Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: Memphis’ Pau Gasol, Eric Hasseltine
December 22, 2006
Hornets.com and Hoop magazine writer Jim Eichenhofer chatted with Memphis center Pau Gasol and radio play-by-play broadcaster Eric Hasseltine prior to Friday’s game at the Ford Center.
Gasol was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game in 2006, becoming the first player in Grizzlies franchise history to appear in the midseason showcase. The sixth-year player is a native of Spain and the greatest hoops player in that nation’s history.
Hasseltine is in his sixth season as a Memphis broadcaster after working previously for the Sacramento Kings.
Memphis center Pau Gasol
Q: After returning from the broken foot you sustained during the 2006 World Championships, your minutes have been limited as you are transitioned back into the lineup. How close are you to being 100 percent right now?
A: I’d guess I’m about a week or two away from that, something in that range. It’s going to take a little while for me to back at 100 percent.
Q: Prior to you coming to the NBA in 2001, there were no players from Spain in the league. Now there are a handful, including Portland’s Sergio Rodriguez and Toronto’s Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa. How do you explain the recent influx of Spanish players?
A: The NBA is opening its doors internationally. They’re looking at a lot of other countries, and checking out different players. They are realizing that the talent is out there. Every time a player comes here, it gives confidence and hope in other players from that country, that they can make it, too.
Q: Do you feel like you did that for Spain?
A: Probably, a little bit. But each player, with their success (after Gasol’s), has opened doors for other guys. There are a lot of international guys who are dreaming of playing in this league or wishing that they will get the chance to do it.
Q: Your Spanish team won the gold medal at the World Championships despite you missing the title game due to your broken foot. Was that bittersweet for you, to see Spain win the gold, but not be out on the court for the championship game?
A: A little bit. It was kind of a mixture of (positive and negative). But it was fun to be able to enjoy the game and see my team play the way they did, and win the gold medal. It was hard for me before the game started, because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to help my team, and I didn’t know what was going to happen in the game. But they played so well and with so much heart and passion, that they didn’t need me out there.
Q: Were you surprised that the U.S. lost in the semifinals to Greece, the team Spain beat in the championship game without you?
A: Maybe a little. But Greece played so well in that particular game. They played extremely well, and the U.S. just couldn’t beat them (in that game).
Q: Switching to the Grizzlies, as a team, what are you hoping to accomplish over the rest of this season? Obviously most people believe that playoff contention is unrealistic given the Grizzlies’ start to this season.
A: Right now we’re just trying to get a little winning streak going. We want to change around our mentality or mood. When you lose, it’s really contagious, and you might (drop) your head. That’s something that can’t happen. Hopefully we’ll get this turned around and get some wins, and get some positive (feelings) around us.
Q: What is your impression of Chris Paul after playing against him four times last season and seeing him compete at the World Championships?
A: He’s a really talented point guard with a lot of heart. He carries himself very well and does a great job for his team. He contributes in so many ways. It’s really admirable.
Memphis broadcaster Eric Hasseltine
Q: What is your assessment of how the Grizzlies played without Pau Gasol over the first 22 games of the season?
A: I was a little surprised because I guess I, like everyone else, underestimated the value of Pau Gasol to this team. I’d seen the Grizzlies play without him in the past, and they’d done pretty well. A couple seasons ago when Pau got hurt, Brian Cardinal stepped in and did very well, for example, and they were able to continue their run to the postseason that year without Pau. I expected them to be a little bit better without him, but as the games wore on, you started to realize how much they missed him. Defensively, helping out (is a Gasol strength). More importantly, on offense, being an All-Star and focal point of opponents’ strategy is critical.
You know, he’s not a Tim Duncan or a Dirk Nowitzki-type superstar, but he’s the best the Grizzlies have got. Defenses are going to collapse on him, and that left a lot of open shots on the perimeter for (Mike) Miller, (Chucky) Atkins and (Damon) Stoudamire. Those weren’t there anymore when he was out.
Q: Now that Pau is back, what is the goal for the rest of the season? Most people believe that the Grizzlies have dug such a big hole, it will be tough to get back into playoff contention.
A: I think right now the guys feel that they are better than a 6-20 team. They proved that Wednesday against San Antonio, when they took a lead late in the fourth quarter. They feel like if they can put together a couple of good four- or five-game win streaks, they can get right back near that .500 mark.
Q: What is your impression of first-round pick Rudy Gay so far? In terms of potential, many general managers had him in their top five among 2006 draftees.
