Best NBA Draft Sleepers of All-Time
8. Marc Gasol (2007 NBA Draft, 2nd Round, 48th Overall)
Marc Gasol was considered the lesser of the two oldest Gasol brothers to come out of Spain. Pau Gasol was taken third overall when he came to the NBA in 2001. Meanwhile, when Gasol was selected in the 2007 NBA Draft, he wasn’t nabbed until the middle of the second round. In retrospect, he probably should have gone every bit as high as his brother did.
Since coming over from Spain in 2008, Gasol has developed into one of the best defending big men in the league, even taking home Defensive Player of the Year honors for the 2012-13 season. In addition, the skilled center has played in two All-Star games and has an All-NBA First Team selection to his name, the latter award coming from this past season.
Gasol’s productivity on both ends of the floor is undeniable. While he may not block shots at a tremendous rate, he is a skilled and powerful defender that keeps the Memphis Grizzlies’ defense (consistently one of the best units in the league) in-sync. Offensively, he can score in the post and from the mid-range while also facilitating the offense out of the high-post. He’s truly a big man that’s able to do it all and do it all at a high level. If anyone had seen this coming when he was drafted in 2007, there’s no chance that he would have fallen as far as he did.
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