The Other Gasol.

When ever you hear the surname 'Gasol' in the NBA, most people think of one player-Pau Gasol, 2 time NBA champion with the L.A Lakers. What about Marc?
 Marc's older brother Pau, said this about Marc in an interview with the L.A Times, earlier this season, after being asked if Marc is going to be better than him. "I think Marc is gonna be himself. I think his goal has to be to be better than me. Um I think he has to be as best as he can be. I have archived a lot in my career, and I hope he can archive as much as I have, because I love him to death, and I am proud of what he has done already, and um I think he is gonna be a better player than he is today"
 That says alot about Marc. It says his brother and the league are taking notice of this up and coming 7'1 center for the young Memphis Grizzlies.
 Marc archived alot in Spain. He was apart of the 2004 Spanish League champions, apart of the 2004 Spanish Supercup winners, EuroChallenge Champion in 2007, a Catalan Tournament champion and won the 2008 Spanish League MVP.
 Marc wasn't drafted by the Grizzlies back in the 2007 NBA Draft. He was drafted by the L.A Lakers, at pick number 48.
 The only time that siblings have been traded for one another in the NBA, happened on the 1st of February 2008, when the L.A Lakers traded the draft rights of Marc Gasol to Memphis, for his older brother Pau, who went to the Lakers. He than signed a contact with the Grizz, on June 23, 2008.
 Gasol's rookie season was a success, as he played in all 82 games, and put up just under 12 points a game and pulled down 7 rebounds a game. He was also a member of the 2009 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
 Marc followed up his great rookie season, with an even better second season for Memphis. Marc missed 13 games in 2009/2010, because of injury problems, but Marc still put up better numbers than his rookie season. Marc averaged 14 points a game and pulled down 9 rebounds, as Memphis had a breakout season, finishing at 40-42.
 So far this season, Gasol is having another solid season, putting up just under 12 points and 7 rebounds a game.
 Marc doesn't only play great in the NBA, he also plays for the Spanish National Team. He has won Gold at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, Gold in the 2009 FIBA European Championship, Silver at the 2007 FIBA European Championship and Silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
 So next time you and a few mates are talking about Pau Gasol, make sure to bring up his younger brother, Marc who is going to be a massive piece to get Memphis back into the playoffs.  

                                                 Marc Gasol taking a jumpshot over Yao Ming.

Turkish Delight

This article was wrote by Luke Sicari and Justin Condo.

Semih Erden, the under rated hard working centre for the Boston Celtics, was born in Instanbul on the 28th of July 1986.
In the year 2004-05 Semih played for Partizan Beograd in the Adriatic league, where he averaged 4.6 points per game and 3.2 rebounds.
Erden's highest scoring out put in that season was 17 points and scored in double figures twice in the season.
In the next season, Semih averaged 6.5 points per game and 5.4 rebounds a game.
In 05-06 Erden scored in double figures 7 times and his highest scoring match was 14 points.
In 2006-07 Turkish league season, Erden averaged 6.4 points per game, 3.8 rebounds in sixteen minutes.
2007-08 Was a great season for Erden. His minutes were increasing because of his inproved performance in the Turkish League.
He averaged 7.1 points per game and 4.7 rebounds a game in 19.5 minutes.
His highest scoring out put in that season was a solid 15 points.
Erden was the final pick of the 2008 draft selected by the Champions Boston Celtics at pick 60.
Instead of Erden going to the Nba season he wanted to go back to the Turkish League to build his confidence up.
On July 5th, Erden was ready to take his talents to the T.D Garden and he signed a one year contact with the Celtics.
With Boston's three centres out injured ( Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal and Kendrick Perkins) it was Semih Erden's time to shine as the starting centre of the Eastern Conference Champions the Boston Celtics.
He first start was against the 76's were he got 8 points in 18 minutes in a extremely close game where celtics won 102 - 101 victory.
In the 2010 Fiba World Championships, Erden won silver with the Turkish League.
Erden has a lot of potentinal in the future playing with the Boston Celtics.
 If he continues up the hard working practise, Semih will become a very solid role player for the Championship Contenders, Boston Celtics.

