Turns out Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol isn’t just good at defending the post.
Gasol is also pretty good at fending off reporters who are asking him in October about how his free agency might play out in July.
"“That’s so far down the line that it’s not on my mind. I just want to do my freaking job every day,” Gasol told the Memphis Commercial Appeal (via CBSSports.com). “You never know what might happen in seven or eight months. The franchise might go in a different direction. We’re going to see how we all feel in July. All of the talk now won’t change that fact.“Everything will take care of itself. I stay in the moment.”"
There are already rumors out there that Gasol will be a prime target for both the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers and a third team is in the mix, perhaps, after writer Ronald Tillery said this in his piece in the Commercial Appeal (via Pro Basketball Talk).
"“The New York Knicks don’t appear positioned to be a championship contender in the near future. But could that change by pairing Gasol with Carmelo Anthony? There already is a strong belief that Knicks boss Phil Jackson will target Gasol because of his belief that Gasol is the quintessential center to play in the triangle offense.”"
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Is that true? Gasol is a deft passer, he can shoot the jumper from the elbow, is comfortable operating in the high post and whether or not you question the legitimacy of Gasol’s Defensive Player of the Year award from 2012-13, his defensive ability isn’t up for debate—he would be a significant upgrade for New York on the defensive end.
It is here that it is required to make two additional points about a potential Gasol/ Knicks marriage:
1) Jackson won two of his 11 rings as a coach with Pau Gasol—Marc’s older brother—playing that high-post/low-post swing role in the triangle.
2) When the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol in 2008, one of the pieces moved to Memphis to get him was the draft rights to a young Spanish center named Marc Gasol—meaning the younger Gasol was already on Jackson’s radar as early as 2007, when the Lakers took him with the 48th overall selection.
Tangled web, indeed.
Gasol is a player who seems to exceed the sum of his parts. His statistics aren’t overwhelming—career averages of 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 blocks in 33.7 minutes per game on .512/.152/.749 shooting.
Nice? Yes. Perennial All-Star nice? Not on the surface, perhaps.
But consider this. When Gasol was missing 23 games with a knee injury in 2013-14, the Grizzlies were just 10-13 and had a season-long five-game losing streak.
In 59 games with Gasol available, the Grizz were 40-19—a 56-win pace when extended over a full 82-game schedule.
During that 23-game span from Nov. 25-Jan 12 last season, Memphis had a defensive rating of 109.5, a defensive rebounding percentage of 75.8 and an effective field goal percentage of .516.
Considering that the Grizzlies had a defensive rating of 104.6 in the games Gasol was available, it’s fairly easy to conclude that he is a huge key to what Memphis does defensively.
The Grizzlies could begin talking to Gasol about an extension in December, but under the CBA rules, Gasol could only sign a three-year deal in an extension, as opposed to getting four years from any other team in free agency and up to five years from the Grizzlies.
Marc Gasol may not want to talk about his looming decision, but the questions aren’t going to stop over the next nine months.
Think of it as a 7-foot-1 shadow that will hang over the franchise until next summer.