Thursday, August 26th, 2010...4:20 am
Is Pau Gasol a better power forward than Tim Duncan?
On Wednesday, Kelly Dwyer of the Yahoo! Ball Don’t Lie blog posted his list of the Top 30 power forwards in the NBA. The pride and joy of St. Croix, Tim Duncan, finished second on the list.
Who was number one? If you couldn’t tell by the photo and headline (I hope you readers are more perceptive than that), it’s Pau Gasol.
At first glance, the claim in scandalous. Pau Gasol, that skinny Spaniard who couldn’t win a playoff game in Memphis? He’s a better power forward right now than the greatest power forward of all-time?
Dwyer explains his choice of Pau Gasol:
Big men don’t get more versatile than this guy. He’s bad at absolutely nothing, and top gear in just about everything. Scores with either hand on either block. Dominates from the high post. Nails cutters, sets screens and finishes off the good or bad pass. He can play defense now, he’s worked his way into becoming a fierce rebounder and his brain is bigger than our brains are.
Even with Tim Duncan’s history, his smarts, his ability and his formidable all-around play, there isn’t a power forward in this league that I think can help me win more than Pau Gasol. He just does things too excellently too often to overlook.
I won’t argue one bit with KD’s assessment of Gasol’s skills. There are few players at any position who are as skilled as the Lakers’ big man. Where Pau has faced criticism in the past is the part of the game where Duncan excels, the mental aspect. Critics labeled Gasol as soft in the past and knocked his inability to win as “the man.”
Duncan, on the other hand, has been Teflon when it comes to similar accusations. The most adversity he’s faced on that front was in the 2005 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons, when the media accused the Spurs big man of choking because he missed six free throws late in Game 5 and the game-winning tip-in. (Side rant: Was this really a story, or did PTI just need to fill two minutes of airtime that June? I know a lot of people found that series boring, but damn.)
Some folks might look to accuse Pau Gasol of being the number two option on the Lakers behind Kobe Bryant, claiming he can’t be the best power forward in the league if he’s not the best player on his team. For that, I have two responses. First, watch the Finals again and tell me who the best player was. Second, the same argument could be said about Tim Duncan. When the Spurs were turning it around last year and peaking in March and April, who was the best player on the team?
KD doesn’t get into the numbers when separating the top two in his list, so that’s exactly what I’ll do. Here’s a look at both players’ season averages:
| Player | PPG | OREB | REB | Assists | Turnovers | Blocks | FG % | FT % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pau Gasol | 18.3 | 3.7 | 11.3 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 1.76 | 53.5% | 79% |
| Tim Duncan | 17.9 | 2.8 | 10.1 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 52% | 72% |
So according to the box score, Gasol has the slight edge. But let’s dig a little deeper. According to Synergy Sports, Pau Gasol had 1550 possessions last season that ended in with Gasol getting fouled, or a shot or turnover from him. Of those 1550 possessions, Gasol scored 1.04 points per possession. On the flip side, Duncan had 1563 possessions of the same sort and scored 1 PPP.
In the post, Gasol ended 621 possessions and scored .99 PPP on 48% shooting from the field. Duncan scored 1 PPP and shot 49.5% in 669 tries. How about spotting up outside the lane? Gasol scored 41.3% of the time in 126 possessions. His counter, Duncan, had a 41.2% scoring percentage in 114 possessions.
Defensively, the numbers are just as tight. Overall, Gasol allowed .88 PPP in 792 possessions where he defended the player who took the shot, was fouled or turned the ball over. Tim Duncan conceded .86 PPP in 648 opportunities.
When isolated against, Gasol was scored on 41.6% of the time. Duncan? 41.7%.
Post defense was the one major area where there was a significant advantage one way or the other. Pau Gasol gave up .92 PPP when defending the post. Duncan on the other hand allowed just .79 PPP.
Upon first impression, you don’t think the two players are that similar. But when you look close, it’s tough to call. Gasol’s box score is slightly better while Duncan may have the edge in specific situations.
But in the end, it doesn’t matter. What it all comes down to is this: Pau Gasol has been in the last three NBA Finals series, and won the last two. So yeah, Gasol is the better power forward right now. And I’m sure Tim Duncan would be the first to tell you the same.
