Gasol adapts quickly to make a big impact on Raptors

GREAT BOOST. Marc Gasol may have been with the Raptors for only a few months, but his skills and attitude are perfectly adapted. Photo of Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images / AFP

TORONTO, Canada – Marc Gasol does not like to speak for himself, but the Spaniard is talking about the finals of the NBA for the quality of his game, just four months after joining the Toronto Raptors.

The center, 34, whose older brother, Pau, won two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 20 points and 7 rebounds in Toronto's 118-109 win over Golden State in the opening game. seven.

"He is always comforted when he is on the ground," said Raptors striker Pascal Siakam. "He's so smart and reads the defense and he's able to protect the rim for us – it's really great to have it, a vet who has crossed it."

Gasol scored 6 out of 10 points from the ground and 2 of 4 over three points when the Warriors "gave him two hits and he knocked them out", in the words of Golden State coach Steve Kerr.

"He has become a very good three-pointer," said Warrior guard Klay Thompson. "Great smuggler, very good defender at the edge.This pickup has proven to be huge for them."

In February, the Raptors signed a sales contract to win double Olympic silver medalist Gasol and the NBA's best defensive player in 2013 after spending a decade in Memphis.

Learn about the excitement of his first NBA Finals and he is as discreet as his casual teammates.

"I do not get caught up in these things," he said. "I do not do that, I'm sorry."

And the tension of the ultimate stage of the NBA?

"My brain does not work like that," he says. "You play basketball as if you've been doing it all your life and it's the most fun, you have to stay in balance throughout the match so that your brain can not go anywhere but all possessions. . "

Raptors coach Nick Nurse explained how Gasol overcame difficult moments by praising his "ability" to bounce back.

"He may have had one of the lowest points of his playoff career," Nurse said. "He had a game of 1 against 9. People were writing it.

"I told him about it, he just did not hesitate." Tomorrow, it's going to be great, "he replied, and I repeated to him several times:" You are a great player because you have raised the level of what our team thinks they can be and you raise the level of play other players. & # 39; For me, that's what great players do. "

The fast pace is Toronto's strength, but Gasol's defensive work gives others the freedom to attack.

"He was great," said Raptors star Kawhi Leonard. "He's a good protector of the rim." He watched everyone else, "He's another smart player who has gone through the ups and downs of the NBA." A veteran who's just ready for the moment . "

And his sweet attitude suits a disinterested team.

"He's a real professional," said Raptors goaltender Kyle Lowry. "He's fine in his business, he mixes well, he's just an easygoing guy."

Relentless state of mind

Instead of slowing down the Raptors, Gasol is a 7-footer who can take off quickly with his defensive work.

"You run on them and be aggressive," said Gasol. "In order to run, you have to make stops, and to make stops, you have to communicate, to be physical, to do all the little things, to be physical starts by putting pressure on the ball, you have to do it all the time. can not relax. "

It is this relentless attitude that Gasol considers vital for a championship race.

"It's about the state of mind and trusting the guy next to you," Gasol said. "You can not exaggerate, you have to cover a lot of ground, talk a lot, run a lot.

"That's how you stay in the moment and you continue to play the next possession." Take another stop. "Take another good shot." Finally, if you get enough of these elements, you'll have enough. good luck to win. " – Rappler.com