Written By Dan Devine at YahooSports.com
Any hope that the Memphis Grizzlies and their fans had of getting center Marc Gasol back on the court before the end of the 2015-16 NBA season after suffering a broken bone in his right foot two weeks ago went up in smoke on Tuesday:
From the Grizzlies’ announcement, which identifies Gasol’s specific ailment as “a non-displaced Type II fracture of the navicular bone in his right foot” and claims “he is expected to make a full recovery”:
“Marc remains a cornerstone of our franchise and we are pleased to hear that the surgery went according to plan,” Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace said. “Marc’s determination and competitive spirit will serve him, his family and the team well as he begins the healing and rehab process from which we expect him to make a full recovery. We are confident we will have Marc back anchoring our team next season and beyond.” […]
“It is frustrating to not be on the court with my teammates at this time,” Gasol said, “but I understand that the focus of this process is on long-term health and stability. I look forward to the road ahead and a full and successful recovery.”
As our Eric Freeman wrote when Grizzlies beat man Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Gasol’s fracture two weeks ago, the confirmation of the Spaniard’s absence deals a devastating blow to a Memphis club built largely around the two-way stabilizing force that Gasol provides on the interior. Even in what’s been, relatively speaking, a down year for the 31-year-old 7-footer — Gasol’s per-minute scoring, rebounding, dime-dropping and shot-blocking had all decreased this season from last year’s All-NBA First Team form, and his back-line captaining had visibly dipped from the Defensive Player of the Year-level work he produced two years back — Gasol still ranks among the game’s better interior deterrents, and while the Grizzlies were a tick below par with Gasol on the floor this season, they were still about two points per 100 possessions better when he played than when he didn’t.
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