57 Comments
August 26th, 2010 at 5:25 am
i’ve really gained alot of respect for gasol. not only was he brilliant in l.a.’s chmpionship runs, but the guy was almost a medical student. he has the same characteristic of high-level intelligence that we so covet in our timmy. but essentially, this really comes down to age. gasol owns duncan everytime the two go one on one against eachother. gasol shoots over tim easily and he also blocks tims shots effectively. keep in mind gasol hasnt reached 30 and tim is in his twilight years. give me the 03-07 duncan againt the gasol oveer today. tim all the way
August 26th, 2010 at 5:40 am
Yea Gasoft maybe the better pf now but we all know that when Timmy was in his mid to late 20′s Gasoft couldnt share the same stage so why pick on a old Timmy, Gasol is younger in they put up identical numbers with Tim playing less minutes so do you think Gasol will do the same in 3 years and also be a leader of a team i never saw Gasol lead his team but Tim did n still does Timmy is still number 1 on my list
August 26th, 2010 at 5:49 am
One other stat need to be considered as well: Duncan - 31.7mpg, Gasol - 36.0mpg. Pau had over 4 more minutes per game to get his “better” stats.
Either way, I agree with rj. My respect for Gasol has greatly improved, but he’s in Tim’s class now only because of age. I’d take Tim in his prime against any other power forward…ever.
August 26th, 2010 at 6:21 am
The fact that the comparison is so close despite the age differential shows how much better Duncan really is.
Can you imagine Duncan and Kobe on the same team? They could win championships just by staring at people.
August 26th, 2010 at 6:25 am
Are you kidding me? Comparing per-game stats is useless when comparing the quality of the player. Per-36 minutes, Duncan is equal or better in EVERY category except fg%. They had almost identical per-game stats, except Gasol played 6 mpg more.
Duncan’s post defense is better than Gasol’s by a gigantic magin.
Methinks that’s solid reasoning Gason isn’t better.
August 26th, 2010 at 6:29 am
@Daniel
But isn’t that fact that Gasol can play 6 more minutes per game as important a category as an stat?
August 26th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Another thing to remember is that these are Dwyer’s projections for the upcoming year. Timmy probably won’t be counted to do as much with Tiago in the frontcourt, and that could be a factor in the rankings, though I have no problem with putting [current] Pau above [current] Timmy anyway.
August 26th, 2010 at 7:31 am
Of course gasol is better now. Tim is almost done as an all-star (1-3 years left) and nowhere near his defensive value of the 99-07 value he brought. You can make a strong contention that Gasol is both the best big in the entire league (with Howard) and the best player on his own team (Kobe was worse or even in every series except the suns series in which they decided they were going to let Kobe go one on one and not allow people in the post). And the Gasoft junk is a farce. It never existed, it was just Phil manipulating and the Kobe obsessed media trying to take blame away from his atrocious series in 08 both offensively and defensively. Pau played well if you take into account the slower pace that series was played at and the fact that he was facing the league’s Defensive Player of the year.
August 26th, 2010 at 7:34 am
I’m going to agree with everyone else that Gasol holds only the slightest of edges right now. But it really is a testament to Duncan’s greatness that he’s basically 1B on this list, even though he’s played 419 more games than Gasol (1147 vs 728).
The GOAT is old and still really really good.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:04 am
Gasol couldnt carry Tims jock when Tim was in his prime.
Even 30 plus Tim is still consistently effective in this leauge. If the Spurs wake up and move him to the 5 spot, he will be effective for 3 more years.
Also, sI certainly hope that this franchise is not seriously thinking that letting Parker go is an option.
Folks talk about talent, basketball IQ, dedication to the game, etc…
Well, Parker has all of those and much more to boot. This man can take over games. He is a special talent. Why we would try and find weaknesses in his game, then use them to justify letting him walk is beyond me.
Then there is this Neal kid….Reportedly a good shooter and decent athlete with a lil fire in his belly.
However; schockingly, this kid is not a RC/Pop kinda guy.
See below:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/Clearing_the_acquitted__Spurs_trial_99819609.html?showFullArticle=y
These guys are bizarre in thier thinking and I dont get it..Wonder what the real desired end result is for these folks..
Just hope that the team realizes that the current front court just wont get it done. Hope this is not another wasted Duncan year in San Antonio…………
No front court and absolutely no back up 3….Hoe they spend that last 3 mil wisely…
August 26th, 2010 at 8:19 am
95% of your comment is irrelevant to the topic.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:22 am
This article doesn’t make any sense. It’s safe to say that right now Brandon Roy is better than Alen Iverson. C’mon guys.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:26 am
Somebody needs to tell Pop to finaly slide Tim to center and insert Tiago as a starting PF. It’s just speed, hunger, and versatility at this point. And give Manu freedom at offensive end, let him shine.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Guys, despite his desire to be listed as a PF, TD has been playing the center position since we acquired Fabricio years ago.
