Memphis Grizzlies: Marc Gasol should be dealt
The Memphis Grizzlies find themselves in a similar situation with his brother, and they should deal Marc Gasol before it’s too late.
“Five seconds left on the clock, Mike Miller comes off a Pau Gasol screen, Gasol rolls, and finishes!”
That was me at the age of nine in the back yard. I was introduced to the Memphis Grizzlies at a game in the Pyramid, which is now Bass Pro Shops in downtown Memphis. I remember that night being full of trying to get on the dance cam and getting a souvenir mini basketball. Buying souvenir basketball, sitting behind the basket, and yelling “POSEY,” helped me fall in love with the Beale Street bears.
Ever since then, watching Sports South, Fox Sports South, and now Fox Sports Southeast was a family tradition. Pau, Mike Miller, Bonzi Wells, Shane Battier, Earl Watson. You name it; I was behind them 110 percent. My favorite player back then in particular, number 16 Pau Gasol. Even though the Grizzlies stood no chance those first few years, I would yelling at my television for all of those sweeps against San Antonio.
Then in 2008, the Memphis Grizzlies traded Gasol for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and draft rights to Pau’s brother, Marc. Nobody knew who Marc Gasol was going to be, but the city of Memphis took him in and so did my family. It was fun to watch Marc develop his NBA skills his first few years, and when the Grizzlies took on the Lakers, good lord I was pulling for Marc.
Then, the Tony Allen and Zach Randolph era began in Memphis. I remember, in 2011, my brother drove a truck that delivered products to FedEx Forum, and it had to be 6:00 the morning of that first home game against San Antonio. The lighting was dim on the court, but those growl towels on the seats made me overcome with emotion. It seemed all of those years of being swept by San Antonio and being victims of the eighth seed was coming to an end. It finally felt like the team was in good hands, with our “body guards” Tony and Z-Bo molding our core. Since that game, Allen and Randolph have been the mayors of Memphis. Seven straight playoff appearances, and even a Western Conference Finals run in 2013.
Throughout this run, I found out what I would do for the rest of my life, work hard, and be apart of this organization one day. I wanted to have that feeling I had that morning at six o’clock in the morning, the overwhelming feeling of certainty. While playing organized basketball, I really picked a few players to mold my game after, one of those being Marc. His personality, his free throw, all of it, I learned it and practiced it for one summer. That next year, while the Grizzlies were killing it, I was killing it as well. Free throw line jumper to break down the two-three zone, and going into the post at times, his game affected my game. Then, after my playing days, I started paying more attention to the man on the court.
Gasol on the court likes to deffer shots, blame mistakes on others, and most of all rarely hold himself accountability. It hurt me that I molded my game after someone like this. He’s a great player who has done a lot of good for the city of Memphis off the court, but he’s never been a leader.
His inconsistent plays throughout seasons, and he honestly seemed to be the “outsider” of the well-known Core Four (Allen, Randolph, Conley, and Gasol). You need a bucket, he’s the last person to take the big shot — unless he’s force-fed the ball. When one or two of the Core Four weren’t on the floor, it seemed the team had imploded around Gasol.
Why?
Deflecting blame, not only in front of reporters, but in the eyes of his teammates. He seems to be a walking contradiction.
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Time to move on
Now, the Memphis Grizzlies are 8-20 on the season, and it seems like it’s time to blow it up, but not completely. They should keep Conley, but deal Marc Gasol, and find some guys through free agency and the draft that’ll go to war with their teammates not matter the circumstances. After starting 5-1, I never thought I would be writing a piece on this team tanking, but I knew there would be a day that I would have to write about Marc.
Sad thing for Grizzlies fans? This ownership sale is in turmoil, but I know that if Steve Keplan gets this team, Wallace is the first one to go. Then, the fans have to rally around Keplan and this team to keep them in Memphis. Right now, I don’t blame you for being pissed off, because this team should be good. They shouldn’t be this bad at all, but the time has come for a rebuild.
How long would that rebuild take? Depending on the General Manager and draft picks, a few years at the least. It wouldn’t be long rebuild like Philadelphia 76ers, but the right guy has to be making the decisions. The first decision would be dealing Gasol, and that’s only fair to him and this organization.