Thursday, October 14th, 2010 at 8:00 am  |  151 responses

Top 50: Pau Gasol, no. 10

The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players.

by Sandy Dover / @SandmanSeven

Pau Gasol. The best power forward in the NBA.

Really?

I mean, I know us followers of the League have known him to be good, and many times, he’d play very good. He certainly has been gifted. 7-feet tall, bulky enough for post play, but lithe enough to tip-toe around the basket. Sure, he played on some hopeful, but overmatched Memphis Grizzlies basketball teams. And when he helped the Los Angeles Lakers reach the NBA Finals, I think it’s safe to say that many of us felt he was a great stopgap for the absence of center Andrew Bynum; maybe we rationalized how he played as, “Well, the timing was right” or “His play was motivated by his disdain for the Grizzlies” or something to that effect. Maybe the clean cut look from his days in Espana and Tennessee fooled us first…and then the Don Quixote beard. But the best power forward in the League, Pau Gasol is? Surpassing the almighty Pau GasolTim Duncan?

Yes he is. When he was talked up as the premier international prospect in 2001, late in my junior year of high school, I noticed. When he banged on Kevin Garnett as a rookie, I noticed. When he was busy playing all three frontcourt positions at various times for a woeful Grizzlies club, I took note. While Pau was getting his reputation bruised when observers would callously say that he was soft, despite never having a great partner in the post to share his load, I watched him on spot-up jumpers, athletic drives to the basket, and fearless finishes at the hoop. When he was scoring between 17 and 20 points per game and rebounding around 8 balls in Tennesseee, he wasn’t part of the in-crowd.

But then he went to Los Angeles, and we should know the story. Kobe Bryant is going to always get the praise, and Pau needed Kobe…but Kobe needed Pau immensely. Oh, the soft Spaniard with all those post moves? The one who was begging for his electric? He was quickly supplanting his rivals as the fiercest big man in whatever town he chose to visit, and now he’s a champion twice by great fortune and chance. He is the fiercest big man in the game now. Pau is not going to patronize his opponents, he’s not going to settle as being merely a talented scorer, and he’s unafraid.

Timmy D has declined, putting in legendary work for the past 13 years (now going on 14 years).

KG has maximized his time and is trying to put things back together in a knee that may or may not comply with his desires.

Amar’e is busy being Amar’e, in New York of all places, and while he was one time an heir in receiving the post player’s crown, he’s since settled for being an offense-first, defense-somewhere-else kind of guy.

In the meantime, our hero Pau has maximized his presence. Remember how some of his critics in Memphis said he didn’t dominate enough, or implied that he was too skilled for his own good, maybe a little too fundamental for people’s taste? Well, he’s killing people with his skills on-court; the passing, the nimble footwork on too-fast-for-you spin moves, the high-post J, the low-post J, awkward-angled dunks on fastbreaks and defensive breakdowns, the charges, the blocks from both the strong side and weak side? He’s better served today, and his career 19 and 9 don’t tell his story quite as well. He was the silent Rodney Dangerfield in the old South, but he’s could be singing his best renditions of Aretha Franklin classics, if he so chose–but that’s not Pau.

Pau’s a winner, and a worldwide winner at that.

And winning is fundamental.