And does it really make a difference what he’s listed as? It’s definitely not going to change his role or how he plays.
August 26th, 2010 at 11:03 am
If you look at each player in their respective “prime’s”, Tim Duncan eats Pao Gasol lunch.
Now, if you would like to compare Timmy in his waning years to Pao in his “prime” they are about even.
August 26th, 2010 at 11:16 am
@Andrew A. McNeill
Gasol played 65 games last season. Duncan played 78. Gasol’s ability to play 6 more minutes is important, but Duncan’s ability to play 13 more games can’t be overlooked if you’re using that logic. Duncan actually played more minutes last season. Duncan’s averaged 78 games the last 5 seasons since his bout with plantar fasciatis, while Gasol has averaged 68 over the past 6 seasons since his broken foot. If you have to leave out information to prove a point, your point probably isn’t very good.
Even without including the number of games played, Duncan still has more value, because the Spurs backups are all above average. Take the following situation:
If:
Duncan’s 31.7 min = Paul Gasol’s 37.0 min
And:
Backup Spur = Blair/Bonner/McDyess/[Splitter] = not terrible
(an understatement, really)
Then it stands to reason that:
Duncan’s 31.7 min + Backup Spur’s 5.3 min > Gasol’s 37.0 min.
However, I’ll just say that the quality of Duncan’s 2438 min > the quality of Gasol’s 2403 min. In essentially the same number of minutes (1.4% less for for Gasol), Duncan had more blocks, steals, assists, and rebounds, fewer turnovers, exactly the same number of fouls, and significantly more points. Gasol had better FG% and FT%, and even though he had a fluky high rebounding season, he still had far fewer than Duncan.
Gasol might be a better player in two years. Last season? Not so much.
August 26th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Gasol is no where near better than kobe. Kobe had better series than gasol against the thunder suns and jazz and neither were good versus Boston
August 26th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Just to keep things in perspective, straight stats don’t always tell the tale. Gasol is on a team loaded with size and a couple of very solid offensive threats.
Things like rebounds, blocked shots and PPG are going to be lower than they would be if Gasol didn’t have Bynum, Kobe and Odom even disregarding the rest.
To judge stats this close will need more than just saying Gasol played an avg of 6 mins more per game.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Really? Gasol over The Big Fundamental? one player has 4 championship rings, the other 2. one player has 3 nba final mvp’s, the other 0. one player has 2 league mvp’s, the other..0. one player has made the all nba team/all defensive team 12 consecutive years, the other player 1 or 2, maybe? the fact that their stats are very identical and one player is 34 years of age and the other just turned 30 makes the point…..I mean really? The Best PF ever and possibly the Best Player in the NBA from 1999-2007 compared to a PF who isn’t even the “BEST” player on his team? Really? You do the math and the analysis……not even up for discussion.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
good little write up.
I dont think anyone is arguing whether a gasol is better than a prime duncan. the article is talking about the current situation. So no need to defend that point or put down pau in doing so. I think everyone agrees duncan in his prime was pretty darn awesome.
let’s not let that kind of discussion take away from the beautiful game of pau. just like we all admired timmy’s fundamentals and that bank shot, let’s just admire pau’s incredible array of shots near the basket. the man has an incredible soft touch. just tosses it up there with either hand, not looking, doesn’t matter it somehow goes in! also a great passer i might add.
August 26th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Pau Gasol is easily the most skilled big man in the league. Although it seemed to me like he never really took off until he got to LA. While the stats and the recent championships may point to gasol, Duncan draws more double teams, especially because these last few years we’ve had an inability to knock down open 3′s. Gasol can’t be doubled as often as Timmy because there are the Kobe’s, Bynum’s, Odom’s, and Fisher’s.
I would still give the slight edge to Gasol only because of his age…but really for Duncan to basically put up the same stats as Gasol at 4 years older is incredible.
I also feel like Gasol is ranked higher than Duncan because Duncan is more of a fundamental, less flashy player.
