By the way, I have Polish friends and can speak it. It doesn't make me an expert on kielbasa.
Do you really believe that I have to read spanish news papers and talk to spanish people that watch the games to judge talent? God, how did we ever do it before? We must have depended on people from the country of origin for their analysis. Gasol is very good, not great. Kobe makes all his teammates better.
The fact you would take Thabeet after Griffin says all I need to know about your bball sense.
Speaking Spanish, as well as Italian, allows me, as it could you, if you were able to speak one of these, to communicate with followers of various foreign leagues, so as to find out what their (more informed) take on a player happens to be, since they're going to know more about league dynamics and players than someone who watches mostly NBA games. It also allows me to understand what is being said, about performances, player trends, etc., when watching games, which is usually valuable.
You compared that to your knowledge of Polish sausage, and that's just outlandish and ludicrous. Surely, the opinions of Spaniards, in newspapers, other media and on the web, are more important than yours, which, from what you've said, are based on youtube mixes. I've actually watched Rubio play in the ACB, on numerous occasions, not just on youtube.
As for Gasol, I don't even know why you're bringing the guy up, but he's clearly a great player, not just a good one, which he has proven, time and again, even before ever playing with Kobe: leading Spain to an Olympic silver medal, as well as a gold medal in the world championships, winning rookie of year, making two all-star appearances, winning FIBA MVP in '06, leading a crappy team: the Griz, to 50 wins and to their three consecutive, and only ever, playoff appearances, and giving Kobe the help he needed to make the Lakers a contender, last year and this year, after years of Laker underachievement: the math is there, Lakers, before Gasol, were perennial first round victims. After Gasol, they're contenders.
Furthermore, all of the NBA analysts, who talked about the Jazz-Lakers series, today, said, as they have for a while, that he's a "superstar," a "great player," and Magic Johnson, when asked why he was "such a great" player, specifically said that he "possibly has the highest basketball IQ in the NBA" and has the "best feel for the game on the Lakers." I'll take his, and their, opinion on Gasol, over your uninformed opinion. You think like Isiah, instead of like me, which is why we didn't make a move for Gasol, as we should have, Isiah probably doubted this guy, who would have finally made us legit. And, later, we failed to move to acquire Lopez, in part as the result of Isiah's recommendation. You actually support that, because you love Gallinari. In short, I think you're the last type of mind that should be talking or listened to, when it comes to male sports.
Gasol currently averages 18.9 ppg, 9.7 rebounds, 56% from the field, 3.5 Assists, 1 block per game and has 24.93 EFF: one of the highest EFFs in the league. Kobe, himself, said that Gasol is one of the greatest in the world, same as Odom, the very blunt Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher and Vujacic. They all said, upon acquiring him, that people did not know just how good he is. His career numbers are basically the same, despite most of his career having taken place in Memphis. He's definitely a top five power forward/center.
And if Kobe is making him better, which is untrue: his career numbers are the same as his current ones, after 8 years in the league, then Kobe should have made his team better, for those three losing seasons where he was without him. He should have turned Luke Walton into Gasol. He didn't, because he couldn't. But I suppose you think David Lee's a great player. Please, your insight is a joke, save it for someone ignorant to break down to. I actually have real knowledge of college, NBA and international basketball, from actually watching games intelligently.
As for Blake Griffin, every reputable source has him projected at number 1. No one has Thabeet as the number one pick, because he lacks the offensive skills that Griffin holds. So... Alf, I think your analysis speaks for itself, as faulty and flamish. Get off my magic stick. >FLICK<