Toronto Raptors: Stock up and stock down for Game 1

Marc Gasol

It’s imperative to keep in mind that while being in the “stock down” section really is not good, and is an indicator that you didn’t play well, it’s also not to be viewed as an overreaction. Especially after one game; it’s hard not to really word it as otherwise, but sometimes people just play bad.

On Tuesday night, Marc Gasol did not play well. In fact, Marc Gasol reaaally did not play well. Maybe, just maybe, Gasol is still feeling the effects of a longer season than most – with two big parades sandwiched in between.

While I spent my summer making fajitas every night and watching countless episodes of Rick and Morty, Gasol was out winning two championships. He, of course, won the NBA title with the Raptors in June – his first, and the teams first – and only went and added the FIBA World Cup to his ever-growing trophy room. With that honor, Gasol becomes only the second player in history – after Lamar Odom – to win an NBA title and FIBA World Cup in the same season.

So in truth, Gasol didn’t really have much of an offseason, and could still be getting up to game speed. Either way, Tuesday night was not his finest hour. No starter played fewer minutes than Gasol, and his six points on 22-percent shooting were largely ineffective.

The more worrying aspect was just how slow and beleaguered he looked on defense. Gasol looked flat-footed for most of the night, with Josh Hart breezing past him to get to the rim on one such occasion, it wasn’t a good look for the big Spaniard.

It could just be a case of getting back into his rhythm, but at age-34, he could be slowing down. Either way, let’s all agree we should slow down with the post-ups and fadeaways. No need to panic, though.

VERDICT: Stock down