August 26th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
You guys keep going on about avg minutes but Gasol played a total of 2403 mins and Duncan played 2438. The minutes is a moot point and the raw stats dont do either of these men the justice they deserve. No one is arguing that Tim Duncan at his peak isn’t greater than Gasol. The argument that Dwyer set out to make was who’s going to have a better year….NEXT SEASON. At this point in their perspective careers I’d give the nod to Gasol and I dont even see it as a tough decision. In no way is this a knock on Timmy to be considered the 2nd best power forward 13 seasons into a hall of fame career. More of an accomplishment than anything.
August 26th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
believe me, as a Grizzlies fan, we know who is better (#9, ZBO)
August 26th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Judged by their careers, this topic isn’t worth discussing. Duncan is one of the top ten players in NBA history. Gasol is an excellent player—the only LA Faker I begrudgingly like—but he is not one of the NBA’s all-time greats.
August 26th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
I’ll take a healthy Pau or a healthy Tim on my team for 2010-2011, and I think every owner in the league would do the same. period. End of story.
August 26th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
everyone on here keeps talking about how duncan in his prime is better than pau in his prime BUT THATS NOT THE DISCUSSION. the list is for who is the best power forward for next year, not as for their whole career. nobody ever said that gasol has had a better career than duncan….
August 26th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
@ Bentley
Solid take.
I wasn’t quite sure how to accept this article. But all it exposes is the relevent decline of Tim Duncan over the past 2 years.
Duncan putting up the same numbers (or close) at this point and time compared to Gasol is unfair to Duncan.
Lets go back and compare Gasol to Duncan during both of their first 7 years in the league.
They’re not even in the same category with Duncan CLEARLY better than Gasol will ever be.
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/tim_duncan/career_stats.html
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/pau_gasol/career_stats.html
August 26th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Paul Gasol is a great player who plays alongside one of the all time greats in Kobe Bryant and his mere presence on the floor along with Bynum’s physicality allow Gasol to shine. However, on the Spurs Tim Duncan is the one that makes everyone better. The fact that at this point in time (Duncan is 34 yrs old) the debate has merit tells everyone how great Duncan still is and has been. Tim, despite Parker and Ginobili’ s excellence, is never had the good fortune of playing with one as skilled as Kobe Bryant. Tim Duncan also has one more attribute than Gasol, toughness. Years from now Gasol may rank high among the all time PF’s but not better than Duncan.
August 26th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
i would have to say gasol is the best big man in the nba. dwight howard may be a stat eater in the defensive column and occasionally blows up for 20, but he lacks passing ability, polished footwork in the post, and poise. i predict that dwight howard will not age as gracefully as duncan and eventually, gasol. too much dependecny on athleticism
August 26th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
The original article did not stress enough that it was comparing the current Pau to the current TD. I agree that Pau is better than TD right now.
August 26th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Currently Pau is better. He was unbelievably solid in the playoffs. The only limiting factor in his game is Kobe’s selfishness.
As has been mentioned before, it’s somewhat unfair to compare Pau in his prime to Timmy D, who has clearly slowed down. But 10 years ago we were comparing Timmy D to a much older Karl Malone. The comparison will happen, and is helpful to see that the torch will inevitably be passed along to the next great, albeit younger PF.
August 26th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Contrary to the article’s claimed conclusion, the article actually demonstrated that Tim is the better PF by far. Gasol in his prime puts up numbers quite similar to Tim at age 34. Case closed.
If someone wants to claim that Tim isn’t the top PF of all time because, say, that honor belongs to Karl Malone, that’s a different discussion, and probably not a discussion that will be easily resolved. (I tend to go with Malone because his free throw shooting was much better than Tim’s, but this can go either way).
But including Gasol in that discussion because he had a couple of very good seasons when he was surrounded by boatloads of talent? Give me a break.
August 26th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Gasol is slighty better on offense, but duncan is way better defensively. So, for me, Duncan is still better even at 34.
But, the better PF today in the NBA is Dirk
August 26th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
For those that say Gasol was the best player on the team is really bullshit. Kobe makes him better but he’s very talented. The fact is Kobe+Gasol is deadly like a 3 peat.
August 26th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
The claim is not that Gasol is better than Duncan for all time. The claim is that Gasol, right now, is better than Duncan. It’s extremely tight, but Gasol probably is just a smidge better right now.
No question that Duncan and/or Malone battle out for the greatest of all time (Duncan wins for me, but I’m a little biased).
I mean, really, you could also make an argument that Kevin Durant right now is better than Kobe. And in a lot of ways, it’d be hard to argue against it.
August 26th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Are we talking Gasol Today vs Duncan Today, or Gasol Today vs Duncan in his prime?
