2019 Eastern Conference Finals: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Toronto Raptors preview
By Ananth Para
Key Question No. 2: Will Nick Nurse finally unleash Marc Gasol?
Marc Gasol has to be better on offense, it’s really that simple.
Now to be fair, his per 36 minutes numbers are almost identical to his time with the Memphis Grizzlies this year, but the former Defensive Player of the Year has yet to fill his role as the third option on the contending Toronto Raptors.
Defensively throughout this playoff run, Gasol has been magnificent, ultimately shutting down Nikola Vucevic through their five-game beatdown of the Orlando Magic and being the first NBA center to make Joel Embiid look and feel human.
The combination of Gasol’s defensive physicality, passing ability and offensive arsenal is one that has rarely been seen in the NBA, so it begs the question: Why isn’t he getting more touches?
In Gasol’s 12-game playoff stint with the Toronto Raptors, the three-time All-Star has taken a hair under seven shots per game — fifth-most on the Raptors.
That’s not okay.
It’s time for Nick Nurse to let the big fella become one of the foundational pillars of the offense, rather than a spoke on the wheel. With no traditional big man on the Milwaukee Bucks roster, Nurse has no excuse not to find more touches for the underrated center.