PHILADELPHIA -- The first time Shane Battier and Pau Gasol stepped onto a court with Shaquille O'Neal, Battier and Gasol turned to each other with the same you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look.

	Battier slipped in the draft, much to the delight of the Grizzlies.

"We said, 'What are we doing here?' " Battier said.

More experienced players have asked themselves the same thing after getting pummeled by Shaq. But make no mistake, in just half of a season, Battier and Gasol have proved they belong in the NBA.

The Memphis Grizzlies hope to have the rookies stick around for 10 to 12 years as the team's foundation in Tennessee.

"They're both wonderful human beings and they're terrific basketball players," said Grizzlies senior advisor Chuck Daly, who'll coach Battier and Gasol in the Rookie Challenge. "They both have a great future in the league and are a cornerstone of our franchise."

The Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver to Memphis this season but have yet to move north in the standings. At 14-35, they still sit in last place in the Midwest Division with the Western Conference's worst record. At least things are looking up with Gasol and Batter.

Gasol has the Rookie of the Year award wrapped up as long as he stays healthy -- or Battier doesn't steal shots from him. Both are 1-2 in scoring and minutes played among rookies, Gasol averaging 17.4 points and 37.2 minutes a game and Battier 14.8 points and a team-high 39.7 minutes. Gasol also leads all rookies in rebounds (8.8), blocks (2.37), field-goal percentage (.525) and double-doubles (20).

The two have taken turns as the West's Rookie of the Month. Gasol, the third overall pick in the 2001 draft, won the award for November and January; Battier, the No. 6 selection, won it in December.

"I've learned a ton since my first day in November. Just what it means to be a professional basketball player," said Battier, 23. "The grind of the schedule, the level of talent I face night in and night out -- it's not as glamorous as it always seems with all of the travel and the wear and tear. But at the same time, I'm living my dream. I'm really having a great time."

"I never expected to do what I'm doing now -- playing that well and having this many minutes," said Gasol, 21, who played professionally in Spain for three seasons. "One of the tough things in the NBA is the amount of games. There are a lot of games. In a short time, you have to be ready to play."

Battier, the 2001 national player of the year for NCAA champion Duke, has silenced critics who doubted the 6-foot-8 guard/forward could become an impact player, much less find a position, in the NBA. Battier is more amazed by the accomplishments of Gasol, a 7-footer with a post-up game and small-forward skills.

	“	It's nice to have someone who knows what I'm going through. Pau and I are playing major minutes every night, and we can both look at each other and emphathize on the fourth night of a road trip -- or missing our own beds. ”
		— Shane Battier, Grizzlies swingman

"For someone who's come to this country without any friends or family here and tried to make the adjustment to the most physical league in the world, he's done a great job," Battier said. "He has a great attitude. He's a hard worker. He's a good guy to be around."

"My whole experience in Europe has helped me to play here," said Gasol, who made late-night highlight shows in December with a nasty dunk on Kevin Garnett. "I just want to keep working and keep showing I can do a lot of things in the league. I can do better. I can be one of the best in the league."

Together, Battier and Gasol hope to turn the Grizzlies into a contender. Together, they're experiencing their first NBA season, discovering how an individual survives an 82-game season. Having someone to compare notes helps a lot, says Battier.

"It's nice to have someone who knows what I'm going through," Battier said. "Pau and I are playing major minutes every night, and we can both look at each other and emphathize on the fourth night of a road trip -- or missing our own beds.

"Shane and me, we have a good relationship," Gasol said. "We'll have some fun together this weekend. I'm sure we'll enjoy the game."

Joe Lago is an ESPN.com NBA editor.