Rudy Gay expresses his frustration
- Thread starter Flopi
- Start date
Rudy is clearly better than anyone on our roster except Cuz. I think Joerger and Divak can jack up his attitude and performance. He's here. Keep nm. If we do that leaves our starters fine, PF our weakest starter but our backup could be a winner. Next need, a backup PG. Trading Ben could get that done but if not then Koufos, though that is risky. Let's hope we get good news about Collison.
I don't think Rudy has much insight into anything if he says Rondo left because "he was unhappy". Rondo left because the Kings didn't want him and chose to spend their space on 30 year old journeymen, so Rondo bid himself out to the highest (and maybe only) bidder. And it is pretty bad Rudy has no kind words for Joerger. It was kind of "oh yeah, that guy, meh" Where my confusion lies is why Rudy can't look to get something going with the "best center in the game" and coach who knows him and knows his game?
The tension between the previous coach and Boogie has been eliminated, there are pieces to work with in Collison and Willie, perhaps a return to grind and pound style of Malone, and that does not give you a cause for optimism or hope?
Apparently not, and what reasonable conclusions are we to draw? Well, the first and foremost conclusion I draw is Rudy no longer wants any part of Boogie as a teammate. He's been around it long enough, knows what to expect, is mentally drained by the melodrama, egomaniacal posturing and the chronic non-professionalism. The request to be traded came from his agent probably around the time the season ended and Vlade is just holding out for a fair to good offer to pull the trigger.
(The trade I think we WANT to make is three-way deal with LAC and BOS to get Avery Bradley, but this is looking more and more like a pipe dream unless Doc Rivers AND Danny Ainge capitulate, with Rivers ask price too high for Blake, and Ainge offer too low, probably wanting to peddle Marcus Smart to SAC instead of Bradley).
Keeping Rudy out of the loop and breakdown in communication is logical in accordance with notion both sides think split is best and because the prospects of returning even w/o Karl but to the Boogie Show, replete with locker room hysterics and ref bickering and extracurricular non-sense just don't appeal to him at this stage in his career. I think if Rudy thought Karl was the first and foremost problem, whether through lack of leadership or system or whatever, and with him out of the way, Rudy-Boogie and cast could form a formidable duo with role players and those guys had close enough bond, then his attitude and tone would be in stark contrast to the one conveyed in this interview.
But Rudy has been there and done that. And he's had enough. And in my mind, this does not reflect well on Boogie, and to lesser extent on Vlade and Joerger, who apparently could not or did not, do or say anything to gain back his confidence or trust.
My last thought is Rudy is not a leader when we needed one as a player with 4-5 years experience on Boogie. He's a passive guy who lacks the force of personality or will to be the difference maker we needed him to be. Though his usage rate dropped precipitously through no fault of his own, he underachieved relative to his ability and potential. In fairness to him, some of that is probably related to being a new father coinciding with start of season. I think Rudy needs to go somewhere where he can be a #3 option on a team. I am not sure he has the oomph and hutzpah to a #2 guy on a winning team. That's what we asked him to do over 2.5 years, and for multitude of reasons he was unable to fill that role.
The interesting thing is I think the market is soft for his services. So a deal out there to be made is NOT out there or else it would have been made! And we are in NO position to trade him just to trade him with our already dubious talent base.
EDIT: Rudy did say nice things about Joerger related to Conley and Gasol, but it still didn't come across as ringing endorsement or any palpable sense he looked forward to having him as a coach.
The tension between the previous coach and Boogie has been eliminated, there are pieces to work with in Collison and Willie, perhaps a return to grind and pound style of Malone, and that does not give you a cause for optimism or hope?
Apparently not, and what reasonable conclusions are we to draw? Well, the first and foremost conclusion I draw is Rudy no longer wants any part of Boogie as a teammate. He's been around it long enough, knows what to expect, is mentally drained by the melodrama, egomaniacal posturing and the chronic non-professionalism. The request to be traded came from his agent probably around the time the season ended and Vlade is just holding out for a fair to good offer to pull the trigger.(The trade I think we WANT to make is three-way deal with LAC and BOS to get Avery Bradley, but this is looking more and more like a pipe dream unless Doc Rivers AND Danny Ainge capitulate, with Rivers ask price too high for Blake, and Ainge offer too low, probably wanting to peddle Marcus Smart to SAC instead of Bradley).
Keeping Rudy out of the loop and breakdown in communication is logical in accordance with notion both sides think split is best and because the prospects of returning even w/o Karl but to the Boogie Show, replete with locker room hysterics and ref bickering and extracurricular non-sense just don't appeal to him at this stage in his career. I think if Rudy thought Karl was the first and foremost problem, whether through lack of leadership or system or whatever, and with him out of the way, Rudy-Boogie and cast could form a formidable duo with role players and those guys had close enough bond, then his attitude and tone would be in stark contrast to the one conveyed in this interview.
