Gasol 2nd Best Player In World Championships?

[Traceman]

Deveney and the media are full of it. No way in hell is Gasol better than Paul Pierce. If Pierce was the only real option on his team and he had the green light every time down the floor as Nowitzki and Gasol do, he'd average 35 -40 ppg. In fact, I don't think Gasol is better than Brand, O'Neal ,Finley or Baron Davis either.

I DO think Nowitzki and Pierce are the 2 best players there. I also think Gasol is getting better and that he is going to be a terrific NBA player but no way in hell is he better than Paul Pierce is right now.

[Traceman]

http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/sean_de...y/20020903.html

[beav]

I haven't seen him play in the WC, but it says that he added 15 pounds of muscle after the season...

that can be scary, because this guy is the real deal...

I remember seeing the grizz earlier in the year than catching a game around march or so and his improvement during the course of the year was jaw-dropping... he is going to become a virtually unstoppable offensive force with much more strength...

[cyman3]

GASOL has potential to be a DIRK NOWITSKI clone, but not yet. After all is said and done, i think GASOL will be stronger than NOWITSKI...

but as far as rating the players...

PIERCE, NOWITSKI are the 2 best.

Gasol being 3rd is DEBATEABLE...

[Guest]

Pau does not and will not have the range and general outside game of Nowitski...but he looks like, with more muscle, he'll be a better inside player with more moves around the basket...

but definitely not a clone....

[BlackHawkDown]

For Once a Euro Sissyballer caught on. No more Vlade and a whole lot more Shaq. Instead of concentrating on his outside game and passing Pau learned what so many Euros dont, to be a NBA player and next level star you have to have the physical strength and mentality that it takes to be a banger. Pau is going to be moving up in my mind.

[beav]

he doesn't remind me of nowitzki at all...

he kind of reminded me of a 7-foot alex english last year... you look at the skinny guy and think "no way can that guy take it to the basket" and he does... over just about anyone...

defensively he has miles to go... I remember one game where sidney lowe just kept yelling "Pau! Pau! get back!"

[Traceman]

It will be interesting to see how he does when compared directly with Reef over the course of their careers. I still think the trade was a no brainer that the Hawks HAD to make but it still leaves the "what if" question out there. Reef was a sure thing and one thing this team needed was a sure thing. Besides, I'm not sure the Hawks would have taken Gasol #3 overall anyway. I know Babs liked him but he also like Battier (and J Rich) a lot too. The teams who might REALLY regret not taking Gasol are Washington and Chicago. We got an All Star out of our deal but both Brown and Chandler have a LONG way to go to be anywhere near the player Gasol has become.