SLAMonline TOP 50 PLAYERS OVERALL RANK POSITION RANK
Player Team Position 2010 2009 2010 2009
Ray Allen Celtics SG 50 36 10 9
Gilbert Arenas Wizards SG 49 34 9 8
Lamar Odom Lakers PF 48 33 14 10
John Wall Wizards PG 47 NR 13 NR
OJ Mayo Grizzlies SG 46 46 8 12
Al Horford Hawks C 45 NR 6 NR
Jason Kidd Mavs PG 44 45 12 10
Joakim Noah Bulls C 43 NR 5 NR
LaMarcus Aldridge Blazers PF 42 39 13 12
David West Hornets PF 41 31 12 8
Monta Ellis Warriors SG 40 NR 7 NR
Andrew Bogut Bucks C 39 NR 4 NR
Yao Ming Rockets C 38 NR 3 NR
Brandon Jennings Bucks PG 37 NR 11 NR
Zach Randolph Grizzlies PF 36 NR 11 NR
Stephen Curry Warriors PG 35 NR 10 NR
David Lee Warriors PF 34 NR 10 NR
Brook Lopez Nets C 33 NR 2 NR
Gerald Wallace Bobcats SF 32 NR 7 NR
Manu Ginobili Spurs SG 31 29 6 7
Tony Parker Spurs PG 30 15 9 3
Kevin Garnett Celtics PF 29 13 9 3
Rudy Gay Grizzlies SF 28 44 6 9
Josh Smith Hawks PF 27 40 8 13
Andre Iguodala 76ers SG 26 26 5 6
Al Jefferson Jazz PF 25 23 7 7
Russell Westbrook Thunder PG 24 NR 8 NR
Chauncey Billups Nuggets PG 23 19 7 5
Tyreke Evans Kings PG 22 NR 6 NR
Danny Granger Pacers SF 21 21 5 5
Carlos Boozer Bulls PF 20 32 6 9
Paul Pierce Celtics SF 19 17 4 4
Joe Johnson Hawks SG 18 20 4 4
Rajon Rondo Celtics PG 17 27 5 8
Amar’e Stoudemire Knicks PF 16 16 5 6
Steve Nash Suns PG 15 22 4 6
Tim Duncan Spurs PF 14 6 4 1
Chris Bosh Heat PF 13 13 3 4
Derrick Rose Bulls PG 12 18 3 4
Brandon Roy Blazers SG 11 10 3 3
Pau Gasol Lakers PF 10 14 2 5

Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’10-11 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Jeremy Bauman, Maurice Bobb, Erildas Budraitis, Sean Ceglinsky, Ben Collins, Bryan Crawford, Sandy Dover, Adam Figman, Manny Maduakolam, Eddie Maisonet, Ryne Nelson, Doobie Okon, Ben Osborne, Charles Peach, Branden Peters, Quinn Peterson, David Schnur, Todd Spehr, Kyle Stack, Adam Sweeney, Dennis Tarwood, Tracy Weissenberg, Lang Whitaker, Eric Woodyard, and Nima Zarrabi.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

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  • http://www.slamonline.com James the Balla

    worse*
    lol VIP style. I don’t think I am better than anyone on here. And I am in no way a genius. But I do know when to not turn the best basketball site on the planet into a playground for arrogant pr1cks.
    Yes, you taught me new words Phil, thank you. Go Bron, we know.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    i didn’t mean it like “better” i just meant approved based on good behavior lol

  • http://slamonline.com SpaceJam

    Dirk is better than Pau, Only thing Gasol has him in is post moves and offensive rebounding, and defense by a little bit. Neither are soft but they ain’t the toughest cookie either. Dirk is a better scorer all-around player and much more clutch. In Pau’s 3 playoff series in memphis as “The Man” they didn’t win one game. Dirk took a team to the finals as “The Man” and has won multiple series with his play. Pau gets to play with the best player in the world so he just got put in a very good situation. Dirk over Pau any day

  • http://www.slamonline.com AllDayEveryDay

    Dirk > Gasol

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    How the hell is Pau the better rebounder?
    Based on what? This was the first time dude ever averaged ten boards a game, let alone 20 and 10. Hell in Memphis he regularly put up 18 and 8 in more than 30 minutes a game.
    Stop the madness.

  • http://www.stonesthrow.com Michael NZ

    Re all in favor of banning JTaylor21: *raises hand*

  • TrailBlazing&SportingLisbon

    underated, best big in the league should be higher

  • Anthony

    @Anton: so you got Kobe in 5

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    hand raised* (but dude will be back, with a different name)

  • http://www.slamonline.com James the Balla

    *raise hand*

  • JTaylor21

    ^Yeah, raise y’all hands in the air and HATE like you just don’t care. If you a hater and you know it, my distant relative Phyuck Yoo would like a word.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    The comments section is a place to further discuss the topics in this post. Commenters who seek to accomplish any of the following may be banned:
    - Personally attack other commenters.

