Toronto Raptors: Where does each player rank at their position?
Marc Gasol
Big Burrito made a name for himself in Memphis but cemented himself as an NBA champion in Toronto. It’s safe to say that’s an accolade he most certainly deserves. Gasol has been one of the most consistent centers in the NBA for the past decade, comfortable on both ends of the court.
After moving to the Raptors following his trade in February, Gasol instantly made the team an all-around better unit. Their three-point shooting improved, and the assist numbers went up. Gasol’s passing had a huge effect on the team, as you’d expect with one of the best passing big men of all-time.
More than that, Gasol provided a solid presence in the interior for the Raptors. That was no more evident than in the playoffs, where Gasol went toe-to-toe with the likes Joel Embiid, Nikola Vucevic, and DeMarcus Cousins, often coming out on top.
There were questions around whether Gasol would really be able to move the needle for the Raptors – questions that were soon answered. But now, one season on, we’re wondering if Gasol can have the same sort of impact.
At 34 years old – soon to be 35 – Gasol is in a contract year and looking to prove that he’s still one of the best centers in the NBA. But, there’s a lot of talent at the five spot. Look no further than Joel Embiid, who Gasol will regularly be matching up with this season.
Other than Embiid, there’s more than a handful of centers that are probably better than Gasol right now, but he still cracks the top 10, if only just.
Rank: 9th best
dark. Next. Raptors proved it doesn't need to be title or bust
The rankings probably indicate what we already know, the Raptors are a great team that still have a few question marks and hopefully a few kinks that will be ironed out. Time, as always, will tell all.