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Shaquille
O'Neal: "When you are 60, hang out with 60-year-olds, not 20-year-olds.
That is all I got to say about Jerry Buss."
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THE STAR: Pau Gasol Ever since the summer of 2000, Pau Gasol has evolved from a player not good enough to join the Spanish National Team in the Olympic Games to a guy on the verge of NBA stardom. The last Rookie of the Year will be the center of attention both on the offensive and defensive end for the Spaniards. His team needs him to be healthy in order to do something big. If those problems in his thigh persist, Spain shouldn't go far in the tournament. THE BACKCOURT: The Spaniards like to run the break every time they get the chance. It couldn't be any other way with a point guard like Raul Lopez on the floor. The future backup for John Stockton in the Utah Jazz is extremely quick even for NBA standards and has some eye-catching ballhandling and shooting skills. But he is not consistent enough to dominate a game. The more experienced and less turnover-prone Nacho Rodriguez will come off the bench bringing exactly what Lopez misses: defensive toughness and control of the game. Juan Carlos Navarro can also play some point, but he is more of a shooting guard. The 40th overall pick in this year's draft is a threat from beyond the arc and has also a knack for driving to the basket and launching a sky-high layup -- Navarro is nicknamed "The Bomb" for that play in particular. The 6-4 guard will be the one to take the clutch shots when needed. Like Raul Lopez, "The Bomb" excels on the fast break with his quickness and is a liability on the defensive end. The small forward position is reserved for hard workers. Lucio Angulo is the official defensive stopper of the team He can guard three different positions, has quite an energetic approach to the game and is one of the best athletes in a team not filled with athleticism. Carlos Jimenez is strong on the boards, tough to beat on defense and will probably go unnoticed on the offense. THE FRONTCOURT: Pau Gasol, who will show up in Indianapolis with some additional pounds, can guarantee more than 20 points and around 10 rebounds per game if healthy. But Spain will need more big men to contribute. The second offensive option in the team frontcourt will be Jorge Garbajosa, a poor man's Keith Van Horn. At 6-9, Garbajosa has a power forward body with a small forward soul. In the last couple of years he has developed quite an impressive perimeter game and his main offensive weapon is a deadly three-point stroke. Last year, he was well ahead of the recently drafted Nikoloz Tskitishvili and near Bostjan Nachbar in the scoring charts of Benetton Treviso. The Reyes brothers will bring high intensity, some character and great aggressiveness on the offensive rebound in the center position. But, standing at 6-8, what can they do when facing Vlade Divac and the like? Not much. Oriol Junyent has size and good shooting touch, but lacks experience in this competition level. STRENGTHS: Spain has a strong weapon in isolated plays for Pau Gasol, a very effective player when facing shorter or slower opponents. That will be their main threat of halft-court offense. Playing hard on defense, running the break and searching easy baskets is also a very good option. Lopez, Navarro and Gasol are very good at that. Team chemistry is another positive asset. WEAKNESSES: The lack of a pure shooter will be a concern. Somebody has to punish double-teams on Pau Gasol and it is not yet clear whether Spain will always be able to do that -- they were not last summer during the European Championship. More athleticism wouldn't hurt. The main worry for the Spanish team, however, will be the physical condition of both Raul Lopez and Pau Gasol, who have suffered mild injuries lately. WILL PLAY IN... Group A with Yugoslavia, Canada and Angola. PROJECTION: They have a very good chance of reaching the semifinals. Jorge Sierra is the editor of HoopsHype.com Tell us what you think about this article. E-mail us at HoopsHype@HoopsHype.com _____________________ |
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