Toronto Raptors: Whose stock is rising in the finale of the regular season

Marc Gasol

A man looking more comfortable by the day is Marc Gasol.

Big Burrito averaged 7.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 27 minutes of action per night in the last three games of the season.

Look, the points don’t stand out as much, but Gasol is only attempting just under four field-goal attempts per game in that time, and he’s shooting a terrific 72-percent true shooting percentage. Basically, Gasol is taking good shots.

That’s been the case for most of Gasol’s tenure with Toronto so far. He’s shooting 45-percent from the field and 43-percent from three since the All-Star break, averaging nine points a game.

Masai Ujiri didn’t acquire Gasol to be a standout superstar, no not at all. He’s designed to make the players around him better. A great passer, a solid defender and a good scorer, Gasol is doing enough to push the Raptors towards a higher ceiling than before he was a part of the team.

His passing was on show against the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon, dishing out seven assists in 33 minutes of action.

This was probably the best of the lot, Gasol plays the pick-and-roll perfectly with Fred VanVleet, something he’s done time and time again since Fred has returned to the team. Bam Adebayo sags off the screen far too deep, allowing VanVleet to hit Gasol in the pocket. Gasol spots Kelly Olynyk helping from the weak side and zips the ball into the corner for Pascal Siakam who hits the open three.

It’s simple, but it’s not a pass many centers can make. Gasol proves to be far more than a one-dimensional big-man who sets screens and rolls to the rim. He can pop to the elbow, or the perimeter and knock down open and contested jump shots.

It was all on show this week, and hopefully in the postseason. Gasol has a tough matchup against Nikola Vucevic in the first round.