Rudy averaged 3.1 assists during his partial 2013-14 year in Sacramento, and a solid 3.7 per game in his next season. In addition to his improved efficiency on offense, Rudy developed his playmaking skills during his time in Sacramento.
Part of this was due to Rudy putting on some weight during his time in Sacramento that allowed him to bully smaller wings on his way to the rim instead of settling for fadeaway jump shots:
That jumped to 0.969 points per possession (in the 71st percentile) in his first season in Sacramento, and Rudy graded out as above-average on offense on a per-possession basis in each of his three full years as a King. He was even worse in his short stint in Toronto the next year, putting up just 0.803 points per possession which ranked in the 21st percentile. Rudy scored just 0.842 points per possession in his 2012-13 campaign in Memphis per Synergy Sports, which put him in the 32nd percentile league-wide. Despite his increased efficiency, Rudy averaged more points per game in the 2014-15 season than at any other time in his career.Įven though Rudy has always been able to put up points, he ate up far more possessions than he should have before joining the Kings. He then finished two of his next three years in Sacramento with a True Shooting percentage above that 55% mark that usually denotes a league-average shooter. However, he put up a 56.7% mark during his first 55 games in Sacramento. Rudy never managed to cobble together a True Shooting percentage above 55% in his first eight years in the league. That led to his eventual trade to Sacramento, where Rudy unexpectedly revitalized his offensive game. During his brief stint in Toronto, he devolved into one of the league's most notorious chuckers. Offense: Improved Efficiencyĭuring his days in Memphis, Rudy Gay was primarily an isolation scorer who would occasionally break out some massive dunks. His reputation as a chucker may continue to follow him, but Rudy could be a key contributor for a competitor next season. While Rudy reportedly had quite a lot to say about the Kings behind closed doors, he was a consummate teammate while in Sacramento. He improved his efficiency as a scorer while also taking on a larger playmaking role than he had in his previous two stops.
He will reportedly (per Adrian Wojnarowski) be meeting with teams in Austin, Texas once free agency begins.Īlthough Rudy was a polarizing player during his stints in Memphis and Toronto, he turned his play around during his three and a half years in Sacramento. Rudy opted out of the final year of his contract with the Kings. One player who will not be courted by the Kings is Rudy Gay. Will you buy a Rudy Gay, No.With free agency starting, the Kings will have a number of targets with their massive piles of cap space. Next: 5 offseason rumors that never developed for the Spurs The NBA has an unfortunate history of players recovering from Achilles ruptures, so Gay’s progress and return from the injury will be something to watch throughout the 2017-18 season. It’s an average of 18.4 points per game, with the season average dropping below 17.2 just once, in his rookie year of 2006-07. 8, which likely led to the number change for Gay.įor Gay, he’ll join the Spurs and look to provide the scoring production he put up over the past 11 years in the NBA. Patty Mills, who re-signed to a four-year, $51 million deal, wears No. Yesterday, put on a Spurs uniform for the first time. Those colors look good on you, #GoSpursGo /8KSXDKmO7N 22 uniform, so he will go back to his old number. All the videos and images provided were of him in the No. On Wednesday, the Spurs posted a photo shoot of Gay in his new jersey. Isaiah Thomas, now of the Boston Celtics, held this number when the UConn product was traded to the team in the 2013-14 season.
It was different from his time spent with the Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors, where he wore No. Through the 30 games Gay played for them, he averaged 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 45 percent shooting from the field. In January, while playing a game for the team, he suffered a ruptured Achilles and missed the rest of the year. Gay played the 2016-17 season with the Sacramento Kings. He received a two-year, $17.2 million deal that came via the full Mid-Level Exception. The biggest outside-the-organization signing for the San Antonio Spurs came when they brought in Rudy Gay. What jersey number will Rudy Gay wear for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2017-18 season?