What the Memphis Grizzlies Need from Marc Gasol Next Season
Marc Gasol's bounce-back season for the Memphis Grizzlies won't be as astounding as some might hope.
After missing 23 games due to an MCL sprain in his left knee last year, Gasol can't be expected to become an overwhelming attacker this season.
Memphis Grizzlies fans should accept that the 7'1", 265-pound center will be a complementary scorer while leading the defense and supporting the offense as a passer.
SI.com's Rob Mahoney acknowledged the disappointment shared by many in the 29-year-old's lack of offensive aggressiveness. He said, "Gasol doesn't have the disposition to score as much as his skills would allow. Instead, he opts for defensive dominance with a more balanced offensive role."
Secondary passer
That leads the Spaniard to be a secondary assist man behind Mike Conley. Gasol facilitates the offense from the top of the key, taking a more active role in this respect than almost any other big man in the league.
He led the league in elbow touches per game and passed out of those spots 78 percent of the time, according to SportVU.
Last season, Gasol was second in assists per game among centers with 3.6, trailing only Joakim Noah. In 2012-13, he led centers with four assists per game.
Gasol didn't lead centers in this category during 2013-14 due to his slow acclimation to the offense after returning from injury. In his first 11 games back, he "only" averaged 2.3 assists per game.
At the time, the Memphis Flyer's Kevin Lipe noted that "it does feel that since Gasol has yet to integrate with what the team is trying to do, the Grizzlies are driving with the parking brake on."
With Gasol now healed and better able to pivot and pass from the elbow, he should excel in this role as he did before.
Dominating on defense
The Grizzlies further realized Gasol's impact on the defense last season. They allowed six fewer points per 100 possessions after he came back than during his absence, regaining their stature as one of the league's best defenses.
Down the stretch, Gasol allowed 101 points per 100 possessions. He had allowed 98.5 en route to winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2012-13.
In the aforementioned SI.com article, Mahoney noted Gasol's preeminent help defense, saying, "Gasol stretches out the beat of his help defense long enough to disrupt the action as much as possible before recovering to his own man just in time for a quality contest."
Head coach Dave Joerger told USA Today's Sam Amick about his ability to lean on Gasol defensively:
"We have a good relationship, with my focus being on defense the past couple of years. It's (his ability to see) what's coming and trying to sniff stuff out. His IQ is so good that he helps everybody on the floor, not just the point guard in pick-and-rolls.
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That reliance will increase as he helps to offset the 33-year-old Zach Randolph's diminishing defensive skills up front.
Helping as a scorer
Gasol suffered a drop in outside accuracy last year. He shot 46.1 percent from the field from Jan. 14 to March 31. For the season, he shot 36.4 percent between 16 feet and the three-point line, a 13 percent decrease from the previous year.
What had been a hot spot became a sore one.
The Grizzlies will seek a more credible mid-range stroke from Gasol since it helps space the offense.
Gasol's share of shots should level off. He took 13 shots per 36 minutes after averaging 11.2 the two previous seasons. In his seventh season, he won't significantly increase his average.
While Randolph's decline may demand more from Gasol, the Spaniard will still have incentive to pass with Vince Carter's arrival.
Also, the Grizzlies need Gasol to reassert himself as their best free-throw shooter. He struggled at the line after the injury, making 72.8 percent. In 2012-13, he made 84.8 percent at the charity stripe.
While Gasol's perimeter shooting preference and pass-first mentality earn him fewer trips to the line (as seen with his 38.8 free-throw rate in the past four seasons), Memphis needs his accuracy.
Points are scarce for the low-scoring Grizzlies. Due to their 14th-ranked 1.57-point average margin of victory, free throws could make a difference.
Unless otherwise noted, advanced metrics come from Basketball-Reference.com.
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