Toronto Raptors: Marc Gasol could be the piece to put them over the top
By Quinn Allen
Marc Gasol brings a more all-around game for the Toronto Raptors, and might be the piece that puts them over the top in the East
Although the Toronto Raptors gave up several pieces of their team in order to acquire veteran center Marc Gasol from Memphis, the Spaniard offers more to the Raptors than Valanciunas did.
Gasol is averaging 15.7 points per game this season, along with 8.6 boards and 4.7 assists per night. He’s also shooting 44.4 percent from the field, and an impressive 35 percent from the 3-point line. Not bad for a 7-foot center.
He’s obviously not the same player as he was five years ago, but the three-time All-Star has the potential to be a nice addition to Toronto as they look to make a deep playoff run in a couple of months.
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Shooting and passing ability makes him more valuable than Jonas
Gasol likes to operate a lot of his scoring from mid-range. He’s got a very good jump shot for a big man, and as I mentioned above, isn’t so bad at shooting it from downtown as well. Gasol is averaging 1.4 three’s made per game in the last three seasons, just second to Brook Lopez among centers during that time.
Valanciunas was relatively non-existent when it came to shooting the basketball. He did most of his scoring at the rim, which isn’t a bad thing, but having a player like Gasol who can score from all over the floor is a huge benefit.
The ability to shoot will also help him fit in well with Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard, knowing they can give him the ball at any point on the court.
Along with Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Gasol is one of few centers in the league who is a very talented passer. The 34-year old is averaging 4.7 assists per game, which is second to Jokic among centers in the NBA. He has the ability to stretch the floor and move out to the perimeter, so this passing ability will come in handy with the Raptors knowing he can thread a pass to a teammate cutting to the hoop or make a long pass down the floor in transition like he’s done many times.
He also now has two elite scorers in Lowry and Leonard to pass the ball to compared to just Conley in Memphis, so expect to see his playmaking skills be in full force with the Raps.
Definitely a win for the Raptors
Valanciunas has been out since December with a thumb injury anyway, and Gasol is averaging more points a game than him this season. He brings a more all-around game to the Raptors and is also a former defensive player of the year. Gasol is an elite rim protector and brings a ton of experience to Toronto on both sides of the ball.
Serge Ibaka has been playing center in place of Valunciunas, so he could either see some time at center split with Gasol based on the matchups or he may go back to playing power forward. Ibaka is having a career year though so it will be important to keep him in the lineup.
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With an already strong team, Marc Gasol will be an important piece moving forward as a versatile big man who can do it all for the Toronto Raptors.