But Rudy has been there and done that. And he's had enough. And in my mind, this does not reflect well on Boogie, and to lesser extent on Vlade and Joerger, who apparently could not or did not, do or say anything to gain back his confidence or trust.
My last thought is Rudy is not a leader when we needed one as a player with 4-5 years experience on Boogie. He's a passive guy who lacks the force of personality or will to be the difference maker we needed him to be. Though his usage rate dropped precipitously through no fault of his own, he underachieved relative to his ability and potential. In fairness to him, some of that is probably related to being a new father coinciding with start of season. I think Rudy needs to go somewhere where he can be a #3 option on a team. I am not sure he has the oomph and hutzpah to a #2 guy on a winning team. That's what we asked him to do over 2.5 years, and for multitude of reasons he was unable to fill that role.
The interesting thing is I think the market is soft for his services. So a deal out there to be made is NOT out there or else it would have been made! And we are in NO position to trade him just to trade him with our already dubious talent base.
EDIT: Rudy did say nice things about Joerger related to Conley and Gasol, but it still didn't come across as ringing endorsement or any palpable sense he looked forward to having him as a coach.
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You don't create stability by getting rid of your 2nd best player because he was confused about what was happening last year. He's not the only person who didn't know what was going on last year nor the only one to be confused by our 13th pick. If you dump him, you are admitting that the coaching change, etc. has done nothing to create a change or just simply to create a team that is a winner. If Rudy wants to be on a stable winner, he needs to buy into what Joeger wants to do and play flat out to help this team.
True, but Rudy also needs to know that the team is committed to him. These trade rumors have circulated a number of times this off season and during last season. Maybe they come from outside of the front office and they've never explored trades, though more likely the front office have explored trades or fielded offers for him (and continue to explore trades). As the saying goes, there's no smoke without fire. This trade talk is unsettling for any player, and while we expect Rudy to be professional and get on with it, by that same notion our front office needs to decide what it's going to do: commit to Rudy Gay as our starting SF and nip trade talk in the bud, or trade the guy and get whatever they can in return so they get someone that they want as part of the future.
It's not all Rudy. Right now he's rightly unsettled because of all that's gone on. Someone has to assure him he's in their plans, or confirm that he's available at the right price. The front office needs to decide which it is sooner rather than later, because continuing as they are will only continue to unsettle Rudy and potentially affect his contributions if he lets it get to him.
It's not all Rudy. Right now he's rightly unsettled because of all that's gone on. Someone has to assure him he's in their plans, or confirm that he's available at the right price. The front office needs to decide which it is sooner rather than later, because continuing as they are will only continue to unsettle Rudy and potentially affect his contributions if he lets it get to him.
That interview sounds like someone checked out. We can keep a disgruntled Rudy and have it be a distraction all season and he 100 percent opts out next summer and walks for nothing in return. Or we trade him now, get some assets back, guys that are bought in and want to be here/have something to prove.
Absolutely agree - my argument though is that whilst he might be pissed at the lack of direction to date, even Rudy surely can see the positivity in movement we have made in coaching, roster and FO this summer and that i dont feel its in his character to continue to complain and bicker now we are more or less set and moving forward
Its probably just human nature, but people are getting all worked up about this and its really not that big a deal. We already knew, or at least strongly suspected this. Rumors of us trading Rudy go back to the trade deadline, there have been numerous reports of him wanting out, so why should this be any huge new blow? And if you were planning on trading a guy anyway and felt he was checked out, why would he be kept in the loop on the team you were building?
These are all pretty much things we knew. Nothing has changed since yesterday, other than strong suspicions we would have a new SF turning to near-conformation. In fact given Omri and Barnes and Afflalo, we may already have our replacement SFs in town. We have been talking PGs we could trade Rudy for, but given our interest in Calathes (which might be impossible) he might just bring back BPA.
These are all pretty much things we knew. Nothing has changed since yesterday, other than strong suspicions we would have a new SF turning to near-conformation. In fact given Omri and Barnes and Afflalo, we may already have our replacement SFs in town. We have been talking PGs we could trade Rudy for, but given our interest in Calathes (which might be impossible) he might just bring back BPA.
I like Dr. Blob's plan to trade Rudy for Avery Bradley. Bradley used to be listed as a PG. I think he might fit in on this Kings squad pretty well
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me
I like Dr. Blob's plan to trade Rudy for Avery Bradley. Bradley used to be listed as a PG. I think he might fit in on this Kings squad pretty well
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me
boogie
wcs + on d
barnes + on d
afflalo or temple + on d
bradley + on d
i'd like to see a midseason match up between the kings and dubs after our guys gel a bit.
I like Dr. Blob's plan to trade Rudy for Avery Bradley. Bradley used to be listed as a PG. I think he might fit in on this Kings squad pretty well
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me
I like Dr. Blob's plan to trade Rudy for Avery Bradley. Bradley used to be listed as a PG. I think he might fit in on this Kings squad pretty well
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me
Clips would need more.
But weren't we in deep trouble with Rudy on the roster too, when Boogie got injured/ill?
From my point of view we need a concept, that allows our role players to keep the team afloat. Any production from our "stars" should be only needed to put this team over the top.
Simply dumping the ball to Rudy and play from there, was exactly what Malone and Karl did, when Boogie was out, and it wasn't pretty.
A concept, that allows our role players to step up, will most likely start on the defensive end and will rely on ball movement on offense. Therefore we need as many good defenders and willing ball movers as possible. That won't be enough to beat any contender without Boogie, but it should be enough to come out on top in games versus the weaker/younger teams. That could be enough to still sneak into the Playoffs even when Boogie misses a limited amount on games.
Now Rudy is not a good defender nor a good ball mover - he is a very good scorer and decent rebounder, but I personally don't think he fits the concept described above.
Therefore I would be happy, when Rudy is moved for another plus defender, who can hit open shots and knows how to cut to the basket.
I would gladly take Crowder, Bradley or even Smart, based on his potential, for an expiring Rudy.
From my point of view we need a concept, that allows our role players to keep the team afloat. Any production from our "stars" should be only needed to put this team over the top.
Simply dumping the ball to Rudy and play from there, was exactly what Malone and Karl did, when Boogie was out, and it wasn't pretty.
A concept, that allows our role players to step up, will most likely start on the defensive end and will rely on ball movement on offense. Therefore we need as many good defenders and willing ball movers as possible. That won't be enough to beat any contender without Boogie, but it should be enough to come out on top in games versus the weaker/younger teams. That could be enough to still sneak into the Playoffs even when Boogie misses a limited amount on games.
Now Rudy is not a good defender nor a good ball mover - he is a very good scorer and decent rebounder, but I personally don't think he fits the concept described above.
Therefore I would be happy, when Rudy is moved for another plus defender, who can hit open shots and knows how to cut to the basket.
I would gladly take Crowder, Bradley or even Smart, based on his potential, for an expiring Rudy.
Why do so many Kings fans always believe we can't get equal value for a Kings player? That's a common theme around here, as if being a King somehow puts a stamp on your forehead.
I suspect that's got something to do with our inferiority complex as fans. But really, what you can get for a player - regardless of his team - is his value! To get less than one's value means you're desperate and willing to take "the best offer today." I don't see that here.
As a player, Rudy doesn't fit what this team needs right now. So I'm happy to let him go.
I suspect that's got something to do with our inferiority complex as fans. But really, what you can get for a player - regardless of his team - is his value! To get less than one's value means you're desperate and willing to take "the best offer today." I don't see that here.
As a player, Rudy doesn't fit what this team needs right now. So I'm happy to let him go.
The list of teams that need a guy like Rudy is pretty thin, and we're looking to make win-now moves vs. building future assets (ie draft picks, cap room etc), which further limits our trade possibilities with this small set of teams. And it's clear that with this, we haven't gotten near a fair offer in return. Hence, why he's still on the roster.
In a perfect world, I'd love to see Rudy traded for a 3-and-D player (or two) who can really shoot the three well in higher volume (ie 6-7 attempts per game) and not draw out the shot clock with dribbling or passing up shots. I think such a player would really open up our spacing and having consistency of what that player does (strictly getting open for threes or cutting to the basket) would help define roles for other players who tend to be lost or break plays on offense.
But again, market is limited. Very possible that once the Aug-14th draft pick trade block is lifted and we don't make moves, Rudy is on our opening day roster. Then it's the countdown to Dec-14th (trades of recently signed FAs opens) and the deadline. Hopefully we get something for him.
In a perfect world, I'd love to see Rudy traded for a 3-and-D player (or two) who can really shoot the three well in higher volume (ie 6-7 attempts per game) and not draw out the shot clock with dribbling or passing up shots. I think such a player would really open up our spacing and having consistency of what that player does (strictly getting open for threes or cutting to the basket) would help define roles for other players who tend to be lost or break plays on offense.
But again, market is limited. Very possible that once the Aug-14th draft pick trade block is lifted and we don't make moves, Rudy is on our opening day roster. Then it's the countdown to Dec-14th (trades of recently signed FAs opens) and the deadline. Hopefully we get something for him.
I like Dr. Blob's plan to trade Rudy for Avery Bradley. Bradley used to be listed as a PG. I think he might fit in on this Kings squad pretty well
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me
Ainge Gets Blake
Doc Gets Rudy and Smart
Kings get Bradley (Bradley's stats---> http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bradlav01.html )
Works for me