A: He’s definitely got the potential to be a stud. He is absolutely amazing to watch in how gifted he is, his athleticism and how smoothly he plays the game. He’s getting to the point where it is becoming instinct for him to go at the basket. There are still times when he gets a little hesitant, or when he gets caught up in overthinking. I don’t know that there are many guys in the league who can stop him one-on-one. His development is coming along and his jump shot is improving. His shooting percentage doesn’t reflect that right now, but it had dipped down into the low 30s and now he’s approaching 40 percent.
The next step for him is to be more consistent with his play. When he does that, he’s going to be a star in this league. I think with the minutes he’s going to get the rest of this season, he could legitimately be the Rookie of the Year.
Q: Even before Pau was injured, when the Grizzlies made the Gay-for-Shane Battier trade on draft day, did you look at this like it might be a rebuilding season?
A: Not necessarily. I think there was a demand from the fans to get more athletic and get more youth in the lineup. They wanted a team that could get up and down the floor. Fans vote with their pocketbooks, and after a 45-win season in the first year at FedEx Forum, the Grizzlies won 49 the second year, but attendance dropped by almost 1,500 per game. Fans were saying basically that they wanted to see a more entertaining and exciting style of play. To do that, the Grizzlies had to make some changes.
As good a player as Shane Battier was, and as much as a face as he was in the community, he wasn’t being utilized offensively the way you can use a Rudy Gay. Now, defensively, Shane was invaluable to the team. It was a hard decision, but you got a guy who you believe can be a star in this league for the next five or seven years in Gay, and he’s not even 21 years old yet. I don’t think it was a sign that they were giving up on the season. If Pau Gasol had been healthy, this would be a much different basketball team. Now would it be a 50-win team? Maybe not. But I would feel safe saying they’re a 45- or 46-win team if he plays the whole season.
Q: Did you anticipate the kind of progress Hakim Warrick has made early this season? He appears to be one of the NBA’s most improved players.
A: I didn’t. I saw him in the summer league and knew he was better, but the range on his jump shot has increased amazingly. He’s very confident shooting a 20-foot shot now without hesitation… He’s getting more aggressive and has been more active. When he wants to go to the basket, there are not a lot of power forwards who can stop him one-on-one, because he’s so long and so quick.
His problem is at the defensive end. Having played zone defense almost exclusively at Syracuse, and not seeing much action last year as a rookie, now he has to go up against some of the best players in the league at that spot, guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph. He’s also got to bulk up a little bit, but it’s almost impossible to put on weight during the season because there are so many games. In the offseason, he will probably try to put on about 10 to 15 pounds and get stronger. But yes, I’m surprised that he’s averaging about 15 points a game.
Q: What was your opinion of what the Hornets did in the offseason? Given a healthy team, did you expect them to be in the playoffs?
A: Oh yeah. I thought after the mainstays in the West like Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix and Denver, the Hornets would be in the next group of about six teams fighting for the last four playoff spots.
As much as I love PJ Brown as a person and a player, he’s long in the tooth and is coming toward the end of his career. It was a plus for them to get a much younger guy like Tyson Chandler to fill basically the same role (as Brown). He may not be as polished offensively as Brown, but rebounding and defensively, he’s a little bit better.
I thought David West was robbed of the Most Improved Player award last year, even though I realize that Boris Diaw was a great story in Phoenix. But you’re talking about a guy who basically sat the bench for two years, then became a 20-point scorer. Losing him really hurts, and now you have to fill in with youth at that spot.
I like their draft picks, Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons. Based on what I saw during their college careers, they are similar players but different in some ways. Simmons is more polished offensively, while Armstrong is more of a defensive guy and rebounder. The thing is, Tyson Chandler is not a guy who is going to play 38 minutes a game, so you have spots to fill in and minutes for them.
I think Byron Scott at times seems to be one of the most unlucky guys I’ve ever been around. He went through the situation in New Jersey where guys weren’t happy, even though they had just won two straight conference championships. Then he takes over a Hornets team that knew it was going to struggle; and then they trade their star player at the time (Baron Davis). This year he’s got everything in place to have a solid team, but three of his top guys go down with injuries. That’s tough.
But he’s a great coach and a great guy to work with young guys. I couldn’t be happier that he’s gotten another opportunity. I think if the Hornets can hang around the .500 mark, when Peja and those guys come back, this team can compete for the seventh or eighth (playoff) spot.
Hornets.com and Hoop magazine writer Jim Eichenhofer chatted with Memphis center Pau Gasol and radio play-by-play broadcaster Eric Hasseltine prior to Friday’s game at the Ford Center.
Gasol was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game in 2006, becoming the first player in Grizzlies franchise history to appear in the midseason showcase. The sixth-year player is a native of Spain and the greatest hoops player in that nation’s history.
Hasseltine is in his sixth season as a Memphis broadcaster after working previously for the Sacramento Kings.
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Q: After returning from the broken foot you sustained during the 2006 World Championships, your minutes have been limited as you are transitioned back into the lineup. How close are you to being 100 percent right now?
A: I’d guess I’m about a week or two away from that, something in that range. It’s going to take a little while for me to back at 100 percent.
Q: Prior to you coming to the NBA in 2001, there were no players from Spain in the league. Now there are a handful, including Portland’s Sergio Rodriguez and Toronto’s Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa. How do you explain the recent influx of Spanish players?
A: The NBA is opening its doors internationally. They’re looking at a lot of other countries, and checking out different players. They are realizing that the talent is out there. Every time a player comes here, it gives confidence and hope in other players from that country, that they can make it, too.
Q: Do you feel like you did that for Spain?
A: Probably, a little bit. But each player, with their success (after Gasol’s), has opened doors for other guys. There are a lot of international guys who are dreaming of playing in this league or wishing that they will get the chance to do it.
Q: Your Spanish team won the gold medal at the World Championships despite you missing the title game due to your broken foot. Was that bittersweet for you, to see Spain win the gold, but not be out on the court for the championship game?
A: A little bit. It was kind of a mixture of (positive and negative). But it was fun to be able to enjoy the game and see my team play the way they did, and win the gold medal. It was hard for me before the game started, because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to help my team, and I didn’t know what was going to happen in the game. But they played so well and with so much heart and passion, that they didn’t need me out there.
Q: Were you surprised that the U.S. lost in the semifinals to Greece, the team Spain beat in the championship game without you?
A: Maybe a little. But Greece played so well in that particular game. They played extremely well, and the U.S. just couldn’t beat them (in that game).
Q: Switching to the Grizzlies, as a team, what are you hoping to accomplish over the rest of this season? Obviously most people believe that playoff contention is unrealistic given the Grizzlies’ start to this season.
A: Right now we’re just trying to get a little winning streak going. We want to change around our mentality or mood. When you lose, it’s really contagious, and you might (drop) your head. That’s something that can’t happen. Hopefully we’ll get this turned around and get some wins, and get some positive (feelings) around us.
Q: What is your impression of Chris Paul after playing against him four times last season and seeing him compete at the World Championships?
A: He’s a really talented point guard with a lot of heart. He carries himself very well and does a great job for his team. He contributes in so many ways. It’s really admirable.
|
Q: What is your assessment of how the Grizzlies played without Pau Gasol over the first 22 games of the season?
A: I was a little surprised because I guess I, like everyone else, underestimated the value of Pau Gasol to this team. I’d seen the Grizzlies play without him in the past, and they’d done pretty well. A couple seasons ago when Pau got hurt, Brian Cardinal stepped in and did very well, for example, and they were able to continue their run to the postseason that year without Pau. I expected them to be a little bit better without him, but as the games wore on, you started to realize how much they missed him. Defensively, helping out (is a Gasol strength). More importantly, on offense, being an All-Star and focal point of opponents’ strategy is critical.
You know, he’s not a Tim Duncan or a Dirk Nowitzki-type superstar, but he’s the best the Grizzlies have got. Defenses are going to collapse on him, and that left a lot of open shots on the perimeter for (Mike) Miller, (Chucky) Atkins and (Damon) Stoudamire. Those weren’t there anymore when he was out.
Q: Now that Pau is back, what is the goal for the rest of the season? Most people believe that the Grizzlies have dug such a big hole, it will be tough to get back into playoff contention.
A: I think right now the guys feel that they are better than a 6-20 team. They proved that Wednesday against San Antonio, when they took a lead late in the fourth quarter. They feel like if they can put together a couple of good four- or five-game win streaks, they can get right back near that .500 mark.
Q: What is your impression of first-round pick Rudy Gay so far? In terms of potential, many general managers had him in their top five among 2006 draftees.
