Toronto Raptors: How Every Player Helped Win The NBA Championship

MARC GASOL

Marc Gasol became part of history in two ways with this championship. Not only did he help win the Raptors first title but also he and his brother Pau Gasol are now the only siblings to each win an NBA championship. Though he may have been a less crucial part to his team’s playoff success, Marc’s impact shouldn’t be just glossed over.

Despite never actually making it to the NBA Finals before this season, Gasol brought some much-needed experience to the team. That experience being 10 seasons, 59 playoff games and one Western Conference Finals appearance.

His numbers don’t necessarily jump off the screen but that experience and basketball IQ is what’s noticeable. That IQ was a big part of this teams success. It gave the Raptors the option to have five solid ball handlers out at the same time – Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Siakam, and Kawhi are the others.

Yes, sometimes his eagerness to play make and not shoot frustrated even the biggest Marc Gasol fans. However, when he was able to find that sweet spot between the two styles of play, there wasn’t a lot the opposing team could do.

Another part of the IQ is his all-world defensive instincts. Whether it’s helping off a screen or drawing a charge at a critical moment, Gasol could do it all. We saw him make All-Star Nikola Vucevic look silly and did the exact same to All-NBA big man Joel Embiid.

Even against Golden State, a series where a lot of people were worried he might get played off the floor, he was able to stay out on the court, forcing the Warriors into some tough decisions.

Signature Moment: Outplaying Embiid in Game 4 of the Second Round