Category: In the News

Greivis Vasquez thinks Marc Gasol can become NBA’s best center

After watching Marc Gasol improve last season, Memphis guard Greivis Vasquez believes his teammate can become the NBA’s best center.

And after the first-round series against San Antonio last season, Gregg Popovich and the Spurs probably would agree.

Gasol ripped the Spurs for averages of 14.1 points and 12.3 rebounds in the Grizzlies’ stunning six-game series upset in the first round last season. The 7-foot-1 Spaniard shot 53.3 percent in the series from the field against San Antonio, including 67.6 percent in the four games that the Grizzlies won in the series.

Once the lockout is over, the Grizzlies biggest immediate priority will be to sign Gasol. Greivis calls him “a very key player on our team.”

“He’s one of the best centers in the league and will end up being the best center in the NBA in 2-3 years,” Vasquez told . “He has very good chemistry with Zach Randolph. Besides, Marc is a leader. He didn’t miss a single practice all year long. And that’s commendable. He’s a model to follow. I hope he stays with us for a long time.”

The Grizzlies won their first series in team history last season when they beat the Spurs. And if they can add Gasol to their developing core of players, the Spurs and the rest of the Southwest Division will face an emerging challenge from Coach Lionel Hollins’ team in future seasons.

“Having a center like that on our team is going to give us a lot of hope,” Vasquez said. “You can shoot for the Finals and be the champion. Why not? ”

Their playoff upset over the Spurs may be only the start of the fun in “Grind City.”

Long story short: A buzz cut for Manu

There’s a video up on YouTube – tip of the hat to our friends at Pounding the Rock for pointing us to the video that was posted by one of their contributors – that features some from Argentina’s friendly game against Venezuela as both teams prepare for the FIBA Americas pre-Olympic qualifying tournament.

Two things struck me about the video: First, Manu’s to-the-basket game looks to be in mid-season form; second, he’s getting closer and closer to what some of us call a great haircut.

In short, Manu is rocking a buzz cut. The effect of the cut minimizes that bald spot that has continued to creep in all directions from the crown of the Spurs guard’s head for the last few years.

Having long ago given in to the misfortune of disappearing hairlines and adopted the totally bald look, I heartily endorse Manu’s new cut.

From a basketball standpoint, the video shows that Manu has lost none of his touch off the glass with his left hand and none of the fire that makes him the Spurs’ emotional leader. After one hard foul by a Venezuelan player, he goes nose to nose with him, then has a long discussion with a referee.

Could more of Blair’s ‘Trust Issues’ get owners to end their lockout?

As a singer, Spurs forward DeJuan Blair is a heck of a rebounder.

In a performance that makes Tony Parker’s short-lived career as a French rap artist seem worthy of a Grammy, Blair is spending his time away from basketball this summer working on his rapping/singing.

But after painfully listening to one of his first releases, the 22-year-old Blair might consider talking to Delonte West about working at the Home Depot instead of a follow-up to his latest musical effort.

Blair has released .” It’s a gloomy song riddled with profanity, binge drinking references, racist and sexist remarks (severe warning for extreme profanity) that no Spurs player has ever embraced. It’s a stark contrast from the professionalism we’ve seen from the franchise in the Tim Duncan/David Robinson era.

Maybe Blair is bored. Or maybe he does think he might have a career in music.

But after listening to Blair’s “singing,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s words about him after the season seem especially prescient now.

Blair started quickly last season in his second season with the team , but ballooned to more than 300 pounds midway through the season before he lost some of the weight late in the season by cutting fast food from his diet.

After the season, Popovich challenged Blair again in comments he made to Spurs beat writer Jeff McDonald after the Spurs’ first-round upset series loss to Memphis. Blair failed to play in either of the final two games of the series.

Popovich said that Blair’s career with the team doesn’t depend on “working on his jumper or developing a jump hook. It’s not defense.”

“It’s personal discipline, responsibility and maturity,” Popovich told McDonald. “That will get him to the next level. Short of that, he’ll have a hard time.”

His musical careeer assuredly isn’t a good way to get into Popovich’s good graces or to develop maturity during the lockout.

Trust me about Popovich’s “Trust Issues” on this one.