Gasol might be better than Duncan Today because Duncan is at the end of his career. Even at end of his career and terrible team, Duncan got the Spurs to the second round and his numbers were comparable to Gasol who was on the best team in the NBA.
It is like saying Howard (and I do love Haword) is better center than Shaq. He is Today, but not when compared to Shaq in his prime.
August 26th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
No. There, I said what every other basketball fan was thinking when they read this ridiculous title on TH, along with the doozy posted a few weeks ago about Karl Malone V. Tim Duncan. What is this, a character contest where we constantly pair the winner until only one remains?
August 26th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Gasol HAS only been as good as he’s been because he’s paired up with probably the greatest player of this past decade. I mean c’mon… the guy never won a playoff series until he got traded and all of sudden you give him Lamar Odom and Kobe and we think he’s amazing? You could throw Joe Nobody on the Lakers and he’d turn out to be amazing in a year…. coat-tails. Sheesh…
This article is pointless. Best way to sum up the differences is this… Tim IS the Spurs, Gasol is just another big man Kobe can use to put rings on his fingers.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
I’ve read your blog before and there’s no team I respect more than the Spurs. I’m a Laker fan but I am a clear-eyed Laker fan. I harbor no illusions and I don’t over-romanticize the abilities of any player who plays for my team, but honestly, to say Gasol is better than Duncan is just ridiculous. TD is a legend and will be a first-ballot HOFer. Pau might get into the Hall, but he’ll probably have to win a few more rings to increase his standing and remove the perception that he’s Kobe’s wing-man.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
I know the regular season doesn’t count for much, but does anyone remember the last game the Spurs played at LA last season? Duncan went to the low block in the 4th and took gasol to school. Every single time Tim used a different move and ate Pau’s lunch. I have much respect for Gasol though. He’s the best big man in the game right now.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
This article is like saying that the ’07 Ferarri isn’t as good as ’11 Ferarri. These players peaked at way different times. If Gasoft was anything - ANYTHING like Duncan the Grizzlies would have a few rings of their own, -Which they Don’t. Sure Gasoft has his (undeserved, spoonfed) rings now, but the Spurs and Duncan faced a league that looked down on their small market like Commodus from “Gladiator” looked down on Maximus. Just like we went on to win those titles against Commissioner Commodus Stern, much to the dismay of Commodus.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
This article is like saying that the ’07 Ferarri isn’t as good as ’11 Ferarri. These players peaked at way different times. If Gasoft was anything – ANYTHING like Duncan the Grizzlies would have a few rings of their own, -Which they Don’t. Sure Gasoft has his (undeserved, spoonfed) rings now, but the Spurs and Duncan faced a league that looked down on their small market like Commodus from “Gladiator” looked down on Maximus. Just like we went on to win those titles against Commissioner Commodus Stern, much to the dismay of Commodus.
Wow, you started off alright there and then just bombed. Did you just compare the team Pau had on the Grizz to ANY of the teams Duncan had during title runs. While there is no doubt in his prime Duncan was the superior player, not only was Duncan playing with better players, but he was playing against weaker teams. ’08 Boston or ’09/10 Lakers are a much more potent team than most everything San Antonio faced in there time as champs.
As for the main post, I thought the author did a solid job backing the claim with the stats. While per game stats def make it seem closer stat-wise than per minute stats, Gasol also plays on a much more talented roster. Alot of nights he doesn’t need to go for 20 or even 15 for the Lakers to win. Picking today I’d take Gasol, picking either in their prime its hard not to take Duncan.
August 27th, 2010 at 2:22 am
Let’s just see the other sides:RINGS
Duncan-4(1999,2003,2005- Finals MVP)
P. Gasol-2(all of his rings with kobe,fisher ;two of Timmy’s rings with The Admiral(David Robinson) and the others with Parker)
Also many PFs consider Gasol a weak defender,but he isn’t; PFs don’t want to go against the long arms of duncan= Tied)
KG is still my fav PF though
August 27th, 2010 at 2:45 am
Wow!!! It’s amazing how many people miss the point. Pau is not better than Timmy ever was, he is just better than him now. When they match up, Pau eats Timmy’s lunch. Timmy was pretty much the in SA. Pau is secondary to Kobe the same way Kobe was secondary to Shaq. Timmy, Karl Malone, and KG and the best three power fowards maybe in the history of the game. I wouldn’t even try to rank them because all could score, but they other qualities make them almost impossible to objectively rank.
