Rudy Gay (Getty Images file
Spotlight on… Rudy Gay, F, Sacramento
When: It was an action-packed start to the season for the NBA, which crammed in a lot of games in its first week. Sacramento forward Rudy Gay got 2014-15 started on the right foot and for that reason is The Post’s first NBA player of the week this season. The evaluation will go from Saturday-Friday each week.
What’s up: Gay averaged 27.0 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Kings, which split its first two games of the season but got one huge victory over Portland on Friday night. Overall, Gay shot 52 percent from the field and 50 percent from the 3-point line. He had a game-high 40 points in the Kings’ win over the Trail Blazers. His efficiency rating was 26.5, which ranked 11th overall and fifth among players who played at least two games.
Background: Arguably no player draws the ire of the analytics set more than Gay, who is continually held up as a poster child for inefficiency. Well, for at least one week he gets a reprieve, particularly in taking just 19 shots to get to 40 points against Portland. Gay made 13 of those, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and added eight rebounds.
Dempsey’s take: Gay has long been one of the NBA’s best one-on-one players. He can get any shot he wants on the court and is among the best finishers in the league. The volume of shots he takes has been in question, as well as his ability to stop the flow of the offense to get his opportunities — a criticism that also has been leveled at Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony. But what isn’t in question is his talent. Gay remains a high-level player and will get every opportunity to lead a young team to what the Kings hope is a successful season.
