Thanks to international games, Marc Gasol is NBA ready

LONDON (The Friday Eurovision) – I watched a replay of this year’s gold medal game at the Olympics on Thursday and enjoyed the clash just as much as I had in Beijing.

Nothing changed. The USA still won the game 118-107.

Spain could not have played much better. The USA had been the best team. There had been some talk by Spain’s players in the mixed zone after the contest that the Americans had gotten away with a lot of travelling, but I didn’t see it.

What did strike me watching the replay was how Spain’s players didn’t back down in the paint. They were every bit as tough as the United States on the boards. For some reason, when the Americans missed free throws, Spain struggled to keep them off the glass.

On one play, Carmelo Anthony followed up a missed free throw, scored and drew a foul for a three-point play.

But Spain never panicked and pushed them to the very end.

I think Team USA were supremely concentrated and ultimately unbeatable this summer. The real challenge for USA Basketball will be keeping the program intact and having the players maintain their focus. There will also be the challenge of winning without Kobe, Wade and LeBron. That trio of players was so good that it’s hard to imagine the USA maintaining their level of excellence without them. (I don’t think any of the trio have said yes or no to staying with Team USA for the 2010 FIBA World Championship).

Maybe they’ll surprise me.

Getting back to what I said about the paint, Spain were a bunch of warriors. They actually out-rebounded the USA 37-31. You expect Pau Gasol to be good, but the player that really made an impression on me watching the replay was his brother Marc. He didn’t back down from anyone.

I never believed Pau Gasol when he used to say that his brother was the better of the two. How could anyone believe that when knowing that Pau was in the NBA and Marc was struggling to make an impact in the ACB?

Starting with his inclusion to the Spain team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, Marc Gasol has not just improved. He has taken huge strides.

Last year he was the ACB’s MVP and after scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds in the gold-medal game defeat to the USA, he moved to Memphis where he is following in the footsteps of his brother.

Remember, the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Marc in the summer of 2007 and then last season traded his rights to Memphis for Pau.

In his first regular-season game with Memphis on Wednesday, Marc Gasol had 12 points, 12 rebounds and blocked two shots in more than 36 minutes in an 82-71 defeat at Houston.

The 23-year-old spoke matter-of-factly after the game.

“All the butterflies in my stomach went away very quickly, even though I was making my debut,” Gasol said.

“It’s true that I am a rookie, but I know more than the majority of the rookies due to my international experience.”

Gasol was also on Spain’s gold-medal winning team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and their silver-medal winning side at EuroBasket 2007 in Madrid.

Griz coach Marc Iavaroni said: “Marc Gasol did an excellent job, especially when he had to defend Yao. He also had good shots from mid-range.”

It’s another reminder, too, that by staying in Europe and playing the game at a high level, he is more NBA ready. Consider his teammate, Serbia’s Darko Milicic, who left Europe as a teenager.

He started alongside Gasol and had two points, two rebounds and three fouls in just over 17 minutes.

Milicic is also 23, but the former number two pick overall is an NBA flop.

Memphis will be hard-pressed to make the playoffs, let alone have a winning record, but Gasol is one reason why they will be interesting to watch.

Jeff Taylor