Rudy Gay to Sacramento!!!

I wonder how much that shoulder injury hurt Rudy's shot... after reading that article it doesn't seem like a coincidence his efficiency went down with his injury. However, I am also taking into account that the raptors had Rudy bringing the ball up the court and initiating the offense at times which is certainly not his main strength. I trust Malone to even all of this out... there has to be another trade in the works. Too many misfits in the starting line-up.
 

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
Sam Amick ‏@sam_amick 3h
  1. Food for thought on Kings' side of deal: if they improve too much -like being .500 from here on out- they run risk of losing '14 draft pick
I don't think we have to worry about it...:D
Even if we do manage to go .500 from here on out, with 64 games remaining that only puts our record at 37-45 for the season. There are 14 lotto teams and at least 2 teams in the west this season are going to play .500 ball on the year and get left out. Our current winning percentage is .278. So it would take an incredible turnaround for us to maybe have a small chance of losing our pick this year. I think that's a fair trade-off. If merely adding Rudy Gay to a lineup with a rookie SG and no starting PG makes us a .500 team, we'd be in good shape for the future.
 

dude12

Hall of Famer


For those not too familiar with Acy, this is the kind of game he plays. Loves to play physical basketball, will bang bodies in the post, great athlete, can get out in the open court, can contest shots on defense. He's a fairly effective on the glass as well. Not sure if that jumper is for real in the summer league video, but it looks like it could be a useful weapon

Very curious to see if he can find minutes for us (I hope so). With minutes, feel like he can be a 6pts 6 rebounds kind of guy on good efficiency, good defense, and physical play.
I'll say it again...Acy can be Malone's Draymond Green that he had in GS. green transformed himself into a defensive stopper type with a 3 point shot. Green guarded 2s, 3s, and 4s.....Acy could be like him possibly.
 
K

Kingsguy881

Guest
He doesn't have dominant goto guy stuff really. He's slick and smooth, not nasty and impossible to stop as a rule. Much of his inefficiency in Toronto has been him getting the ball, standing there dribbling aimlessly left and right for 5 seconds, and then throwing up a semi-contested midrange brick. In other words its looked a lot like John Salmons/Travis Outlaw stuff. Hopefully we can cut most of that out of his game just by reducing him to clear #2 option status. If he hits quickly, in mismatches, in space, on the move etc. we all of a sudden have the second most talented SF in the West.
If you add at the end of the bolded part "or a drive into 3 defenders in traffic" we could almost be talking about Tyreke.....
 
K

Kingsguy881

Guest
Here's the story so far, since PDA and Vivek took over operations (approx. 5 months ago):

PLAYERS LEAVING:
C. Aldrich
T. Douglas
J. Johnson
T. Evans
J. Salmons
C. Hayes
P. Patterson

PLAYERS ARRIVING:
B. McLemore (3 years remaining)
C. Landry (3 years remaining)
R. McCallum (2 years remaining)
D. Williams (1 year remaining)
R. Gay (1 year remaining)
Q. Acy (1 year remaining)
H. N'Diaye (expiring)
A. Gray (expiring)

L. Richard Mbah A Moute (swapped for D. Williams)
G. Vasquez (swapped for Rudy Gay)


HOLDOVERS:
D. Cousins (4 years remaining)
J. Thompson (3 years remaining)
T. Outlaw (1 year remaining)
M. Thornton (1 year remaining)
I. Thomas (expiring)
J. Fredette (expiring)

That's pretty substantial roster turnover in a very short period of time. At the end of a year, no more than 4 players will remain from the team they took over. It would already qualify as the most active season Petrie had as GM I think and we're not even halfway through the season yet. I really like how aggressive this front office has been. Changes needed to happen and they're making them. Maybe not the specific changes everyone wants, but you can't say they're just sitting on their hands waiting.

Mbah A Moute and Vasquez were acquired for meaningless assets essentially (Evans was leaving anyway, LRMAM cost us only 2nd round picks) and already they've been used to acquire some better assets in Williams and Gay. The only players we are currently committed to beyond the 2014/2015 season are Cousins, McLemore, McCallum, Landry, and Thompson. That hasn't really changed much since most of the pieces that got shipped out were short-term deals, but look at what has changed: in 5 months the roster has been completely rebuilt without over-committing any long-term salary. Williams and Gay will be expiring contracts next season as will Outlaw and Thornton, if they can't be moved sooner.
Say what you will about defense and ideal PGs and PFs, I think what we've seen here is the first step in a multi-year process and while it leaves the current roster with a lot of position-related question marks, it also gives us a reason to be excited about the future. McLemore isn't rotting on the bench behind Thornton this season. We just cleared out some playing time for McCallum after giving Vasquez, Jimmer and IT a chance to prove themselves. Cousins has already established himself as a legitimate franchise player. Williams is getting a chance to prove he's starting material and we have a legit shot-creator on the wing for once in Rudy Gay who gets a year and a half to see if he's part of the future or not.