A: He’s definitely got the potential to be a stud. He is absolutely amazing to watch in how gifted he is, his athleticism and how smoothly he plays the game. He’s getting to the point where it is becoming instinct for him to go at the basket. There are still times when he gets a little hesitant, or when he gets caught up in overthinking. I don’t know that there are many guys in the league who can stop him one-on-one. His development is coming along and his jump shot is improving. His shooting percentage doesn’t reflect that right now, but it had dipped down into the low 30s and now he’s approaching 40 percent.
The next step for him is to be more consistent with his play. When he does that, he’s going to be a star in this league. I think with the minutes he’s going to get the rest of this season, he could legitimately be the Rookie of the Year.
Q: Even before Pau was injured, when the Grizzlies made the Gay-for-Shane Battier trade on draft day, did you look at this like it might be a rebuilding season?
A: Not necessarily. I think there was a demand from the fans to get more athletic and get more youth in the lineup. They wanted a team that could get up and down the floor. Fans vote with their pocketbooks, and after a 45-win season in the first year at FedEx Forum, the Grizzlies won 49 the second year, but attendance dropped by almost 1,500 per game. Fans were saying basically that they wanted to see a more entertaining and exciting style of play. To do that, the Grizzlies had to make some changes.
As good a player as Shane Battier was, and as much as a face as he was in the community, he wasn’t being utilized offensively the way you can use a Rudy Gay. Now, defensively, Shane was invaluable to the team. It was a hard decision, but you got a guy who you believe can be a star in this league for the next five or seven years in Gay, and he’s not even 21 years old yet. I don’t think it was a sign that they were giving up on the season. If Pau Gasol had been healthy, this would be a much different basketball team. Now would it be a 50-win team? Maybe not. But I would feel safe saying they’re a 45- or 46-win team if he plays the whole season.
Q: Did you anticipate the kind of progress Hakim Warrick has made early this season? He appears to be one of the NBA’s most improved players.
A: I didn’t. I saw him in the summer league and knew he was better, but the range on his jump shot has increased amazingly. He’s very confident shooting a 20-foot shot now without hesitation… He’s getting more aggressive and has been more active. When he wants to go to the basket, there are not a lot of power forwards who can stop him one-on-one, because he’s so long and so quick.
His problem is at the defensive end. Having played zone defense almost exclusively at Syracuse, and not seeing much action last year as a rookie, now he has to go up against some of the best players in the league at that spot, guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph. He’s also got to bulk up a little bit, but it’s almost impossible to put on weight during the season because there are so many games. In the offseason, he will probably try to put on about 10 to 15 pounds and get stronger. But yes, I’m surprised that he’s averaging about 15 points a game.
Q: What was your opinion of what the Hornets did in the offseason? Given a healthy team, did you expect them to be in the playoffs?
A: Oh yeah. I thought after the mainstays in the West like Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix and Denver, the Hornets would be in the next group of about six teams fighting for the last four playoff spots.
As much as I love PJ Brown as a person and a player, he’s long in the tooth and is coming toward the end of his career. It was a plus for them to get a much younger guy like Tyson Chandler to fill basically the same role (as Brown). He may not be as polished offensively as Brown, but rebounding and defensively, he’s a little bit better.
I thought David West was robbed of the Most Improved Player award last year, even though I realize that Boris Diaw was a great story in Phoenix. But you’re talking about a guy who basically sat the bench for two years, then became a 20-point scorer. Losing him really hurts, and now you have to fill in with youth at that spot.
I like their draft picks, Hilton Armstrong and Cedric Simmons. Based on what I saw during their college careers, they are similar players but different in some ways. Simmons is more polished offensively, while Armstrong is more of a defensive guy and rebounder. The thing is, Tyson Chandler is not a guy who is going to play 38 minutes a game, so you have spots to fill in and minutes for them.
I think Byron Scott at times seems to be one of the most unlucky guys I’ve ever been around. He went through the situation in New Jersey where guys weren’t happy, even though they had just won two straight conference championships. Then he takes over a Hornets team that knew it was going to struggle; and then they trade their star player at the time (Baron Davis). This year he’s got everything in place to have a solid team, but three of his top guys go down with injuries. That’s tough.
But he’s a great coach and a great guy to work with young guys. I couldn’t be happier that he’s gotten another opportunity. I think if the Hornets can hang around the .500 mark, when Peja and those guys come back, this team can compete for the seventh or eighth (playoff) spot.
