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| Can the Kings build a contender around Rudy Gay? |
It’s unclear exactly how much we are learning through the first few weeks of the NBA season, but the frontrunner for surprise team that exceeds expectations looks to be the Sacramento Kings. Sac-town stands at 6-4 in a brutal Western Conference, with impressive wins against the Clippers, Blazers, Suns, and Spurs.
The Grizzlies loss occurred on a buzzer-beating layup by Courtney Lee, but by looking at the trajectory of the ball it appears Ryan Hollins tipped Vince Carter’s inbound pass, meaning the clock should have started earlier and, therefore, the layup wouldn’t count. The league is currently reviewing the play, although I would be surprised if the call was reversed.
Still, they’re basically 7-3 and have beaten some really good basketball teams.
Rudy Gay deserves a fair share of the credit for this productive stretch, and Sacramento rewarded him accordingly with a three year, $40 million extension this weekend. In ten games this season, Rudy is posting career-high numbers in points (22.5 PPG), rebounds (5.4), and assists (3.5). His turnover rate is down to 12%, the lowest it’s been since Gay played in a conservative Memphis offense where he wasn’t really the feature guy. His splits of .448/.344/.880 are encouraging as he has evolved into both an efficient scorer and a playmaker.
