Rudy Gay made his Utah Jazz debut on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors. In case you missed it (which would officially qualify you as the worst Jazz fan on the face of the earth), it went a little better than anyone anticipated.
Gay won’t score 20 points while hitting virtually every single one of his shots on a routine basis. That would be an entirely unprecedented career resurgence. However, he did demonstrate exactly how much he has left in the tank for his new teammates on Thursday evening. It turns out it’s an awful lot.
New Utah Jazz forward packs substantial scoring punch
Younger readers may not have a complete appreciation of Gay’s resume. If we’re describing you, treat yourself to a free history lesson.
Gay’s best season came as a member of the Sacramento Kings in 2014-15. That season, he averaged 21.1 points per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 35.9% on 3.2 three-point attempts per contest.
Take particular note of that relatively meager volume of three-point attempts. Yes, 2014-15 was a slightly different time, but the league was still in the earliest stages of a three-point revolution. In fact, that was the season that the Golden State Warriors won the first championship of their dynasty. It was as critical a juncture we’ve seen in this league’s history.
Somebody apparently forgot to inform Gay. In those days, he plied his trade as a three-level scorer. His shot distribution was almost perfectly even across the board, with 26.4% of his attempts coming from within 3 to 10 feet.
The point? Gay may primarily function as a floor spacer for the Utah Jazz at this advanced stage in his NBA career, but that’s not all he’s capable of doing. Look for the veteran to occasionally turn back the clock for an isolation basket when the Jazz are in need. For a team that already rosters a plethora of effective offensive weapons, the addition of such a player borders on an embarrassment of riches.
Rudy Gay provides Utah Jazz with versatility
Outside of Gay’s ability to generate his own baskets, the Jazz will mostly look to him to fill holes. His well-rounded game stands to fill a lot of them.
To mention that the Utah Jazz need a small-ball center is to beat a long-dead horse. Nonetheless, at 6’8 and an extremely mobile 250 pounds, Big Truck provides the Jazz with the best option they’ve had in the Mitchell/Gobert era. He checks every box: he’s a capable defender in the paint and on the perimeter. He also spaces the floor, as he shot 38.1% on 4.4 three-point attempts per game as a Spur last season.
On the other hand, he also pairs very well with Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside’s ability to protect the rim should allow Gay to function as a free safety on the defensive end. Offensively, Gay provides the spacing that is required in Snyder’s four-out system.
The Utah Jazz may have already had the best bench in the NBA. With the addition of Rudy Gay, they’ve made it even better.
The Utah Jazz have had the appearance of a team on the brink of greatness for the past couple of seasons. With the addition of Rudy Gay, they might just teeter over that edge.