The start of the 2015 season in the new arena is still the goal and we're set up pretty well for that right now. If we do win big in the draft we add another key piece to our lineup. We absolutely can pick the best player available right now knowing that we're not a black hole at any one position anymore. Regardless we'll have loads of cap space to work with to fill the remaining holes. In the meantime PDA is shuffling assets trying to make the chip pile a little bigger before we go all in. I was skeptical over the summer, but at this point I'm happy with the way this is going.
Great post and recap.
 
Because he thought he was too good for summer league and wasn't putting in any work.
okay, so you and Whiteside are so close that you knew that he was to good for summer league and wasn't putting in any work, well guess what not all players start their career great, even Andrew Bynum wasn't good early in his career.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
If you add at the end of the bolded part "or a drive into 3 defenders in traffic" we could almost be talking about Tyreke.....

Sure if it makes you feel any better.

Of course on the other hand we could live in the real world where Tyreke barely took any midrange jumpers at all last year, shot nearly 100 points higher than Gay is this year, and completely sacrificed his shot attempts to keep all the selfish chuckers on the team happy. No doubt Rudy Gay will do the same I'm sure.
 
K

Kingsguy881

Guest
The thing is, you can start IT if you can buy him in to looking for his shot less and setting up an offense that gets the team involved. A single silly simple example is when he has the ball at the top of the key, to have Benny Mac or Rudy or DWill run off a screen under the basket like Reggie Miller used to. Get them the ball on the wing and let them settle in to a triple threat stance. Screen the low block to bring Cuz over to that side where the ball is and have the VERY TALL wing player get him the ball the way the Lakers used to do Shaq. The entry pass will get Cuz within 8-14 ft of the hoop easily.
 
K

Kingsguy881

Guest
Sure if it makes you feel any better.

Of course on the other hand we could live in the real world where Tyreke barely took any midrange jumpers at all last year, shot nearly 100 points higher than Gay is this year, and completely sacrificed his shot attempts to keep all the selfish chuckers on the team happy. No doubt Rudy Gay will do the same I'm sure.
Doesn't make me feel better. I was a big Reke supporter if you remember. Even fought with section101 a bit over it. And the real world you talk about only encompassed last year when the ball was taken out of his hands, unlike Gay.
 
However, if IT-Gay-Cousins is to work, then he will have to dial back his shooting. In an ideal world where you can exactly dictate everyone's shots/game, you want Cousins around 17-20, (#1 option) Gay around 14-16 (#2 option), and IT around 10-12 (#3 option). And everyone else fills in around that. That also begs the question of what happens with McLemore? He has a much higher ceiling than becoming a Danny Green like spot-up shooter/defensive guy. So do we leave IT on the bench and let Ben fall smoothly into the #3 role with the starters?

Needless to say, it's going to be exciting to watch. There's so many directions this team can now go and I see many of which can and should result in a positive direction
This, for me, is another very compelling reason to stick with bringing IT off the bench. The ball is already going to spend a TON of time with Gay-Cousins. Why be silly and put another ball dominant person in the lineup? The trade has left us thin up front. Throw Ray into the fire and we can at least defend the point of attack reasonably.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
okay, so you and Whiteside are so close that you knew that he was to good for summer league and wasn't putting in any work, well guess what not all players start their career great, even Andrew Bynum wasn't good early in his career.
Three things:

1. If you're looking to get even less respect, then use a statement like "kingsfans.com - Where you get ridiculed when you give opinions." as your signature.

2. Whiteside did NOTHING to impress 30 different GMs. That's why he's playing in China. Care to explain why? Section101 may not have the whole story, but his comment is definitely part of it.

3. You're comparing Hassan Whiteside to Andrew Bynum? I don't know which one should be insulted.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
This, for me, is another very compelling reason to stick with bringing IT off the bench. The ball is already going to spend a TON of time with Gay-Cousins. Why be silly and put another ball dominant person in the lineup? The trade has left us thin up front. Throw Ray into the fire and we can at least defend the point of attack reasonably.
I totally agree but it seems as though PDA thinks IT will be starting. At least that's the impression I got from the second-hand report of his (PDA's) comments on Grant's show this afternoon.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
I totally agree but it seems as though PDA thinks IT will be starting. At least that's the impression I got from the second-hand report of his (PDA's) comments on Grant's show this afternoon.
If there is one thing we've learned, its not to listen to a thing PDA says. Last week he was singing Greivis's prasies too.

Short term of course there is no realistic choice.
 
Three things:

1. If you're looking to get even less respect, then use a statement like "kingsfans.com - Where you get ridiculed when you give opinions." as your signature.

.
and speaking your mind gets you less respect, everyone is saying everybody is entitled to their own opinion then when you give your opinion you get ridiculed, now is that a show of respect? oh well, saw a post in another forum, tell the truth and you get bashed/ridiculed, post your opinion same result. I know not all will like your opinion but atleast show respect and don't ridicule someone's post.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
and speaking your mind gets you less respect, everyone is saying everybody is entitled to their own opinion then when you give your opinion you get ridiculed, now is that a show of respect? oh well, saw a post in another forum, tell the truth and you get bashed/ridiculed, post your opinion same result. I know not all will like your opinion but atleast show respect and don't ridicule someone's post.
If you want respect, you're going about it the wrong way. All you're going to get is more ridicule. But don't take my word for it.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
If there is one thing we've learned, its not to listen to a thing PDA says. Last week he was singing Greivis's prasies too.

Short term of course there is no realistic choice.
I listen to everything he says. I'm not as cynical as you are. I don't think there's any incongruity in him singing Greivis' praises one week and then trading him the next. It's pretty much grist for the mill, isn't it?

At least he's willing to talk, unlike the great stone face Petrie.
 
and speaking your mind gets you less respect, everyone is saying everybody is entitled to their own opinion then when you give your opinion you get ridiculed, now is that a show of respect? oh well, saw a post in another forum, tell the truth and you get bashed/ridiculed, post your opinion same result. I know not all will like your opinion but atleast show respect and don't ridicule someone's post.
What opinion did you get ridiculed for? Are you sure you're not confusing someone picking apart an opinion with being ridiculed?
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
Since when giving opinions on forums gets respect? It's always ridiculed.
You have no idea what you're talking about, and the particular irony that you're saying it to me.

Whatever, dude. You keep nourishing that chip on your shoulder.
 

rainmaker

Hall of Famer
and speaking your mind gets you less respect, everyone is saying everybody is entitled to their own opinion then when you give your opinion you get ridiculed, now is that a show of respect? oh well, saw a post in another forum, tell the truth and you get bashed/ridiculed, post your opinion same result. I know not all will like your opinion but atleast show respect and don't ridicule someone's post.
I've had well over half this forum disagree with me on many occasions. It's opinions, people disagree.

Respect comes from opinions backed up by a sound argument. Well thought out posts. Some do that, others don't. The ones who do generally have more respect. But I see no ridiculing of any kind here. But to take it step further and imply "all opinions are ridiculed", paraphrasing here, doesn't help your case at all.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
I've had well over half this forum disagree with me on many occasions. It's opinions, people disagree.

Respect comes from opinions backed up by a sound argument. Well thought out posts. Some do that, others don't. The ones who do generally have more respect. But I see no ridiculing of any kind here. But to take it step further and imply "all opinions are ridiculed", paraphrasing here, doesn't help your case at all.
It just dawned on me that I have neither insulted nor ridiculed you recently. I apologize most profusely and promise to do better.
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
Tank move?

I despise Gay as a player, he's the Thornton of SFs...Maybe even more of an inefficient black hole than Thornton. And yet....I dont hate the trade. The players we shipped out ranged from not very good to terrible, in other words: they had little to no trade value. Gay on the other hand is going to be a huuuuge expiring next season, which either gives us ample room for FA signings or a very nice trade chip.

Short term, we didnt lose anybody worth keeping, and we gained a player who is probably going to help our draft position (unless Malone truly is as good a coach as we all hope he is and somehow turns Gay into a good player).
Long term, PDA has more options with retooling this roster thanks to Gay's (soon to be) expiring contract.

My only issue with this trade is that Gay probably wont work well with Cousins, and that shipping out GV means we pretty much lost Tyreke for nothing.
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
I totally agree but it seems as though PDA thinks IT will be starting. At least that's the impression I got from the second-hand report of his (PDA's) comments on Grant's show this afternoon.
Did he say who our pg is coming off the bench?
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
Tank move?

I despise Gay as a player, he's the Thornton of SFs...Maybe even more of an inefficient black hole than Thornton. And yet....I dont hate the trade. The players we shipped out ranged from not very good to terrible, in other words: they had little to no trade value. Gay on the other hand is going to be a huuuuge expiring next season, which either gives us ample room for FA signings or a very nice trade chip.

Short term, we didnt lose anybody worth keeping, and we gained a player who is probably going to help our draft position (unless Malone truly is as good a coach as we all hope he is and somehow turns Gay into a good player).
Long term, PDA has more options with retooling this roster thanks to Gay's (soon to be) expiring contract.

My only issue with this trade is that Gay probably wont work well with Cousins, and that shipping out GV means we pretty much lost Tyreke for nothing.
We were going to lose Evans anyway, since the FO made it abundantly clear they were not going to match NO's offer. As others have pointed out, this trade in essence means we got Gay for Evans AND got rid of Salmons and Hayes in the process. ;)