pau a "NBA Superstar", not that I agree, you should change the slogan for the forum which currently reads, "No stars, just depth"
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting JWohl:</div><div class="quote_post">Just putting this out there: if you guys are gonna call Pau a "NBA Superstar", not that I agree, you should change the slogan for the forum which currently reads, "No stars, just depth"</div> It should be changed regardless. It was appropriate last season given we have amazing depth, but this year we're a much different team.
If you have any suggestions for a new title, then post them here. As for the original topic, Pau Gasol's play has been too inconsistent this season for him to be considered a superstar. Just look at the last two games the Grizzlies have played. In Houston, Gasol scored 9 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, but then Gasol came out tonight and played like an MVP, with 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. That's what separates him from a guy like Tim Duncan. While Duncan hasn't played a game all year that was as Gasol's was against Dallas tonight, he consistently scores around 21 points and grabs about 11 rebounds. Gasol just isn't that reliable. If he was, then yes, he'd be a superstar, but he's not at this point.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Voodoo Child:</div><div class="quote_post">So far this season Pau Gasol has received a lot of minutes and has put up the numbers to reflect it. With the ten man rotation a thing of the past, I can see him averaging 25 ppg, 12 rpg, and 3 rpg, or at least somewhere around there, just so long as he continues to play 38-42 mpg. He's always had the talent, but now Fratello's finally doing the smart thing and playing him the minutes that a player of his caliber deserves. I'd take him over Brand, J. O'Neal, Webber, and most other All-Star power forwards when he's playing those kind of minutes. In the Heat game, he had nineteen points and eight rebounds at the half. He would have gotten well over thirty points and fifteen rebounds, on Shaq at that, but he hurt his knee in a collision with the big fella, and after that his productivity dropped off, resulting in a final line of 26 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks; an amazing line, but even that didn't reflect what he can do in major minutes. So what does everyone think? Pau Gasol, an NBA Superstar?</div> Gasol an NBA superstar? No. Loads of talent, just doesn't have that effect to be a superstar. LOL @ Chris Webber. Chris Webber is a washed up, elbow shooter, who isn't in the same league as Elton, JO, or Pau.
How can you say that you would take Pau over Brand? They play almost identical minutes (check the player comparision on nba.com) yet Brand gets more points boards, and 10% more of his shots go in. Gasol has more range and can hit the occasional three (which is stupid in the first place, because they have Eddie Jones, Stoudamire, Miller, and Bjax to do that). Gasol a superstar? Nope.
I love it when people rely purely on stats. It's nearly as fun as those who change teams on a weekly basis.
Well using stats is still better than an argument of: <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post"> He's the consumate team player, a guy who doesn't crave the spotlight.</div> With a conclusion of: <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post">We need him to become a legit superstar and i'm certain it's going to happen.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Voodoo Child:</div><div class="quote_post">So far this season Pau Gasol has received a lot of minutes and has put up the numbers to reflect it. With the ten man rotation a thing of the past, I can see him averaging 25 ppg, 12 rpg, and 3 rpg, or at least somewhere around there, just so long as he continues to play 38-42 mpg. He's always had the talent, but now Fratello's finally doing the smart thing and playing him the minutes that a player of his caliber deserves. I'd take him over Brand, J. O'Neal, Webber, and most other All-Star power forwards when he's playing those kind of minutes. In the Heat game, he had nineteen points and eight rebounds at the half. He would have gotten well over thirty points and fifteen rebounds, on Shaq at that, but he hurt his knee in a collision with the big fella, and after that his productivity dropped off, resulting in a final line of 26 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks; an amazing line, but even that didn't reflect what he can do in major minutes. So what does everyone think? Pau Gasol, an NBA Superstar?</div> not quite...hes a good player, thats about it.
i dont think gasol will be a SUPERSTAR like kg or duncan, but he sure is a great player and winning games for the grizzles
I don't get why this is even being discussed.... In the description for this forum it says "no stars, just depth...."
well you guys are acting like you wouldnt take one. you have to have one on your team to get anywhere...thats my opinion. down the stretches in games and in the playoffs, you need a superstar.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jurassic:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't get why this is even being discussed.... In the description for this forum it says "no stars, just depth...."</div> Since when does the forum subtitle dictate forum discussion? Anyway, things change. The Grizzlies don't really run a true ten man rotation anymore. Besides, someone already brought that up.
