Marc Gasol Playing Like True Superstar as Elite Memphis Grizzlies Roll
Just as the Memphis Grizzlies are collectively underestimated, Marc Gasol has spent most of his NBA days being criminally underrated, his name and game a serial symbol for stardom on the outskirts superstardom.
Not even one-quarter of the way through 2014-15, that's all changed. The Grizzlies are, in many aspects, still one of the NBA's most slept-on teams. But a healthy contract-year Gasol is no longer one to incite napping. His fast-rising star has shown no signs of slowing, and the Grizzlies have shown no signs of dismounting his coattails.
It's this relationship between ascending superstar and team that has Memphis rolling atop the Western Conference with no end in sight.
Not that any of this is particularly surprising. Gasol has always been routinely recognized as one of the Association's best big men. The center position is nearly barren of two-way talent, and he has spent the last few years pitting himself among exceptions such as Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins.
But there is still a marked difference in Gasol's 2014-15 production. He's exploded on the offensive end as the Grizzlies' featured option, standing in as a scorer and playmaker.
Both his scoring average (19.9) and usage rate (25.9 percent) are career highs, and it's not even close. He has the same number of 30-point games as Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Howard combined (three), and the balanced dominance with which he's playing this season puts 2013-14 and every year before it to near-shame.
| 2014-15 | 19.9 | 50.0 | 8.1 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 25.9 | 22.7 | .205 |
| 2013-14 | 14.6 | 47.3 | 7.2 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 21.7 | 18.2 | .137 |
| Career through 2013-14 | 13.5 | 51.2 | 7.9 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 18.6 | 18.2 | .157 |
No one else in the NBA is averaging at least 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one block per game. Only four players have actually maintained such benchmarks for an entire season over the last 10 years: Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki. If Gasol's numbers hold, he'll be the first to do so since 2008-09, when Duncan last accomplished the feat.
That's quite the company, but that company is also typical of the season Gasol is having. He has emerged as the Grizzlies' offensive and defensive lifeline. Though he's long been recognized for his points prevention—he was 2012-13's Defensive Player of the Year—his value on the offensive end has never been more apparent than it is now.
The Grizzlies, like always, are taking care of business on defense; they rank fourth in efficiency. Their offensive standing, however, is something entirely new. Despite the fact that nearly half of their shot attempts are coming outside the restricted area yet inside the arc (shown below), they rank sixth in offensive efficiency.
This is in no small part thanks to Gasol. Defenses are forced to double-team him for his post scoring and court vision from the elbow extended. If there's a shot, he'll take it. If there's an open man, he'll find him.
When he's on the floor, the Grizzlies run the equivalent of a top-three defense and top-five offense. Their assist rate climbs exponentially, as does their field-goal percentage overall and from outside the arc. When he's off the floor, though, they field a top-eight defense and top-10 offense, which is simultaneously impressive and a testament to Gasol's impact.
And, for the moment, that's left him part of the MVP conversation.
His Grizzlies are cruising at 12-2 and have a game's worth of cushioning between themselves and the second-place Golden State Warriors. Their schedule has been relatively average compared to the entire league's, but they have two blowout victories over projected championship-chasers in the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers to point toward.
Gasol, for his part, has done everything. Seriously, everything.
His usage rate is higher than Memphis starting point guard Mike Conley's (23.6) and fourth among centers averaging at least 25 minutes a game; his assist rate—the percentage of baskets he assists on while in the game (15.2)—is third among centers, behind only Andrew Bogut (16.1) and Joakim Noah (21.7); he's limiting opponents to just 47.3 percent shooting inside 10 feet, even though the average success rate of everyone he's defended from that range is 53.8 percent; and he's reaching the foul line with career-high frequency.
Perhaps most impressively, Gasol ranks seventh in win shares (2.1), representing 17.5 percent of Memphis' victories to date.
As The Podium Game's Jack Maloney wrote following Memphis' 107-91 victory over Los Angeles:
"Inside, outside, wide open, or with a hand in his face, Marc Gasol destroyed the Clippers last night. He showed off his wide array of skills by knocking down jumpers, driving to the basket, and putting on a clinic in the post. All year Gasol has been doing this, and he’s a huge reason the Grizzlies have the best record in the league at 12-2.
"
To wit: Gasol is a huge reason why the Grizzlies have firmly fixed themselves to title conversations over the last year or so.
Since he returned from injury on Jan. 14, 2014, Memphis has been disgustingly dominant. Though its offense hasn't always been pretty—or even a little bit pretty—it closed out 2013-14 by going 33-13, per NBA.com (subscription required).
That means the Grizzlies are 45-15 since his return, and that means they've won 75 percent of their games during that time. The dynastic San Antonio Spurs, by comparison, have won just under 72 percent of their games through that same span (41-16).
Through it all, Gasol has been a steadying force, a level-headed perfectionist wont to focus on improvement rather than past performance.
"We should have moved the ball a little better," he said on a night when the Grizzlies pumped in 107 points against the Clippers, per Fox Sports Tennessee's Cory McCartney. "I thought we got a little static with the ball. ... It was a good team win and we continued the streak at home, which is good."
On those should-be rare occasions when you're wondering if what the Grizzlies are doing is sustainable, look to what Gasol is saying. Look to what Gasol is doing. Look to the numbers.
Maybe Memphis' efficient offense won't hold. The Grizzlies haven't ranked inside the top 10 of offensive efficiency in more than 10 years (2003-04). But their stingy defense is a tactical staple. Plus, head coach Dave Joerger has them running a more scoring-friendly system.
After ranking 30th and 29th in possessions used per 48 minutes in 2013-14 and 2012-13 respectively, the Grizzlies now rank 23rd in that same category.
Mostly, though, they have Gasol, who has taken on the alpha-dog scoring role that's been vacant since Rudy Gay left.
"Gasol is emphasizing scoring. The callous person says, 'contract year.' But it's benefiting everybody," writes ESPN.com's John Cregan. "The team-wide benefit is stuffed in every box score. Courtney Lee: career year. Zach Randolph: best fantasy numbers in years. Mike Conley: well, you can't have everything. Conley's stats have taken a little dip."
Indeed, Conley's numbers are down a little bit, but his three-point shooting is up. And Memphis has functioned better when running the offense through Gasol, so that's not a bad thing for Conley or the team.
Often cited as a pretender—by yours truly included (the offense scares me, kids)—the Grizzlies are slowly, surely purging critics of excuses. And they're doing so by riding Gasol at a time when centers are predominantly seen as specialists or complementary pieces.
But not him.
Gasol is their lifeline, their bridge between fringe contention and powerhouse acceptance. So long as he's around, playing like a superstar, the Grizzlies will remain on the inside of a championship picture, looking out at everything they used to be, bidding farewell to everything Gasol has ensured they're not.
*Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com unless otherwise cited and are accurate as of games played on Nov. 23, 2014.
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