Pau may never make it to their stratispheres, but his the best in the business now. The same can be said when comparing Kobe and LaBrawn to MJ. They may not be as good, but Kobe is the best right now. The same will be said about LaBrawn (and KD) in the future.
August 27th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Great article! Duncan is a Hall of Famer! Gasol is a great player and will be a second ballot hall of famer. Time will remember Pau in a Laker Jersey, even if he switches teams today. It will be as if he never played before his time with the Lakers. Compare championship run for championship run or their two best years.
August 27th, 2010 at 3:10 am
If you guys have been paying attention, Kelly wrote that article ranking who will be the best power forwards in season 2010-2011. Just next year. So stop saying that it’s non-sense comparing duncan and gasol because of age. The article expresses Kelly’s opinion of who’ll be the best power forward next year (and next year only). So before you guys keep on debating on the matter, please have that in mind. People, please read.
August 27th, 2010 at 5:15 am
If we’re talking career-wise, Tim Duncan is better. Gasol’s 4 years younger than Timmy (who’s on the downside of his career) and yet there’s still a debate on who’s better. Pau is better this year. Still, I would still rather have former MVP Dirk Nowitzki on my team right now than Gasol. The new Dirk swagger’s got me reeled me in.
August 27th, 2010 at 5:40 am
I would say Tim Duncan was the best player of the decade, so comparing him to Gasol when Duncan has clearly turned the corner isn’t apt, nor is it relevant. Gasol could never have led a team to four titles. We are absolutely overrating this guy for a couple year run.
August 27th, 2010 at 5:41 am
gasol was the best player in game 7, please don’t fool yourself into thinking he was the best player the entire finals
August 27th, 2010 at 7:13 am
As of now, Paul Gasol, like it or not, has the edge over the Big Fundamental, hampered as he is the past few years by his gimpy knee. But his body of work is unquestionable. Let’s savor his presence while we still can.
August 27th, 2010 at 7:51 am
I remember in the late 90′s I was living in Chicago and Tim was the talk of the league. Everybody in that town would defend MJ non stop.
It’s kind of the same thing now that Timmy has gotten old. We love Tim and we just don’t want anyone to forget how awesome he was in his prime.
August 27th, 2010 at 7:54 am
2010 Gasol is slightly better than 2010 Duncan. Actually, Gasol’s excellence puts Kobe is perspective. A great big man is always more important than a great wing. Always.
Anyway, 2010 Gasol is prime Gasol. 2010 Duncan is a declining Duncan. That says a lot about Duncan.
August 27th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Except that you completely leave out the fact that Dwyer’s article was about NEXT season, not the season that passed.
Talking about your reader’s being perspective, perhaps you should look in the mirror.
August 27th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Yes, white folks, Gasol is better than Kobe. Can we now move on?
I don’t get the obsession to make Gasol of preeminent relevance. He is a solid player and one of the top big men in the league. EVERYBODY gets that. Why the ridiculous positing that he is better than a way-over-the-hill Tim Duncan, which curiously is backed by numbers that actually make it debatable?? It’s as if people are trying to convince themselves. Let it go already.
Gasol is one of the top big men - not the best (D. Howard). It is outrageous to think that a bad game or even series makes him a better or more dependable player than Kobe. I mean..it just discounts so many things as to make the debate nonsensical. How do you think Gasol would hold up as the Laker’s workhorse - managing double teams, starting the offense from the block, taking last second shots, taking key free throws, playing through injury to maintain playoff position, playing extended minutes to get a win - and doing all this all season long? Kobe is in the convo for greatest three players ever for a reason. With all above mentioned (and mangled digits) he still made phenomenal plays all playoffs other than 2 or 3 games. Get off the nonsense and enjoy the game.
August 27th, 2010 at 11:34 am
[...] a related note, Andrew McNeill of 48 Minutes of Hell compared Gasol and Duncan in response to Dwyer’s rankings. A great place to start if you’re really into battling [...]
August 27th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Let’s pretend you have the #1 pick in the draft and their’s 2 young players named Tim Duncan and Pau Gasol. Who would you pick? Timmy of course….Pau is ok but is a role player not a leader thats why Memphis was only decent with him as their leader….enuff said!
August 27th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Let’s see how the next season pans out, but I believe Duncan may still have something in the tank that he isn’t letting us on. Hopeless optimism? Not when you’re referring to San Antonio’s preeminent player.
Leave a Reply