Some people compared Pau Gasol to Dirk Nowitzki.  Something to do with the same height and both being from Europe.  But the Memphis Commercial Appeal's Geoff Calkins prefers to compare him to Kevin Garnett.

Coming off being the co-rookie of the month, Gasol scored 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against Garnett and the T'Wolves.  Calkins describes facing KG late in a 20-point loss:

"Gasol drove baseline, drove past Garnett and toward the rim, rose higher, then higher, and, as Garnett and Gary Trent converged on him, Gasol slammed the ball through for a bucket and a foul. The place went nuts. Seriously, nuts. Everyone stood. Not just for a small burst of exultation, but for a solid 30 seconds."

Gasol responded to the excitement modestly, prompting Calkins to say, "Well, yeah. And Picasso was just a painter. And the Armada was just a collection of boats."  

While Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler struggle, Calkins feels the Grizzlies may be watching their first legitimate star start to blossom.