Memphis Grizzlies: Marc Gasol Must Embrace Role As Monster Scorer

Marc Gasol can’t wait any longer to score like a superstar for the Memphis Grizzlies throughout a full season. The 7’1″, 265-pound center showed the willingness to pound it into the basket during the first half of last year, but later faded.

Having signed a new maximum contract, Gasol holds greater responsibility than ever to carry the load for a Grizzlies team that has made five straight playoff appearances, yet only one Western Conference Finals showing.

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The 30-year-old showed a glimpse of what he can and should become as a scorer last season, but not enough to change the Grizzlies’ trajectory in the Western Conference. Through 33 games, Gasol averaged 20 points per game. For the rest of the season, he deposited only 15.7 per game to finish still at a career-high 17.4 per game.

According to The Commercial Appeal’s Ron Tillery, coaches and teammates begged for Gasol to shoot more.

When he humbled the Indiana Pacers in the regular-season finale by dropping 33, it felt like a reawakening for as the player whose scoring earned him a spot on the All-NBA First Team.

That was a fine introduction for his first starring role as a playoff scorer, pouring on 19.7 points per game. But with Zach Randolph underperforming at 15.6 per game and Mike Conley missing three games due to a facial fracture, the Grizzlies needed “Wendigo” to live up to the mythical cannibalistic Algonquin spirit for which he receives a nickname.

The Golden State Warriors succeeded in sealing the paint and forcing Gasol to shoot 39.4 percent in the last four games of the Western Conference semifinals.

Since Gasol didn’t star in the scoring department long enough, he allows commentators free rein to continue the narrative of his deference. SI.com’s Rob Mahoney took an even keel in this regard while he and Ben Golliver placed him ninth in their top 100 NBA player rankings, saying:

"“Every bit of Gasol’s internal programming calls for him to play unselfishly and yet all of those around Gasol—his coaches, teammates, and even his adoring fans—beg the seven-footer to take more for himself. Much of Gasol’s development as a player has come in working against that particular grain. The skills to score at will have long been there. The willingness to do so is a more recent evolution. … The past two years have seen Gasol take meaningful steps in his approach to scoring and concurrent steps up in his usage rate.”"

That this is a progression, not a sudden blip in the middle of Gasol’s career, is notable. Gasol went from 10.9 field-goal attempts per game in 2012-13 to a career-high 12.1 in 2013-14 to 13.2 last year. The Spaniard had a career-best 5.9 free-throw attempts per 36 minutes after failing to crack five per 36 the previous four years. His usage rate has risen every year since 2010-11.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/27/2015.

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Having said that, the Grizzlies require that Gasol’s progression continue. The difference was significant when Gasol was scoring more. Memphis went 21-6 last season when he scored 20 or more. His scoring explosion coincided with a period when the Grizzlies’ offense was most efficient and the team challenged the Warriors for the top spot in the West.

Indeed, part of the reason the Grizzlies’ offense was that efficient was Courtney Lee and Mike Conley’s hot run from three-point range.

While the Grizzlies need better long-range shooting, having a go-to scorer holds greater importance. Conley should take more of his shots from downtown, but they can’t expect Conley to become a high-volume three-point shooting star like Stephen Curry. Conley has never kept up long enough from that distance during a season to fit that mold.

Conley will be a valuable scorer for Memphis through the long run because of his combination of slashing and perimeter shooting.

Because Gasol’s size and explosiveness allow him to bull rush defenders while charging the basket and drop mid-range jump shots as he wishes, he’s the best choice the Grizzlies have for a premier scoring role.

Gasol’s effectiveness outside the paint poses matchup problems as he draws big men away from the restricted area and renders pointless the concept of using smaller frontcourt players on someone his size.

That Gasol must cement himself as an intimidating scorer isn’t merely important. In order that the Grizzlies may prolong any hope of winning a title, he must become a constant 20-points-per-game scorer. Every other aspect of his game is complete, from passing to defense to basketball IQ.

Furthermore, Gasol will need to key victories numerous times in the regular season and several times during the playoffs with his scoring while continuing his defensive domination.

If Gasol fails to complete himself as a terrific scorer, Memphis simply continues its run as a menacing team exiting the postseason by the second round.

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