Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from Game 2 loss vs. Milwaukee Bucks
By Ananth Para
3. Center swap
Spanish center Marc Gasol has been a long-heralded commodity by Raptors fans, with his unique passing ability and his defensive player of the year repertoire feeling like the missing piece in each and every playoff run in the Masai Ujiri era.
Marc Gasol on #Raptors loss: "Yeah, that kind of set the tone for us. I played really bad and that set the tone ... The beginning kind of set us in a real bad spot and we couldn’t get a grip of the game early on and I take full responsibility for that."
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) May 18, 2019
After landing the 3-time All-Star in exchange for Lithuanian big man and fan favorite Jonas Valanciunas, the talented-but-often-injured Delon Wright and struggling marksman C.J Miles, Marc Gasol was all but destined to become the missing ingredient for the Raptors’ inaugural Finals run.
So much for that.
Gasol, albeit a little slower and not as physically imposing from his prime in Memphis, is still capable of producing at an all-star level when comfortable.
More than 40 games into his Raptor career, he’s never looked more uncomfortable in the NBA as a starter.
Far too often the back-to-the-basket center is relegated to high screen and roll handoffs, being used as the middle man for a quick kick out to a perimeter player for 3-point shots.
In two games in the Eastern Conference Finals, Gasol has shot 15 percent from the field (3-for-20) and is averaging 4.5 points in two outings against the Bucks.
Serge Ibaka offers the speed and outside shooting ability that Gasol can’t, which seems to be the counter to Milwaukee’s freakish length.
With Gasol transitioning to the bench it will allow the big man to control the flow within the second unit, something that could benefit his game through the rest of the series.