Dame Lizard wrote:Foliohattu wrote:While I mostly agree with you, this isn´t true anymore. Gasol is actually shooting a much higher % and quantity from 3.Yuri Vaultin wrote:
To me he reminds me a lot of Marc Gasol (not because they're white) but due to his passing - Gasol provides more blocks, Jokic more assists, much higher FG percentage and bigger shooting range.
I agree with you, the similarities with Gasol are strong.
Gasol is the better defensive player, whilst I'm almost certain that Jokic will be the better offensive player (playmaker and scorer), if he isn't already (that's not an insult on Gasol by any means).
Both players have absolutely incredible footwork and spin moves, given how unathletic they are for NBA players.
A 24 years old rookie Marc Gasol wasn't a great defender.
This article on draftexpress:
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Marc-Gasol-155/
Part Five: Defense
Then (before enter NBA):
"He wasn't really a go-to guy for Girona on the offensive end (mainly because of Real Madrid’s double-teaming defense), but especially he doesn't make a great impact on the defensive end. His limited mobility gets exploited in pick-and-roll situations that the opponents throw at him; he's not a great intimidator, he allows smaller opponents to shoot over him; and given his superb size, he's not the best rebounder around."
-Scouting the NBA Rights-Held Players at the 2008 Copa del Rey - 2/19/08
Now (rookie year):
Much of what we documented about Gasol during his European career has held true during his rookie season in the NBA. Given his lack of vertical explosiveness and lateral quickness, he actually creates a surprising number of defensive turnovers (1.0 STLPG, 1.5 BLKPG); however, he still struggles whenever forced to guard perimeter oriented big men or the pick-and-roll. When guarding ball screens, the Grizzlies seem to hedge most frequently, which often results in Gasol getting caught outside of the three point arc and failing to rotate successfully back to his man. Gasol must improve upon his conditioning to improve his lateral quickness and pick-and-roll defense to avoid becoming a defensive liability moving forward. If he fails in this department and/or the Grizzlies don't improve their interior defense this offseason by surrounding him with more talent, we can expect to see Memphis continue their defensive struggles through another season.
In instances where Gasol is defending the interior, he holds his ground well, although he rarely makes highlight-reel defensive stops. Since he's a step slow, he's a victim of quick-footed bigs possessing great wheel or seal moves which pin him on the backside of the offensive player. And although he'll never really be the type of intimidating, explosive defender the Grizzlies desperately need, Gasol still shows good fundamentals to counter the offensive skill sets of more talented NBA players and keep them out of the lane.
Help side defense is the area in which Gasol must improve his defensive game the most. As we previously wrote, he often allows smaller defenders to shoot over him and lacks lateral quickness - both of which usually equate to subpar defense. Gasol also tends to play lackadaisically off the ball, rarely knocking down cutters and looking to aggressively box out on when shots goo up. If he improves on his work ethic and hustle, we should see him develop into a respectable NBA defender - particularly if he increases his tenacity against more athletic players. Being a member of a struggling defensive system like Memphis' certainly hurts Gasol's numbers, but the addition of another interior presence this offseason should help the team's defensive play.
Hard to imagine in this scouting a future DPOY.
I think a 21 years old Jokic can improve a lot on the defensive side.
It is what it is, many scouts and GMs still automatically assume that a white European player is a terrible defender. They could be an Olajuwon-Pippen mix, and they would still probably peg them down as bad defenders.
