This stretch in Sacramento could be as much an aberration as Gay's 38-percent shooting in Toronto, and he could settle in at the usual 40-45 percent before long. Extraordinary things can happen in short spans, and 15 games isn't a whole lot to work with. The usage theory is looking pretty darn good right now. Sacramento Kings blog Sactown Royalty Toronto Raptors blog Raptors HQ With the Kings, he's shooting 52 percent from the floor with a True Shooting percentage of. And, as it turns out, his efficiency has never been better. In Sacramento, his usage rate is below 25 percent. He was inefficient (often horribly so) in seasons in which his usage rate was greater than 25 percent. Before the trade, Gay was efficient in seasons in which his usage rate was less than 25 percent.
#Kings rudy gay trade free#
(I included free throws in that figure.) In Sacramento, he's taking roughly 17 shots per 36 minutes. Gay was taking about 21 shots per 36 minutes in Toronto. Cousins, meanwhile, remains above 33 percent. His usage rate has dropped below 25 percent, third on the team. Instead, Gay's been much more like the Memphis version of himself, fitting in on offense instead of hijacking it. The worry was that Gay would pop in and take his usual number of shots while remaining inefficient. Cousins led the league in usage rate (34 percent) at the time of the trade I.T. In Sacramento, he joined a fully formed offense centered on post play from DeMarcus Cousins and an aggressive Isaiah Thomas. Obviously, his efficiency at that level was abysmal. In Toronto, Gay was up at 30 percent, which is really high. Usage rate is the percentage of all possessions a player ends (via a shot, drawn foul or turnover) while on the court. The other theory suggested that at lower usage rates, Rudy could still be an efficient scorer. One was that a shoulder injury had destroyed his shooting mechanics and left him as a highly paid shooter who can't shoot. When the trade happened, I offered up two theories on Gay's devolution from a near-All-Star in Memphis to a laughingstock in Toronto. The pieces fit a whole lot better without the pressure of Gay's 20 shots (most inefficiently) per game on the offense.īut less explored is the reality that Gay too has been much, much better removed from the Raptors. I n particular, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have thrived with more opportunities to shine. Toronto is now 13-5 since Gay was shipped to Sacramento for spare parts after starting 6-12. The Raptors' rise has been well-documented to date.