Ballin'-J.J Redick

 If you have a retired number at Duke University, you are bound to have a great NBA career.
 For Jonathan Clay "J.J" Redick, his NBA career has not been GREAT yet, but it sure has been solid, as a role player.
 So what made J.J's collage career so good, Duke retired his number 4 jersey?
 Well here is a list of his awards and honors in collage.
 -On JAN 6th 2003, he was named ACC Rookie of the Week.
 -He was named ACC Player of the Week 10 times.
 -In 2006 he was ACC Athlete of the year.
 -He was a 2-time ACC Player of the Year (2004/05 and 2005/06)
 -A 2-time ACC Tournament MVP.
 -Associated Press Player of the Year in 2006.
 -National Player of the Year in 2006.
 -Duke's all time leading scorer with 2,769 points.
 -He has the record for most points in a season at Duke, 964.
 -Leading scorer in ACC Tournament history.
 J.J has many more awards and honors, too many to name!
 Redick has been said to be one of the best collage players of all-time.
 So after an amazing career at Duke, Redick was taken at the number 11 pick in the 2006 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic.
 When J.J was drafted he said this is an interview with the Charlotte Observer "I think I'll be a role player like 80 percent of the players in the league are. I don't expect to be a star, I'll just shoot, be a team player."
 J.J was right, because with J.J's time with the Magic he has been an role player.
 His highest scoring output in the NBA is 27 points in a match against the Raptors on NOV 1, 2009.
 In J.J's 4 years in the league he is averaging 7 points per game off the bench.
 He has also been in the playoffs them 4 years with the Magic, averaging 6.2 points per game in the playoffs.
 So far this season J.J is averaging 7.1 points per game.
 J.J still has a while before he becomes a real noise marker in the NBA, seeing that he must improve his defense.
 His offense game is just about perfect , being one of Orlando's many shooters.
 So I think J.J can become a really good player in this league, if he can maintain this type of play and improve his defense.

 

The Silent Assassin

After a successful high school career at Murrah High School, Maurice 'Mo' Williams was hoping for a successful collage career as well, as he attended the University of Alabama.
 In he 2002 season at 'Bama, Mo was a freshman, where he averaged 10.4pts and 4.5ast per game, starting every game at PG.
 In that season Alabama finished with a record of 27-8, including an amazing 17-0 record at home.
 Albama made the NCAA Tournament that year, but Mo and his 'Bama teamates could not get the jod done, going down 71-58 to Kent State in the 2nd round of the tournament.
 Mo played another year at Alabama in 2003 where he averaged 16.4pts and 8.8 ast per game, leading the team in both scoring and assists.
 Yet again the 2003 season ended with another early exir from the NCAA tournament as 'Bama lost to Indiana in the 1st round.
 Williams entered the 2003 NBA Draft where he got selected by the Utah Jazz at pick 47, in the second round.
 People say that the 2003 draft has been the best ever, as Miami's 3 stars LeBron, Wade and Bosh got picked in that draft, as well as Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony.
 Utah released Mo after his rookie season, where he averaged 5.0ppg and 1.3apg.
 Mo was signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after the Jazz realesed him.
 Williams started to shine with the Bucks in his 2nd NBA season where he averaged 10.2pts and 6.1ast per game, filling in for the Bucks injured starting PG, T.J Ford.
 Mo became a cluth player for the Bucks in the 2005/06 season, where he hit several game winning shots for the Bucks, along with getting 12.1ppg and 4.0ast per game that season.
 Williams got to start in the 2006/07 season after the Bucks traded T.J Ford.
 Mo had a break-out year in that season, getting 17.3ppg and 6.1ast per game, along with career highs in rebounds, averaging 4.8rpg.
 Williams also got his first triple-double that season, with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists on DEC 20 2006 vs the Miami Heat.
 It was much of the same in the next season for Mo, averaging 17.2ppg and 6.3ast per game in 07/08.
 Mo was apart of a 3-team, 6-player deal, where Mo ended up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, on AUG 13, 2008.
 When he got to Cleveland, Mo had to change his number to #2 after his former #25 was retired by Cavs legend Mark Price.
 Mo's first season with the Cavs marked his first All-Star match, filling in for Chris Bosh.
 Mo got 12 points and 5 assists in the 2009 All-Star match, for the East.
 In his first season as a Cav, Mo got a career high in points per game, getting 17.8ppg, along with shooting .436 percent from downtown, another career high.
 On FEB 11 2009 Williams put up a career high 44 points and 7assists in a match vs the Suns.
 Williams was a key in Cleveland's 2009/10 season getting 15.8ppg and 5.3apg.
 After LeBron left the Cavs, Mo was in trade-talk's but on his Twitter, Williams begged not to be traded.
 Williams hit a buzzer beater on NOV 14,2010 for the Cavs, vs his old team the Bucks, Mo also put up 25 points that game.
 So far this season (2010/11) Mo is getting 15.5ppg and 5.3apg for Cleveland.
 I hope Mo will keep on improving in future, as my Cavs will ned him to take over the offense, without King James.

 ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL.