I think that’s a pretty good comparison for Gay’s level of playmaking: just like Bogdanovic, Gay is playing pick and roll, attacking closeouts, and playing in isolation with the intention of scoring first. Gay averaged 1.4 assists per game last season, which I think is pretty representative - it’s about the same passes per possession as Bojan Bogdanovic had. Maybe that’s a potential solution for the my-turn, your-turn concern: have Gay screen for Clarkson with an empty paint, and let either take advantage of the space afforded. Generally, he’d pick-and-pop, and got some good looks from deep as a result. He does all of this at about league-average efficiency, so he’s kind of a Swiss Army knife in that respect: maybe not the knife you want to make dinner with, but really handy to have around nonetheless.Īnd in San Antonio, he even played a lot of small-ball five when injuries struck, making him a screener. He’s good as a spot-up shooter on the wings. Yes, he can run a pick and roll - usually, he’s going to be looking to score himself or pass to a wing from it, though he’s not a lob passer right now. The cool thing about Gay offensively is his versatility. The shot chart has changed, but the efficiency is basically the same. In his Memphis prime, he averaged 18 points per 36 minutes on 52% true shooting. He averaged 19 points per 36 minutes on 53.2% true shooting last season. Regardless, Gay can still score at near-league average efficiencies. I think the first thing to do is to take a look at Gay’s shot chart. After watching hours of film, talking to Spurs fans and writers, and digging into all the stats, here’s what I make of Rudy Gay. We’ll try to nail that target down anyway.
As a result, evaluating Gay is more of a moving target than those other veterans. And over the course of his four seasons with the Spurs, he played in a variety of different roles, and adapted his game to his aging as well. When he signed in San Antonio four years ago, he did so with two goals in mind: win a championship, and show off an expanded skillset, proving that he was more than just a scorer. Redick - three of those guys have essentially had pretty similar roles over their entire careers, and Millsap’s perimeter-oriented revolution happened a decade ago, now.īut Gay is a little bit different. The other 15-year veterans in the NBA last season were Kyle Lowry, Rajon Rondo, Paul Millsap, and J.J. The Jazz knew exactly what they were getting with Joe Johnson, for example. Generally, with players who have been in the NBA for 15 years, we have a pretty good mental image of who they are as a player. McDermott is entering 8th season in NBA after averaging 13.6 ppg and shooting nearly 39% from 3-point range last season with Pacers.What will Rudy Gay bring to the Utah Jazz? Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the deal first and it has since been confirmed by KSAT-12 Sports. San Antonio agreed to a 3-year, $42 million deal with 6-foot-7 forward Doug McDermott. Last season, he shot 38% from the 3-point line and averaged 11.4 points a game.
Gay had a productive four seasons with the first. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Gay’s contract is for two years and $12.1 million.
This deal means San Antonio is likely out of running to sign a major free agent, including John Collins, Lauri Markkanen or Kelly Oubre.Īs expected, Rudy Gay will not stay with the San Antonio Spurs after signing a new deal with the Utah Jazz. Both Young ($14.2M) and Aminu ($10.2M) are on expiring contracts, meaning San Antonio could trade either later in the season or go into next offseason with some salary cap space, around $30 million.