Navarro and the Grizzlies

[Picek]

Navarro with his NBA career high 28 points on 10 of 14 shooting in 38 minutes..
he was a starter again..
Memphis won against the Wizards..

[Neozyrus]

Yeah, he's showing to NBA players how to score a lot without shooting 25 shots per game

By the way great game by Gasol too ( 21 points and 9 rebounds )

[ajaxballer]

I really hope Navarro can blossom in the NBA, hes always been
one of my favorite European players.

[mvblair]

Running Jumper
Gay & Navarro
Splitting the defense

Memphis -- by WOODY BAIRD, AP, November 25, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Juan Carlos Navarro and Rudy Gay provided more than enough offense to help the Grizzlies overcome Antawn Jamison's 41 points.

Navarro scored 28 points and Gay added 27, and Memphis handed the Washington Wizards a 124-118 loss Saturday night.

Jamison finished with a season high for points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards, who lost their second straight following six straight victories.

"We still had an opportunity, a chance to crack into the game ... but we just fell a little short," said Caron Butler, who had 27 points for Washington.

Navarro matched his career high for scoring, while Gay hit 11 of 19 shots from the field after going 12-of-41 in the previous four games.

Navarro was picked by Washington in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft but spent his career overseas before the Grizzlies traded a future first-round pick for the rights to him this year.

"I was really looking forward to doing well and playing well against the team that drafted me," Navarro said. "I was really looking forward to this game."

Butler said the Wizards' weakness on defense helped Navarro with his 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.

"He's one of those guys if he gets his feet set, you can pretty much count it," Butler said....

Washington is kicking themselves for trading Navarro.

[Neozyrus]

Monster game of both spaniards in the victory of Memphis last night.

Navarro (a starter again) did a pretty good game last night specially in the most decisive moments of the last quarter. Although he hadnt a good day in the shooting aspect, he was quite good in the defensive one and in the direction of the tem. He ended with a double-double: 16 points (1/4 2p, 3/8 3p, 5/6 1p), 11 rebounds, 4 assists.

Gasol was again the best weapon of Memphis. He did 22 points (9/15 2p, 4/4 1p), 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

[mvblair]

Zyrus, that great game the other night was followed by a bad loss to Toronto. Navarro had 15 points (6-14) in 37 minutes, which is relatively bad for what we expect from him now. ...and by that logic, Gasol was awful, scoring 13 points and 7 rebounds.

Calderon played well.

[ziv]

i'm curious, do you happen to know how well the spaniards get along with latin-american (non spaniard) crowd? is there any special connection? spanish interviews perhaps, speical visits to latin-american communities anything? the nba sure knows to make the best out of his advantages and this seems like a nice marketing option (along with other things - Navarro, always known for his poor english might find it much easier to communicate with spanish speakrs).

[Neozyrus]

Zyrus, that great game the other night was followed by a bad loss to Toronto. Navarro had 15 points (6-14) in 37 minutes, which is relatively bad for what we expect from him now. ...and by that logic, Gasol was awful, scoring 13 points and 7 rebounds.

Calderon played well.

Yeah Navarro still has to improve a little his 3pointer percentage but i think hes shooting a little bit too much from 8m and hes not doing enough penetrations. I believe Iavaroni has told him to shoot as many 3pointers as he can, cause he didnt even shoot this quantity of 3pointers not even in Barcelona. He has done in the last 2 games 10/24 in field goals and 6/18 in 3pointers. These percentages are clearly improvable but for the moment i think he's just doing fine, so lets wait and see what he can do when he gets really used to the league.

And about the Gasol thing, he even recognised it: "Its frustrating not to play at the level you know you could play"
Anyway in that game all big men of Memphis : Gasol, Miller and Gay just had a really horrible day, Toronto's defense ate them alive, only Gasol and Swift could do something positive in some moments.

[Neozyrus]

i'm curious, do you happen to know how well the spaniards get along with latin-american (non spaniard) crowd? is there any special connection? spanish interviews perhaps, speical visits to latin-american communities anything? the nba sure knows to make the best out of his advantages and this seems like a nice marketing option (along with other things - Navarro, always known for his poor english might find it much easier to communicate with spanish speakrs).

