Ma Jian: Gasol and Thick Eyebrow are not players of the same level, Thick Eyebrow is much stronger.

Basketball commentator Ma Jian said that Gasol and Thick Eyebrow are "not the same level" and Thick Eyebrow is much stronger. This sounds absolutely true, and it is directly divided into the top and bottom. But the real situation is more like: Thick eyebrows are indeed more powerful and dazzling in many "visible" aspects, but Gasol is a real master in some "invisible but extremely important" fields. They are more like top insiders with different styles and different roles, rather than simply "smashing" whoever is.

Danime: A super offensive and defensive weapon with great talent

Speaking of Daime (Anthony Davis), the biggest impression is "explosive". His physical fitness and athletic ability are simply rewarded by God. This guy could touch the top of the rebound when he stood, jumped up and dunked like a playful one, and ran like a large small forward. On the defensive end, he is a real monster. Can you imagine a person doing these things at the same time? In the inside, he can guard the basket like a tower, block the ball (average more than 2 games); he can also save quickly and interfere with the outside shot like a guard. This allows him to defend players from almost any position on the field, and is simply the ultimate answer to modern basketball defense. The Lakers were able to win the championship in 2020, and the "defensive gate" of the Davis made great contributions, and arranged stars such as Jokic and Butler clearly. On the offensive end, Thick Brow is a terrifying "cake-eating terminator". Pass the air contact to him? Can he smash the ball into the basket; let him cut in? He can easily score with speed and height; even if the ball is uncomfortable, he can find a way to get it in. However, if he is allowed to play singles with the ball for a long time, especially in a head-on position battle against top defenders, the effect will be less stable. His dribbling and frame breakthroughs are not at the top level. His back skills can sometimes beat the opponent, and sometimes they are easily restricted. In other words, he is more suitable to complete the offense as the team's sharpest spear, rather than always launching an offense as the "core of ball holding".

Gasol: Underrated champion brain and system master

Look at Gasol again. Just looking at his running and jumping ability, he is indeed far less "explosive" than his thick eyebrows, but his basketball IQ and comprehensive technology are at the top level. On the offensive end, what Gasol really is his brain and hands.

He is the core brain of the team's offense. Whether at low (near the rim) or at high (near the free throw line or even outside the three-point line), he can catch the ball steadily and then mobilize teammates like a conductor. His passing ability was accurate and accurate, especially his ability to "transmit shells" to his teammates from a high position. He was the top in the league at that time. The cooperation with Kobe in the years he spent with the Lakers is a classic. Whether it is the wonderful pass after the pick-and-roll or the high and low posts, he has a very tacit understanding. Thinking about the sideline ball tactics at critical moments and cracking the opponent's tight defense, you can often see Gasol calmly and stabilize the situation. When he was present, the entire team's offense had an additional axis and their playing styles were much richer. This is a huge value that is difficult for data to fully reflect.

His personal offensive skills are also quite solid, especially his beautiful low-post steps and soft touch. He did not rely on brute force to smash it, but scored points with cleverness and wisdom. Although explosive power limits his end in the face of a tough defense, the stability is good. Defensively, Gasol is a reliable rim guard and rebounder (the total number of rebounds in his career is even higher than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Than Th

So, who is better? Who is the first grade?

What if you compare talent, physical fitness, coverage area of top defense, and explosive power without the ball? That's really thick eyebrows are much stronger. His peak height (such as when he won the championship in 2020) was even enough to rank among the top players in the league at that time. He also received much more personal honors (selected in the first team, first defense, championship core, and selected as the top 75 in history) than Gasol.

How to compare basketball IQ, support organizational ability, match reading, and connect the entire team as the core of the system in high-end games, how to make teammates better? Na Gasol is definitely at the master level. His value in these aspects is sometimes more critical than a super scorer who can simply score points in a purely head-on championship match (such as during the two consecutive championships of 2009 and 10).

Conclusion: It is not a judgment that is right, but each has its own strengths.

Ma Jian said that Thick Eyebrow is "too much stronger", which emphasizes Thick Eyebrow's huge advantages in physical talent and "explicit" dominance at both the offense and defense. From this perspective, Thick Brow is indeed a historically-level superstar.

But basketball games are far more complicated than simple talent superposition. Gasol has proved that a center with comprehensive technology, a superb football business, and a perfect integration into and improving the tactical system of the entire team is also the most precious asset on the road to championship. He is the kind of "universal glue" and "offensive brain" that can bring the team together. It is difficult for you to use "class" to directly divide him into positions much lower than Thick Brows because he can provide something that Thick Brows can't do.

To put it bluntly:

Thick eyebrows are more like a peerless treasure knife with iron-cutting like mud - showing its sharpness and being invincible.

Gasol is more like an invincible heavy hammer - it doesn't look that fancy, but when fighting tough battles, it can consolidate the foundation and command the battle situation.

It may be a bit simplistic to compare the two people directly to "level". Dark eyebrows' halo in talent and honor is indeed more dazzling, but Gasol's "soft power" in basketball wisdom and team contribution makes him also a unique and historically great star. The charm of basketball also lies in the blending and resonance of this different style.