Marc Gasol and Tim Duncan in a big man duel for the ages

For the last decade, there has been a perpetual bemoaning for the good old days of yesteryear when big men were big men. There are a few reasons why I find that line of thinking spurious, one being that we always view the players of the past with nostalgia and lionize them more and more as time passes. Secondly, the overall standard of play of the league has gone up with time and it’s a stretch to say that players have regressed. Thirdly, the perceived toughness factor cannot be showed off as much these days. Remember Reggie Miller miming a force choke to Spike Lee? Think we can see that today? Perhaps one response to a particularly vexing heckler may be overlooked. While one can argue that there are glaring differences between a choke gesture and a throat slicing gesture, Kevin Durant would sneer at the distinction though.

We may deny it, but on some level we equate toughness with willingness to cross the line and send messages with fists and bumps and bruises. In today’s league, that can result in swift repercussions as Durant learnt to his cost. Some preconceptions make us think that the days of great big men have passed us by and Dwight Howard is often referred to as the Last Dominant Center. But as the Western Conference Finals are showing us, there are two other big men in the league who are a throwback to the old days. These two players are among the best at their position and this year both of them had outstanding seasons. And now they will face each other in a duel for the ages.

When you think of Tim Duncan, you think of a robot. There are few big men in the league who are as technically sound as Duncan is, on both ends of the floor. Some may worry that he is getting on in age, but that hasn’t resulted in decreased production. He had his best season in three years this season. That speaks volumes about how cerebral his game is and how well he blends into the Spurs system. For the Grizzles, Marc Gasol anchors the best defense in the league and is probably the most potent offensive center in the game. The high low combo he has going with Zach Randolph can overpower any frontline in the game and force them into submission. Randolph was averaging over 19 points per game in the playoffs and that is thanks in no small part to the tandem he has established with Gasol. Not to take anything away from Randolph, but the ability of Gasol to splash in twenty footers helps create a world of space down low for Randolph to operate in.

I jeered and booed Gasol when he was helping the Grizzles demolish the Clippers. I viewed him with a hate coloured perspective. Watching him storm the Thunder with an unbiased look let me appreciate his diverse skill set. It wasn’t very long ago that the younger Gasol brother was in the shadow of his sibling, Pau. Then Marc established himself as being the more dominant defensive force, to the point of winning the defensive player of the year award this season. Now, as Pau is underutilized with the Lakers, Marc has at least established himself at part with Pau, even if he has not eclipsed him just yet. He rarely took over 15 shots per game in the regular season but come playoff time you can really see his versatility on display. There were even theories that Rudy Gay was traded to make more room and more shots for Gasol. In the playoffs, he is averaging 18 points per game with 7.8 rebounds. In the regular season, he was averaging 14.1 points with 7.8 rebounds. His assists per game has dropped in the playoffs to 2.8 from 4.0 in the regular season but nobody keeps track of hockey assists, where a pass leads to another pass which becomes an assist. If they did, then Gasol’s numbers would be even higher. Playmaking is not the exclusive domain of guards. Big men like Duncan and Gasol can really pick defenses apart with their laser sharp passes. Cerebral heads perched seven feet high have a unique perspective on the floor and these two are among the best playmaking big men in the league. Duncan averaged 3.1 assists per game with 17.8 points and 9.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in the regular season. Come playoff time, he is averaging 17.5 points with 9.3 rebounds, but his assists and blocks have gone down to 1.9 and 1.3.

The Spurs-Grizzlies series has the makings of a classic. Two defensive minded teams without a go to superstar, instead they have a bunch of players who can take over at anytime. What they do have are two big men who are looking to power their teams to the Finals. The Spurs blitzed the Grizzlies 105-83 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, now the Grizzlies will look to bounce back tomorrow. The match will be shown live on Sony Six on 22 May at 6:30 AM.