Gasol ...

["Jaims" <jaims@info.com.ph>]

Pau Gasol Draft Capsule

Pau Gasol, 7-0, 227, Spain ==========================

OVERVIEW: Gasol was a key component as Spain captured the gold medal at the
1999 World Junior Championships. Also a member of Spain's 1998 gold-medal
winning team at European Junior Championships. Averaged 19.5 points and six
rebounds for FC Barcelona last season, shooting 69.3 percent for the field.
Won the 1998-99 Spanish National Championship with FC Barcelona. Has been a
member of the Spanish Junior National Team. As a 19-year-old, averaged 4.2
points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.8 minutes. MVP of the Spanish National Cup.

LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: Picks 3-10. Gasol has a complicated contract
situation, so some clubs may be hesitant to select him. He may spend the
next year continuing to play in Spain if he is not selected high enough.
Clubs interested are Atlanta (3), Chicago (4), Golden State (5), Vancouver
(6), New Jersey (7), Cleveland (8), Detroit (9), and Boston (10).

RIVALED BY: Tyson Chandler
COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Toni Kukoc
COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: Jonathan Bender
ROLE PROJECTION: Reserve. Future starter.

POSITIVES: Not many 7-footers are pure small forwards, it just doesn't
happen that often. In Europe, everybody learns how to play the entire game
of basketball. That means big men are taught the same things that guards
are -- passing, shooting, dribbling. Such is the reason why freakishly big
perimeter players like Gasol more often than not hail from Europe. Gasol is
truly more of a natural backcourt player than a frontcourt one. His
extra-slim physique lends itself to good speed and he is an outstanding
ballhandler. He still needs to improve his 1-on-1 moves but should be able
to create his own shot at the NBA level without much trouble. Gasol causes
consistent matchup problems because of his size and inside-outside ability.
Once he fills out, he'll be usable at four positions on the floor.

SHORTCOMINGS: While Gasol is reputed as a rarity, there have been many
forgettable tall shooters who have come into the league. The combination of
size and 3-point prowess isn't an automatic formula for success. Finding the
next great European perimeter presence is the vogue thing nowadays for NBA
clubs but for every Dirk Nowitizki, Toni Kukoc, Detlef Schrempf or Peja
Stojakovic, there are triple that number who fail, and frankly, waste costly
draft picks. One has to wonder if the European phenomenon is pushing
prospects up in the draft who would otherwise go later had they played their
pre-NBA ball in the more physical NCAA.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: "He's probably the most talented player in this
draft -- and I mean the most. A 7-footer with that skill, you don't find
anywhere in the world; he just happened to be born in Spain instead of the
United States." - NBA international scout Jason Philippi