Memphis, Tenn. – If Memphis rappers Three 6 Mafia can win an Oscar for singing a song about it being hard for a pimp, Memphis Grizzlies all-star forward Pau Gasol can be optimistic NBA fans could someday notice him, too. But as of right now it’s hard out there for Gasol.
“People in the know know what he can do,” Grizzlies forward Shane Battier said. “I don’t know if the casual fan appreciates what he does. We’re not on national television a whole lot.
“He was sick during the all-star break. (Fans) were probably saying, ‘Who is this Gasol guy?’ But people who really follow the NBA know guys like him.”
The 7-foot Spaniard ranked high in numerous categories this past season. The third overall pick in the 2001 draft averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots in leading Memphis to 49 wins. While fans of Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony felt Gasol took their guy’s all-star spot, Gasol became the first Memphis player to be named an all-star.
Being chosen to the all-star team helped Gasol’s profile, at least a little bit. But playing in a small market and being an international player also made him the least known and least appreciated all-star.
“I feel like an all-star more on the court than off the court,” Gasol said. “People really respect my game. But it’s not like I’m getting a lot of attention.
“I guess I’m going to have to keep earning it like (Dallas’) Dirk (Nowitzki) has. Other international guys have done it. You don’t see many of us in commercials. (Houston) Yao (Ming) does a lot in China and Asia. It’s just the way it is. You can’t claim that attention when you’ve got guys marketing-wise that are much more attractive to Americans publicly.”
But there is one way Gasol can get noticed: Help his team win in the playoffs.
The Grizzlies have been to the playoffs the past two years but have yet to win a game. They will need to pull off an upset of Dallas to get any national recognition.
“You want to be a contender or a team that people are afraid of?” Gasol said. “You’ve got to do it in the playoffs. That’s show time. That’s crunch time.”
And if the Grizzlies are going to do it, Gasol has to get them there. While that’s a lot of pressure to put on a 25-year-old, Gasol can handle it. He has faced more pressure as the focal point of Spain’s national basketball team.
“There is always going to be a little bit more pressure on the guy that gets paid the most,” Gasol said. “I do have a lot of responsibility because a lot of things go through my hands and there are a lot of expectations, just like any other main guy on any other team.”
Footnotes
Word is some Nuggets players asked coach George Karl if they could practice for two days in Las Vegas instead of Seattle in preparation for their first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Request denied. … One example of how Los Angeles is still a Lakers town. The No. 8 bus in Santa Monica, Calif., had a scroll that read “Go Lakers” on it Thursday. No mention of the Clippers. … In the Nuggets’ quest for a shooting guard this offseason, keep an eye on Sacramento free agent Bonzi Wells. The 6-5, 210-pounder averaged 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds this season and could be signed by using a midlevel exception. Wells has ties to Nuggets assistants Tim Grgurich and John Welch and assistant general manager Mark Warkentien. “I haven’t even thought about it, to tell you the truth, not to the extent where I’m worried about it,” Wells said about free agency. … The NBA predraft camp in Orlando, Fla., will soon send alternate letters to college seniors. Once it becomes clearer which underclassmen will apply for early entry into the draft, the list will be finalized and official invitations will be sent. University of Denver center Yemi Nicholson and Wyoming center Justin Williams are expected to get invitations after both showed well at the recent Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational Tournament. It’s uncertain UNLV forward Louis Amundson, a Boulder native, will be invited. While the NBA predraft camp committee won’t discuss underclassmen until the list is official May 4, Colorado sophomore guard Richard Roby will get serious consideration. … California sophomore forward Leon Powe entered the draft last week but kept his options open by not hiring an agent. Powe is listed at 6-8 but scouts are skeptical he is that big. … Word is Atlanta Hawks assistant Herb Brown is in negotiations to coach Uruguay’s national team this summer. Hawks forward-center Esteban Batista, a native of Uruguay, recommended Brown. … The NBADL Colorado 14ers could learn this week which team besides the Nuggets they will be affiliated with. It won’t be the Utah Jazz, which will partner with NBADL Idaho, but likely a Western region team. … When asked what the Seattle SuperSonics need to do this offseason, their star guard Ray Allen said, “Sign Chris Wilcox.”
Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com. Spears can be heard talking about NBA on Thursdays at 4 p.m. on ESPN 560 AM.
