Memphis Grizzlies: 5 goals for Marc Gasol in 2017-18

3. Rebound

This one feels a bit like nitpicking, but we’re talking about a really good player and we have to focus on something. Gasol has never been an amazing rebounder, but he’s always been passable. His individual numbers dipped below that threshold last year, as he averaged just 6.3 rebounds per 36 minutes — by far the lowest mark of his career.

The Grizzlies still rebounded well as a team when Gasol was on the floor, nabbing 78.6 percent and 21.4 percent of available defensive and offensive rebounds, respectively. Those marks are plenty sufficient, and if they hold then Memphis has nothing to worry about.

The concern is whether Gasol’s individual drop last season was the start a continuous decline, or just the actualization of a new norm, in which the Grizzlies continue to hit the glass effectively, with one rebound that traditionally would have found its way into Gasol’s hands going to a teammate.

My money is on the latter, which probably means this need not be a major concern, but it is certainly something to monitor. I’m not a huge believer in the need to pile up offensive rebounds, so we’ll focus our goal in this domain on the defensive glass: secure 78 percent or more of available defensive rebounds with Gasol on the court.