    - Make derogatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

    - Troll, or comment with the intention of creating problems. Trolling includes, but isn’t limited to, baiting people to flame at you, encouraging people to leave the site, spamming and using alternate IDs.

  • onlyclipsfanonslam

    I findthsi discussion hilarious when it comes to dissing Pau because he plays with Kobe. Ummm I bet none of the same guys would punish Magic for playing with Cap

  • JTaylor21

    nbk, give up already. You and your I Hate J VeintiUno fan-club are fighting a losing battle. You can’t ban me like the Snowman.

  • http://www.slamonline.com James the Balla

    Ju Veinti …

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Okay, so Pau isn’t completely overrated. Good.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Not only is Dirk > Pau..
    Chris Bosh also > Pau.
    Anyone who argues this clearly doesn’t want to remember that Bosh was way better as the leader of the Raptors than Gasol was as the leader of the Grizzlies.

  • j4zzm4n

    severely underrated he is top 8 for sure.

  • http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000580635564 Bryan

    No one gets banned on here. Dirk is better than Pau , but Pau is actually a better rebounder. His years in Memphis his minutes were fairly limited , (31 or 32 a game) and he was still grabbing 8 a game. Dirk Has been close to ten twice but Pau has been close to ten twice and also grabbed over 11 last year. He also averages more boards over his career than Dirk in one less minute per game. Plus Dirk is nonexistent on the offensive glass.

  • http://scott.r.carter10@gmail.com Scott Carter

    #9 will be Dirk Nowitzki.

  • The D Train

    Dirk takes the most shots on the Mavs every year. Gasol spends a good portion of his evenings chasing down Kobe’s mis-fires. Not saying he is or is not a better rebounder than Dirk, but that is probably something to consider if trying to explain Gasol’s .5 per game advantage in rebounds over Dirk. For all the talk about Gasol being a superior rebounder, that is a relatively small advantage when comparing their career avgs per game. It is even more difficult to claim a clear advantage for Gasol when one considers that Dirk averages 1.1 more rebs per playoff game than Gasol, when, in theory, you would be playing against better competition every night. Seems to me the only way you can say Gasol is definitely a superior rebounder is if you throw factual data out the window. Of course, we all know that a lot of people on this site never let facts get in the way of a good argument.

  • thegfunk

    KG 2000 to 2007. Straight ballin!

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    No question Pau is a better rebounder than Dirk, but Bosh is a better rebounder than both. And a more prolific scorer than Pau. Dirk is probably better than both, but just saying… Bosh > Pau.

  • http://yahoo.com eboyhater

    im in favor of banning jtayler and eboy due it now slam

  • http://www.slamonline.com J

    I don’t have a problem with The Philosopher.. But JTaylor is another case. In his comments, the insults overshadows his arguments to the point that everyone hates him. He seems to care to throw insults more than argue a basketball topic. Just my observation.

  • http://Www.fiba.com Darksaber

    Whoa, 1st Spanny gets exposed for what he is (Slam’s megatrill) and now there are more cries for commenter banning on this thread? I agree with whoever said that the comments section has degraded in quality (and manners), but it’s not the commenters job to police the place. Ryne et al are the ones who should be handing out reprimands but since i’ve only seen this done once by Susan over the years, i’m not holding my breath. Nice Dirk > Pau discusdion here though, luv it.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    yo bryan Dirk has an actual reason to be absent on the offensive glass. All offense comes from him, if you shoot the most, and pass to assist or pass to the shooter the most (which isn’t true he passes to kidd first then kidd to passer but dirk is away from the basket, or else he would have shot) then ofcourse you will not be in good position to get offensive rebounds.

  • http://www.slamonline.com/online/category/blogs/san-dova-speak-easy/ San Dova

    By the way, I think Dirk is better than Pau. Don’t get it twisted, but I believe Dirk is more of a small forward or high-post center. My opinion of Pau as the league’s best power forward is my way of conveying how strong of a player he is, and it works for Pau being rated as the 10th best player in the league, by SLAM.

