Marc is the Gasol we've been looking for.

Yes, that was a Star Wars reference. Anyway, Marc Gasol has come to play this season. If I hadn't seen him in person, not once, but twice this year, I wouldn't believe it. But the big fat kid from Lausanne has officially arrived in the NBA. Last season, he put on a great show (for a rookie), and impressed a lot of people (for a rookie). But that was then. This is now, and he has spent the entire season serving notice to the rest of the league that he is here to fuck your shit up.

Offensively, he's looked like Pau from his All-Star year; turn-and-guns, fade-aways, lefty hooks, fast break slams, the whole range. Defensively, he's doing this:

I spent hours of my life -- hours that I will never get back -- defending Pau Gasol. I never understood why I had to defend him, but I did. He's clearly the best player this franchise has ever had, and he always covered his shortcomings by being, I don't know, the best player the franchise has ever had. And now his trade to the Lakers has given us what may well turn out to be something even better: a little brother that may turn out to be the best role player in franchise history.

Yes, Marc has the ability to surpass Shane Battier in that category. You have NO IDEA how hard it was for me to write that. Shane is my favorite player ever. He's a great guy who knows his role and plays it to perfection. He's all heart and hustle, and a natural leader. He's great with fans and the media. And he wins.

You know who else fits that description? Marc Gasol. What's more, he's putting up nearly Pau-like numbers offensively while being vastly superior defensively. If the offense didn't include shot-happy players like Rudy, O.J., and Randolph, and if the Griz weren't "coached" by a hack like Hollins, Marc could easily be averaging 20+ points per game. He's that good right now.

I'm not saying Marc is "the answer" (Get it? Because A.I. was a disaster? OK, it wasn't funny). But he's a fundamental piece to a winning team, and the Griz need to recognize that any effort to build this team into something special must include Marc as the focal point. I hope someone in Heisley's ear figures that out.