Toronto Raptors: Can Marc Gasol be trusted to stay healthy?
By Jason Mills
Marc Gasol has been through the NBA grind for 13 years
The Toronto Raptors can trust Marc Gasol to stay healthy through the playoffs. He has been banging his near seven-foot and 255-pound frame against NBA competition for 13 years. He started his career with Memphis in 2008 and has played in 830 NBA regular-season games. It has all added up to 27,539 minutes of playing time.
He has also played in 83 playoff games including the 24 the Raptors needed to secure the Larry O’Brien Trophy last season.
When you add up his multiple appearances for his home country Spain, including helping them win a FIBA World Cup of Basketball just months after the Raptors won the NBA title in 2019, Marc Gasol has played his fair share of basketball.
He has missed games along the way but has avoided any major injury or becoming known as injury-prone. At age 35, Gasol has likely learned a thing or two about caring for his body and staying fit. It’s unlikely he would have survived over 800 NBA games if he didn’t.
A hamstring injury can become a problem and this is Gasol’s second stint away from the roster because of it. While that is worrisome for the Raptors’ fanbase, Marc Gasol has not been ruled out for the remainder of the season. His true value to the club is measured once the postseason begins and he appears on track for that to happen.