    With that said, even I’d take Dirk over Pau, if I had to chose between the two players, regardless of position.

  • http://www.slamonline.com J

    I’d take Dirk over Pau too. Primes ofcourse, and as a Robin to someones Batman. Dirk stretches the floor nicely. He can make a living spotting up, off-ball, isolation. Pau will die doing just spotting up shots. Sure that’s not maximizing Pau if you don’t run plays for him, but you know there are times you won’t be effective in your area as you usually do because of the defense. So having Dirk who can score anywhere is better. And their defensive gap is close. Therefore Dirk for me.

  • TrailBlazing&SportingLisbon

    you´ll foRGETTING DEFENSE, in witch Pau is A LOT BETTER than Dirk and Bosh, valid arguments though.

  • http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000580635564 Bryan

    What was his excuse when he shared the ball with Finley and Nash? I mean Amare gets more offensive boards. Plenty of guys get offense ran through them but can still crash the boards. I’m not saying he doesn’t have a reason to get LESS offensive boards than Pau, among others. But LESS than TWO is inexcusable.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    that was 6 years ago bryan. irrelavant – he was hardly the player he is now then.

  • slick ric

    I’m not on this whole pau is great defensively, he o.k. but its his length that factors in the most, plus having bynum does not hurt either.Amare did his thang against him when he had his head on right. plus when they lost the finals against Boston I didnt see his great defense without bynum.

  • http://Slamonline.com Nbk

    Pau gasol is not a good defender. What in the world him and dirk are equally awful

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    LOL @ eboyhater. Funniest screen name in a long time. No offense to the real Eboy… You’ve gotta be laughing too. lmao.

  • TrailBlazing&SportingLisbon

    @Nbk, I generelly respect what u say but youre dead wrong son…if you say hes not A GREAT defender i can agree, saying hes not good is foolish, sorry…P&R, straight post up and weakside: hes good in all those 3 situations, very good in some of them

  • http://Slamonline.com Nbk

    I admit he is a decent to good help defender 15 feet and in. Pau Gasol is above average defending undersized centers and unathletic pf’s but straight up against an above average pf or bigger stronger center he is soft. When Bynum is around it hides a lot of gasol’s issues.

  • JoeMaMa

    @Teddy: Bosh is better than Pau? We’re both Raps fans, and I still like Bosh, but Pau grew UP the past couple of years. In game 7 of the Finals he got 19 and 18. Pau’s really come into his own the past couple of years. IF Bosh plays that kind of role, than me and all the other Raps fans will at least content ourselves knowing we had, for some time, a real gem. But Bosh’s value stems from what he MAY do, Pau’s from what’s he DONE. For that reason, I give the nod to Pau…but I think Bosh, in the next couple of years, and if used correctly, will be that guy.

  • http://www.twitter.com/jtrain73 Jono

    @JoeMaMa Yup. But I’m pretty sure Gasol won’t get away with numbers like that in big games. Esp against the Celtics/Magic. If it’s in the finals against the Heat, I can see Bosh playing to his full potential and outshining Gasol. Gasol has seriously got away with too much and has been overly lucky. He had his time and this is the last we’ll see of him in anyones top 10 list.

  • VisionofGreatness

    Pau is by far the most skilled big man in the League. It’s about time he gets his respect and recognition.

  • paolo paolo

    Dirk is better player overall and his record as a franchise player has been really solid, while Pau could not deliver as a go-to guy. That makes this discussion pointless.

    But I would say more would want Gasol at his moment, because of the way how his game is build. What makes Pau really invaluable in todays game is his inside game. One of very few guys to able to post up and score with consistency. Game IQ is off-chart, making him read situations so well and make sharp cuts to the basket. Long-reaching hands and ability to keep the ball above his head causes insolvable problems for so many.

