Toronto Raptors: Can Marc Gasol be trusted to stay healthy?

Marc Gasol’s personal quest to stay healthy

Marc Gasol can be trusted to stay healthy through the 2020  NBA Playoff season because he takes care of his physique. At age 35, he is in shape and does the things off-court that keep a player in the mix as a starter even though he may be past his prime.

In a Wall Street Journal article published in 2015 while Gasol was still with the Memphis Grizzlies:

"Most people go to Barcelona, one of the world’s great food cities, and forget their diets. When Marc Gasol, the Memphis Grizzlies star center, was there last summer, he lost 20 pounds. Gasol stopped eating refined sugar and processed foods and cut back carbs and red meat."

While that was five years ago Gasol has a similar attitude now and understands the desire to play has to be balanced with good health. After his physically taxing summer of winning Championships for the Toronto Raptors and his country Spain, Marc Gasol, in late September, sat watching a Raptors training camp workout in Quebec before this season began.

Afterward, Gasol stated two things:

"“I’d love to be back out there.” and “I think you have to trust the medical team,” the Spanish centre said after the NBA champions went through their first training camp workout at the University of Laval. “Obviously as a player, you always want to play (because of) your competitive nature, but you have to protect yourself from yourself a little bit. Let the guys who are professionals make those decisions.”"

Marc Gasol is known as a high IQ player and that translates to picking his spots of when to play vs ego. Considering his latest injury is a recurring left hamstring issue for the second time this season, it would be foolish to ignore it or battle through it. Gasol’s value to the Toronto Raptors is much more integral once the regular-season ends.

At this stage of his career, Gasol is not playing for accolades, statistics or fame. He is on a strong contending team and it’s about winning the prize when it’s all said and done. He knows it and the team knows it. Gasol is taking all the right steps to manage his health to ensure he can do battle in 2020 as the Raptors starting center during the playoffs.