Sport's Reporters Matthew Laurie and Daniel Ford go head to head
Matthew Laurie: Pau Gasol is not among the top 13 players in the NBA. Here are 13 players I would rather start a team with rather than the 7-foot Spaniard (alphabetical order): Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O'Neal, Amare Stoudemire, and Ben Wallace. Two other players that I would have a hard time taking Gasol over are Andrei Kirilenko and Shawn Marion. That's 15 players better than Gasol.
Look no further than the 15-8 record for the Grizzlies over the last 23 games without Gasol. Before his injury Memphis was 21-18 in games Gasol plays at least 25 minutes, although Gasol gets some slack with the coaching change. While Gasol is definitely a force on the offensive end, his defense is somewhat of a liability. He may score 20 but give up 15.
Daniel Ford: This is any easy argument for you to win if you're right, which you are not. I gave you 11 players better than Gasol and challenged you to find two more.
What do I get?
Ben Wallace and Ray Allen.
I can make a strong argument against Allen, but instead I'll focus on Wallace.
I know statistics and facts are something you didn't want to talk about because you have no leg to stand on.
Gasol plays fewer minutes but averages 19 points to Wallace's gaudy 8.9 points per game. Meanwhile, your defensive animal is only grabbing four more rebounds and getting less than one more block a game.
You're trading 10 more points and two more assists per game for four rebounds?
Did I mention Gasol got 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists against Wallace earlier this season?
Jerry West you are not.
You also think Gasol is a defensive liability. I'm not saying he's Ron Artest, but he's not a matador either.
Let's look at how he played against some of the forwards on your list.
Amare Soudemire's averaging 17 points against Gasol, Kevin Garnett's averaging 28 and Dirk Nowitzki's averaging 27 and in four playoff games last season Duncan averaged 24.
None of them scored more than 30 in any game. Gasol is solid on defense.
ML: While you're desper-ately trying to be funny, I'll just run away with the argument right here. Allen is a good defender, shoots 90 percent from the free throw line and 37 percent from three. He's a premier shooting guard in the NBA and the leader of a team with the third best record in the Western Conference.
Besides Wallace winning defensive player of the year twice, he's the second best rebounder in the league and fifth in blocks per game. Oh, I forgot to mention that he anchored the middle for the World Champion Detroit Pistons. And also remember one thing, defense wins championships.
DF: You know as much about basketball as Digger Phelps.Let's pick apart your final argument bit by misguided bit.
You say, "defense wins championships." First of all, that motto began in football, not basketball. Second, the Pistons won because Shaq and Kobe would rather foul each other than play basketball.
You say, "He anchored the middle for the World Champions"- yada, yada, yada.
You know who else anchored some championship teams? Luc Longley. Brian Scalabrine "anchored" the Nets to a couple of NBA Finals.
When I think Longley and Scalabrine, you're right, I think All-Stars.
A case could be made that Wallace is the fifth-best player on his team.
Chauncey Billups won Finals MVP. Rasheed Wallace gave them all their low-post offense. Rip Hamilton led them in scoring and Tayshaun Prince is one of the most clutch players in the NBA.
Pau Gasol is one of the top 13 players in the NBA and would be a four-time All-Star if he played any other position than Western Conference power forward.
End of discussion