Spain has always had a special connection with all central and south america (common background, mentality, language...), so in theory i think it could be a great idea to have those spanish interviews while people like navarro improves his english.
It shouldnt be that difficult to find somebody who can question the players in some different languages and traduce his anwers to english if it's needed.

[mvblair]

Spain has always had a special connection with all central and south america (common background, mentality, language...), so in theory i think it could be a great idea to have those spanish interviews while people like navarro improves his english.
It shouldnt be that difficult to find somebody who can question the players in some different languages and traduce his anwers to english if it's needed.

It's true that Spain has had historical relationships with Latin American, just like Great Britain and Canada or the US. But I think the more important relationship is the fact that so many great Latin American players have played in Spain, so they develop relationships with Spanish players and the Spanish media. Just my thought.

[Neozyrus]

It's true that Spain has had historical relationships with Latin American, just like Great Britain and Canada or the US. But I think the more important relationship is the fact that so many great Latin American players have played in Spain, so they develop relationships with Spanish players and the Spanish media. Just my thought.

Yeah in part is that, but theres a little more i think. For example i believe that in a hipothetic game Argentina-Canada, if both teams would have 2 players in ACB for the same years, i think most spanish public would support Argentina, not because they have anything against Canada or dont feel simpathy for the canadian players playing in ACB, it is just that Spain in general would feel a little bit more close to the argentinians. Anyway this is just my opinion.


Great victory of the Grizz in his last game against the Timberwolves though the spanish duo didnt do their best game of the season. Both of them missed some easy shots.
Gasol did 13 points (6/13 2p, 0/1 3p, 1/1 1p), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks. He was quite good in defense too.
Navarro started the game from the bench because of the rturn of Milicic to the team. He ended with 14 points(1/3 2p, 3/7 3p, 3/4 1p), 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 18 minutes.

[mvblair]

Yeah in part is that, but theres a little more i think. For example i believe that in a hipothetic game Argentina-Canada, if both teams would have 2 players in ACB for the same years, i think most spanish public would support Argentina, not because they have anything against Canada or dont feel simpathy for the canadian players playing in ACB, it is just that Spain in general would feel a little bit more close to the argentinians. Anyway this is just my opinion.

I believe it.

How Navarro's game last night against the Trail Blazers? JCN had 16 points (6-11 fg, 4-7 3pt) in 27 minutes. Gasol had a good game with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks, but shot 4-14. Unfortunately, Memphis lost.

Lay-up around Travis Outlaw
Drives against Sergio Rodriguez and Travis Outlaw (Good picture)
Passes in traffic

[ArkadiosV2]

Seems that Navarro will stay all alone in Grizzlies as they decided to trade Gasol. Could it be that they trade them together?

[Neozyrus]

Its not very likely. It would be more probable that he could finish the season in Memphis and try to go to Chicago in the summer with a better contract (at least that is what sport press is telling today).

[mvblair]

"Poor" game by Navarro: 10 points (4-14), 6 assists (not bad, but we expect more from him now)

Good game by Gasol: 23 points (8-16), 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals

Navarro slips between five Rocket defenders
Gasol twists into the lane
This is what we call a "Gasol Sandwich"

About Gasol getting traded: I don't think it will happen. Gasol was a serious MVP candidate two years ago. Many people around the NBA love him because he's a hard working big man with soft hands. Those kinds of players are very difficult to find anywhere in the world.

Also, Gasol is the best post player Memphis has, so they'll need a post player in any trade that involves Gasol. Chicago has Ben Wallace, Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas, and Joe Smith. Memphis won't take those guys for Gasol.

Gasol Wants to Stay in Memphis -- Yahoo! Sports, December 5, 2007

Memphis Grizzlies Pau Gasol seemed unfazed by his name surfacing in a trade rumor — albeit through a columnist's conjecture — for at least the second time in the Chicago media since the regular season began.

However, Gasol reiterated his desire to remain in Memphis, and took issue with the notion that he's out of place in new coach Marc Iavaroni's system.

"I'm good here," Gasol said. "We're a good, young team. Sure, it could be better, but that's what we're working on, and when we win games it will be better."

Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal