Rudy Gay vs. Andre Iguodala

[Gary]

Just curious what others think. We came close to getting Iguodala over the summer, but ended up with Gay in a trade. Who do you feel would be a better fit with the Kings long term? Who do you feel is a better fit now?

I am going with Rudy. I actually like that he can score. Iggy has the defense, but Gay isn't THAT far behind. Gay certainly has the offense nailed down.

 

[Hallama]

Igoudala has become a point forward. Problem is, that just wouldn't work on this current team getting 0 from the SG position. His defense and intangibles would've been welcome, but Gay is clearly a better player for this roster at the moment.

 

[Hadlowe]

Iggy isn't posting great stats, but he is quietly the best player on that Warriors team. He has a 13% usage rate, but is shooting the ball better than any of their other backcourt players, and that's saying something. Defensively, no one on that team (or ours) is even close to him. It's no coincidence that the Warriors had their lengthy losing streak while he was injured.

Still, I would rather have Gay as the second banana to Cousins. Iggy wants to do everything in equal measure, but he doesn't like being "The Man" on offense. He didn't do very well in Denver as the co-star with Lawson. Gay likes getting points, which is an attitude you need from a primary option on offense. Gay is also competent, if not spectacular on defense. I think it would be a sidegrade going from Gay to Iggy, and would hurt us on offense, while marginally helping us on defense.

 

[twslam07]

When I remember us going after Iguodala, I was under the impression it was going to be a lineup of...

PG - Evans/Thomas/Fredette/McCallum
SG - McLemore/Thornton
SF - Iguodala/Moute/Salmons/Outlaw
PF - Thompson/Patterson
C - Cousins/Hayes/N'Diaye

I would have been on-board with a team like this. It's missing a rim protector at PF, but I thought that would be a low seed playoff team this year. If you replace Gay with Iguodala in this scenario, I think you have way too many players looking to score on the floor. However, with Evans leaving, it left a door open for a #2 option. This made Gay a better fit than Iguodala. Iguodala isn't a #2 option. He is a fringe #3 scorer at best, but he is a very valuable glue guy who can do it all (spot up shooting, finishing at the rim, passing, ballhandling, rebounding, defense, etc.)

 

[The_Jamal]

depends if you believe in IT as a #2 or not. If so, Iggy makes a ton more sense as a jackknife player, secondary creator, and defensive stud. If not, then Gay is the right choice

 

[Dime Dropper]

depends if you believe in IT as a #2 or not. If so, Iggy makes a ton more sense as a jackknife player, secondary creator, and defensive stud. If not, then Gay is the right choice

Who in their right mind would believe IT is a #2?

 

[funkykingston]

When I remember us going after Iguodala, I was under the impression it was going to be a lineup of...

PG - Evans/Thomas/Fredette/McCallum
SG - McLemore/Thornton
SF - Iguodala/Moute/Salmons/Outlaw
PF - Thompson/Patterson
C - Cousins/Hayes/N'Diaye

I would have been on-board with a team like this. It's missing a rim protector at PF, but I thought that would be a low seed playoff team this year. If you replace Gay with Iguodala in this scenario, I think you have way too many players looking to score on the floor. However, with Evans leaving, it left a door open for a #2 option. This made Gay a better fit than Iguodala. Iguodala isn't a #2 option. He is a fringe #3 scorer at best, but he is a very valuable glue guy who can do it all (spot up shooting, finishing at the rim, passing, ballhandling, rebounding, defense, etc.)

Exactly. Iguodala is an ideal glue guy in the Scottie Pippen mold. Passing, defense, shooting, slashing, ballhandling he really does it all and I think he's still underrated by most NBA fans. He's perfect on the Warriors. And he would have been a great potential fit on the Kings had they kept Evans and if McLemore's outside stroke would have been as advertised.

On that team AI provides a second ballhandler to help Tyreke, a passer to get open looks for a spot shooting McLemore or a posting Cousins, a defender to take on the best perimeter player on the opposing squad and a guy who doesn't dominate the ball to allow Evans & Cousins to be the 1, 2 punch and IT to be a super sixth man.

But the reality is that while a lot of Kings fans saw the potential in that lineup, the reality is that the Kings FO didn't resign Evans after Iguodala turned down the teams offer so PDA certainly wasn't planning to sign both Tyreke AND Iguodala.

On this particular Kings team I think Gay (at least the Rudy Gay we've seen since the trade) is a better fit.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Who in their right mind would believe IT is a #2?

There are quite a few people around here who think IT is #2!

 

[whozit]

There are quite a few people around here who think IT is #2!

Some might even think #2 is too low. Just kidding I think.

 

[Gary]

Who in their right mind would believe IT is a #2?

Offensively he can be. But there are other aspects of his game that make me shudder. The reason why I think he can be is because he can do pretty much anything on offence can he not? I would prefer he be a 3rd option with more of a distribution role, but as a #2 he does fine.

Can create his own shot - check
Can create for others when his shot isn't there - check
Shoots at a high % - check
Shoots 3pt at a high % - check
Can get to the rim - check

There really isn't much that IT couldn't do on offense. Why couldn't he be a 2nd option on offense? What does he do so bad that would eliminate him from being a 2nd option? Defensively is another story of course but he can score a lot of points in bunches, and he has been one of our most consistent scorers.

I am not saying he should be OUR 2nd option, but I don't have issues with him taking a lot of shots, because he makes a lot of shots. It's not like MT taking 15 shots a game or anything.

 

[Uncia03]

I'm with the majority here.
Iguodala would have been the better SF with a line-up of Cousins/Defensive PF/Iguodala/Evans/Defensive 3&D Guard
But with Evans gone, Rudy is the better SF with a line-up of Cousins/Defensive PF/Gay/3&D Guard/3&D Facilitating PG

Really, once Evans was traded Rudy was one of the best SFs you could possibly hope to obtain. So though I didn't like losing Evans, picking up Gay was probably the best possible option for the SF position.

 

[DesertFox]

As things are, Iguodala. You start from scratch, Gay over Iggy. But on a team not lacking in scoring, Iggy makes too much sense.

The team as is sums to less than its parts, while Iggy would add some synergy. That is not any kind of criticism of Gay, just the construction of the roster not named Cuz.

 

[Gilles]

Offensively he can be. But there are other aspects of his game that make me shudder. The reason why I think he can be is because he can do pretty much anything on offence can he not? I would prefer he be a 3rd option with more of a distribution role, but as a #2 he does fine.

Can create his own shot - check
Can create for others when his shot isn't there - check
Shoots at a high % - check
Shoots 3pt at a high % - check
Can get to the rim - check

There really isn't much that IT couldn't do on offense. Why couldn't he be a 2nd option on offense? What does he do so bad that would eliminate him from being a 2nd option? Defensively is another story of course but he can score a lot of points in bunches, and he has been one of our most consistent scorers.

I am not saying he should be OUR 2nd option, but I don't have issues with him taking a lot of shots, because he makes a lot of shots. It's not like MT taking 15 shots a game or anything.

For a second option Thabo slowed him down rather dramatically. Sefolosha is a good defensive player, but he's not this dominant.
Iggy is 2.5 years older, and that makes quite a difference. Rudy showed he's a good second option if you give him the ball in the right places and he compliments Cousins very well.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Iguodala, no question. Defensively far superior, and there are enough offensive-oriented pieces on this team to pick up the slack. Heck, you could even run Iguodala as a point-SF and get away with a scoring-first Thomas starting at PG longer term. Or you could run Iguodala at SG and get a SF that fits whatever the next needs are. Lots of options with his versatility.

Frankly, I'm surprised given this team's lack of defense and unselfishness that the poll is going the other way. Rudy is by no means the problem, but swap him for Iguodala and you're much closer to the solution.

 

[Entity]

How about both. Iguodala at SG and GaY at SF. would be nice.

 

[twslam07]

As things are, Iguodala. You start from scratch, Gay over Iggy. But on a team not lacking in scoring, Iggy makes too much sense.

The team as is sums to less than its parts, while Iggy would add some synergy. That is not any kind of criticism of Gay, just the construction of the roster not named Cuz.

I agree with this to some degree. If you want to maximize the team as is, you go with Iguodala considering all the players we have that like to shoot the ball. If you want to build towards something and be a more competitive in the future, then you slot in Gay next to Cousins and look to build around them.

 

[Kingsfan23]

I've often wondered and asked this question myself. More important I wonder who management would have rather had. By all indications Toronto wanted to see what they had in Rudy to start the season but if he were available last summer that would be interesting.
Rudy for me

 

[Chupacabra]

Igoudala is only a SF because his athleticism allows him to slide over to that spot. Gay actually is a SF.

 

[Gary]

Igoudala is only a SF because his athleticism allows him to slide over to that spot. Gay actually is a SF.

Yes, true but I believe that Iggy would have been used primarily as a SF here. I assume we would have still gone for Gay though given the circumstances and then moved Iggy to the 2.

Imagine this...
PG - IT
SG - Iggy
SF - Gay
PF - JT
C - Cousins

We would be VERY close to playoff contention with that lineup. Maybe a couple bench players and a defensive rim protector away,.

 

[The Hammer]

Offensively he can be. But there are other aspects of his game that make me shudder. The reason why I think he can be is because he can do pretty much anything on offence can he not? I would prefer he be a 3rd option with more of a distribution role, but as a #2 he does fine.

Can create his own shot - check
Can create for others when his shot isn't there - check
Shoots at a high % - check
Shoots 3pt at a high % - check
Can get to the rim - check

There really isn't much that IT couldn't do on offense. Why couldn't he be a 2nd option on offense? What does he do so bad that would eliminate him from being a 2nd option? Defensively is another story of course but he can score a lot of points in bunches, and he has been one of our most consistent scorers.

I am not saying he should be OUR 2nd option, but I don't have issues with him taking a lot of shots, because he makes a lot of shots. It's not like MT taking 15 shots a game or anything.

Can't orchestrate a complete NBA offense. Check.

 

[KingMilz]

2 year deal > 4 year deal

Plus for Iggy to be at his best he needs to be a good team he's a guy that does more when he has to do less if that makes any sense. Iggy most the time is very passive as well, as nice as Iggy is to me he's not worth 50+million or whatever we offered and he's getting up in age. I really don't think he would make us all that much better tbh than we are now if you were to replace him with Gay.

So you take the two massive $$ years Gay has over giving 4 years to Iggy

 

[KingsCitizen]

Right now, I'd go with Gay.
I think he complement DMC better on offense. And through his length, Gay won't be too far behind from of Iggy on defense.
All Iggy needs to do in the Warriors on offense is simply help to rotate the ball back to either Curry or Klay.
In the Kings, he would need to do more than that because we don't have really gifted shooters here like those 2 guys in the Bay Area.
That's why Gay fits better "now".

 

[Dreadnought]

I'm a big Iggy fan. I think he makes any team he is on competitive. Not sold on Rudy yet for anything other than a #2 on a team that would lose the first round of playoffs. They're both around the same age and I'd much rather have Iggy.