Here’s the Memphis Commercial Appeal reporting on Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, who has taken a step back in the effectiveness department this season:
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First play of the game against the Denver Nuggets. Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger draws up a play to get Marc Gasol a bucket inside. It works, beautifully. Gasol gets the ball under the hoop. And without hesitation, Gasol zips a pass to Jeff Green, standing beyond the 3-point line. Green misses the jumper. Grizzlies fans everywhere want to scream.
Why didn’t Gasol just take the bleeping shot?
What exactly is running through the man’s head?
Didn’t he just say that he was going to “break plays and take it to the hole?”
And, finally: What is wrong with Marc?
As the Grizzlies prepare to take on the Boston Celtics at FedExForum, that last one is the question of the day. Nearly twelve months after being named a first-team All-Star, and nearly six months after signing his new $113 million deal, Gasol is struggling to emerge from a funk.
His scoring (17.4 points to 15.9), shooting percentage (.494 to .450) and rebounding (7.8 to 7.3) are all down from a year ago. In his last four games, Gasol has made just 18 of 60 shots (30 percent). And while Gasol finally mustered the aggressiveness to take 17 shots Friday night against the Nuggets, he made just five.
