Spanish National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar Pau Gasol has been in the business for quite some time now.

He may not be the typical NBA power forward as what characterizes the previous crop of the league’s stars (and largely, maybe, owing to the European brand of play where big men literally play with grace and finesse), but his efficient and effective play is definitely a delightful answer in ever coach’s dream.

What is remarkable with the 7-footer Gasol is the continuous development in almost all aspects of his game despite playing alongside one of the sport’s icons today by the name of Kobe Bryant. 

Playing in only his third year with the multi-titled Lakers, Gasol has been a steady force to reckon with. His consistency can be seen in the numbers he put up for his team every game — 18.6 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks in the last three years for the Lakers. He has even tallied a double-digit average in the rebounding department (11.3 rpg) during the previous season, where he played 65 games and helped steer the Lakers franchise to a second title in two years.

With this, he has gotten the nod of Yahoo! Sports blogger Kelly Dwyer as he has been named the NBA’s top forward this year (though he plays center for the Lakers, Gasol has been most effective playing the four position in Phil Jackson’s roster). About Gasol, Dwyer writes:

“Big men don't get more versatile than this guy. He's bad at absolutely nothing, and top gear in just about everything. Scores with either hand on either block. Dominates from the high post. Nails cutters, sets screens and finishes off the good or bad pass. He can play defense now, he's worked his way into becoming a fierce rebounder and his brain is bigger than our brains are.

Even with Tim Duncan's history, his smarts, his ability and his formidable all-around play, there isn't a power forward in this league that I think can help me win more than Pau Gasol. He just does things too excellently too often to overlook.”

Rounding up the Top 10 in Dwyers list are:

1. Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers)
2. Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
3. Amare Stoudemire (New York Knicks)
4. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks)
5. Chris Bosh (Miami Heat)
6. Carlos Boozer (Chicago Bulls)
7. Josh Smith (Atlanta Hawks)
8. Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics)
9. Zach Randolph (Memphis Grizzlies)
10. Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Curiously, last year’s top draft pick Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers (who hasn’t played a single minute the past season after breaking his kneecap in an off-season scrimmage) came out on No. 18 — a notch ahead of USA Team member and Gasol’s teammate Lamar Odom. I can’t blame Dwyer because the young guy really shows a lot of promise.

“His hands, explosiveness, touch and timing will do well, and he'll be a terror coming down the lane and coming through with the last play we saw him make just before he destroyed his kneecap,” Dwyer notes. He plays with intensity, with power, and has shown that he can really dominate the game if he wants to. That’s what remains to be seen come tipoff this coming season.

Back to Gasol, he's set to don his country's colors during the upcoming World Basketball Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. With the aim of defending the championship they won four years ago, he's expected to lead a talented cast which also includes teenage basketball sensation Ricky Rubio.