From Big Burrito to Big Spain

By Eric L. Taylor

The Memphis Grizzlies and their rabid "Whoop that trick" fan base are on cloud nine today after dispatching the OKC Thunder last night to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.  There are many contributing factors to the Grizzlies dazzling success this season (most wins in franchise history) and postseason (first WCF).  From the "addition by subtraction" Rudy Gay trade to the presence of Z-Bo on the low block to the "Grind Father" Tony Allen to the emergence of Mike Conley Jr. as one of the top point guards in the league to the steady leadership of Coach Lionel Hollins, there is no shortage of reasons why this team knocked the bark off both the Clippers and Thunder in NBA playoff action.

With all of those reasons listed above being true and important, I contest that there's no bigger reason for this magic carpet ride than the development of "Big Spain" Marc Gasol into the best center in the NBA.  That's right; I said he's the best center, better than Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, Brook Lopez and any other center you can name.  There are many reasons why I believe this to be true.  Gasol is the best passing center in the game.  How many times has he hit a cutting Tony Allen at the bucket for a dunk or threaded the needle on a bounce pass to Z-Bo for a layup?  When Gasol has the ball in triple threat in the high post, he's truly a "triple threat" because he can shoot over the top of the defender, put the ball on the deck for a sweeping hook across the lane or zip a pass to a teammate for an easy score.  Last night in game 5 of the Grizz/Thunder Western Conference semifinal, Gasol had a poor offensive night going into the 4th quarter.  However, that did not prevent him from hitting multiple big baskets down the stretch to save the win for the Grizzlies. 

Defensively, Gasol was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year this season, and advanced stats bear this out.  The Grizzlies gave up 95.4 points per 100 possessions with Gasol on the floor this season and 102.2 points per 100 possessions with him on the pine.  To the untrained eye, that may not look like a significant difference, but it is.  In addition, Coach Lionel Hollins has compared Gasol to legendary big man Bill Walton (Hollins & Walton were teammates in Portland) in regards to the way both men quarterback the defense from the center position.  Gasol is always communicating with his teammates, helping position to best defend certain players and specific plays/sets.  From film study and enhanced perception, Gasol recognizes plays quickly and barks out orders accordingly.  His help defense is superb, and he is a great defender of his own position.  Add all of this up, and it completely justifies his DPoY award.

 Now that we've completely established the greatness of Marc Gasol in 2013, let's take a trip way back.... back... back into time (Yes, that was a Blackstreet reference).  In the early '00s, I worked for the Tennessee Sports Radio Network covering high school sports, including the TSSAA boys state basketball tournament on the campus of MTSU at the Murphy Center.  The 2003 Division II Tournament featured Brentwood Academy and Freshman sensation Brandan Wright; the other heavyweight (literally) was 2003 Division II Mr. Basketball, Marc Gasol and his Lausanne Lynx.  I missed the first day of the tournament due to previously scheduled business meetings, but I made it to Murfreesboro the next day.  All of the chatter was about Corey Brewer and his eleven or so dunks in a first round loss, but I wanted to know about Marc Gasol.  I had heard so many good things about the younger brother of Memphis Grizzlies superstar Pau Gasol that I was very intrigued.  I had heard that the younger Gasol was a stronger player (than his brother) with a Hakeem-esque array of post moves to compliment his bullish strength.

When I reached my TSRN cohorts, I immediately asked about Gasol and how he looked in the opening game.  What I got in return was a look of disgust.  Per my coworker, Marc Gasol looked "pathetic".  He was "fat, out of shape", and it was "miserable to watch".  My heart immediately sank.  Could the mythical Marc Gasol be just that, a myth?  Was he more "chunk" than champ?  I would find out in the championship game vs. Brentwood Academy where BA throttled Gasol's team by a final tally of 68-49.  Here's how the game played out:  Gasol's teammates would shoot up the floor and wait for him to amble down the court.  Once he got his massively overweight frame down the court, he would post up and put up a shot.  If he missed the shot, the younger and slimmer Brandan Wright would do his best Usain Bolt by sprinting down the court and throwing down a massive dunk.  About the time he would tear down the rim, Gasol would reach halfcourt only to turn around to plod back down on the low block.  I was crestfallen and nauseated watching such a waste of seven feet.  Gasol was out of shape at the end of the season.  It was truly sad.

I only bring up the high school Marc Gasol to show how far he has come over the past 10 years.  Through hard work getting in shape, polishing his game and his experience on the Spanish national team, he has made himself into the best center in the league.  He may never wow you with his athleticism, but his skill set and smarts set him apart.  If someone would have told me during that state tournament game that in 10 years Gasol would be the best center in the league and DPoY, I would have laughed hysterically and bet my entire net worth against it.  In fact, I would have thought Wright would turn out to be the NBA superstar and Gasol the vagabond when it has turned out to be the exact opposite. 

I heard a recent interview with Gasol where he referenced his high school days, and he mentioned his opponents in Memphis used to mockingly call him the "Big Burrito".  That's when it hit me that Gasol has truly gone from Big Burrito to Big Spain.  He was overweight and an afterthought as a NBA prospect, and now he's an All-Star.  That's a life lesson.  Just because you're not great at something right now doesn't mean you can't get there through grit and grind (see what I did there?).  It sounds cheesy, but going from Big Burrito to Big Spain in any avenue of your life is a choice made daily by doing or not doing the little things to get better. 

Here's hoping Big Spain leads the Grizzlies to a Larry O'Brien Trophy.