33 Marc Gasol C

Gasol registered 16 points (7-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block across 22 minutes in Monday's 127-125 win over the Nets.

Gasol padded the stat sheet Monday night, doing a little bit of everything off the bench to help the Raptors secure the victory. It remains to be seen how the timeshare will work out between him and incumbent Serge Ibaka, but both had solid games Monday night while exchanging the center role.

Gasol had seven points (3-7 FG, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one block in 19 minutes during Saturday's 104-99 win over the Knicks.

Gasol came off the bench in his first tilt with the Raptors and did not share the floor with starting center Serge Ibaka, who posted 15 points, 13 boards, four dimes, and one steal in 29 minutes. Gasol could eventually swap roles with Ibaka. However, Gasol's ability to orchestrate the offense might be more useful as a reserve while Ibaka's quickness as a defender has fit well with the starters. Regardless, Gasol's counting stats seem set to suffer.

Gasol will come off the bench in his Raptors debut Saturday against the Knicks, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports.

There's a chance that Gasol ultimately bumps Serge Ibaka, but the Raptors will break him in on the second unit first before deciding how he fits best with the team. Whether he ends up starting eventually or settling into a second-unit role, he'll almost certainly see a decline in the 33.7 minutes per game he averaged during his time in Memphis. The downturn in minutes would likely be accompanied by a drop in his counting stats as well.

Coach Nick Nurse said he's hopeful that Gasol will be cleared to make his Raptors debut Saturday against the Knicks, Raptors radio voice Paul Jones reports.

According to Nurse, the league is still processing the "paperwork" involved with the deal, and at this point it's unclear if Gasol will be available, but he sounded optimistic at shootaround in the morning. In the event Gasol is cleared, he could take over as the starter at center, which would push Serge ibaka or Pascal Siakam to the bench.

Gasol will join the Raptors in New York for Saturday's game against the Knicks, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca reports.

It remains to be seen whether or not Gasol will be made active for Toronto's game in Madison Square Garden, but there is a good chance of it happening since he will be with the team after completion of his physical. Gasol is expected to play a prominent role in the Raptors' frontcourt this season, but it' possible he starts out coming off the bench while he conforms to his new team given the success Toronto's starting five has had so far this season.