  • Armando

    @Slick ric: Yes, obviously his length is a factor, but is having a 7-4 wingspan an argument against Pau’s defense? Really? If he had short arms he wouldn’t be as good a defender? Duh… He’s a decent defender. Not all-NBA, but good enough to be a factor against 90% of NBA fours and fives as well as in pick and roll situations, and from the weak side. Yes he benefits from being a Laker, but if anything it’s made him fulfill his potential, if there was a stat for it he would be the league leader in least bad decisions per game. Haven’t seen this guy take an ill-advised/”bad” shot in his time with the Lakers, and his passing has been at a Divac/Webber level.

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    @James the wanna be Balla Posted: Oct.14 at 5:05 pm
    Man I don’t troll anyone, you haven’t been on the site in a while cat. I am the true Laker number one fan up here anyway. Dude go take your wack self and disappear for a few months again. The whole site loved it. Pau is being overrated he is playing like he played in Memphis all those years, he just is surrounded with Kobe and on Lakers so of course now he is being considered better. If you watched games when he played for Memphis, I would say he played better for the Grizzles than what he has played on the Lakers and people pointing out game seven wow. Why couldn’t he do it three years ago or play better last year. 20 and 10 is not hard for a big man to get on a good team. I would take Bosh and Dirk over Pau and would seriously consider Al Jefferson too. BOOK IT!!

  • MichaelWhyte11

    I cant believe people are ranking KD above Lebron. Its truly ignorant. The thunder had a great year and surprised many. Kevin scored the ball well and earnt respect on another level. Even so his passing and defense is still par. His ability to play well in the playoffs is still unknown. Lebron is the second best player in the league. I give kobe his due. Dont be naive people

  • JH

    Need 4 more people for a competitive H2H Yahoo League drafting this Sunday. Feel free to join…but be active.

    League ID#: 12722
    League Name: Justice League
    Password: password
    Draft Type: Live Standard Draft
    Draft Time: Sun Oct 17 8:00pm MDT [ Add to My Calendar ]
    Max Teams: 12
    Scoring Type: Head-to-Head

  • KobeNash1234

    Pau is the best big man in the game, probably would have ranked him higher but still a good placement.

  • http://hoopistani.blogspot.com hoopistani

    Pau > Dirk.

  • Mike from Spain

    I am too biased, I cannot really enter the argument about Dirk vs Pau with a clear head. Pau Gasol is the best bball player from Spain ever, I can’t really argue about who’s better. If you want I can concede the point to you, Dirk may be better, but my man Gasol got two rings. Perhaps he’s not cut to be a franchise player, but I would rather get him on my team than Bosh or D Howard. Not so sure about Dirk, I guess it depends on who are the other pieces you have in your team… or would you take Dirk over Pau in any team?

  • Pingback: SLAM ONLINE | » Top 50: Kobe Bryant, no. 2

  • Ferguson

    Without Gasol Lakers would have not win last 2 NBA rings, no doubt about it.

    Gasol created and immediate impact to Lakers when he arrived and changed the balance in the west side of the league, burying definitely San Antonio dominance and closing another incipient efforts as Mavericks ones.

    Gregg Popovich said after very few games when Pau was traded that it was the greatest steal in NBA History and proposed a trade committee that oversees NBA trades.

    Jerry West: “Gasol’s a terrific kid, a very skilled offensive player. He’s got size and versatility. He’s a very good player. It’s a terrific deal for the Lakers. He’s a wonderful person. Very team-oriented. If you’re around him, you’ll find he’s not aloof. I have nothing critical to say about him. This is a steal for the present.”

    Last year, after missing the first 11 games with a hamstring injury, Phil Jackson was worried and openly saying they were not playing well. Gasol came back and immediately helped the Lakers win 10 straight games.

    Pau Gasol is a essential element to the Lakers’ dominance, and just might be the most underrated player in the NBA. He does not have tattoos, is quiet, humble, has a workman attitude.

    Dirk Nowitzy is a terrific player but I personally do not think that with him and without Paul Lakers would have won last 2 titles. Dirk would have not created that impact neither in the Lakers game nor the League.

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