Rudy Gay, Dime #25While I’ve since forgotten the exact play that allowed Rudy Gay to down the Orlando Magic with a buzzer-beating game-winner back on Halloween, I still remember his post-game interview from that night: “When it comes down to it,” Rudy told the Grizzlies’ sideline reporter, “I think I should get the last shot.”
At the time, I took this as an official declaration of what we’ve known since the Pau Gasol was trade: that the Grizzlies are Rudy Gay’s team. But then O.J. Mayo got involved. After taking a few games to get his NBA feet wet, the rookie started cranking out 30-point outings, and if the box scores are any indication, is moving in on Rudy’s territory as The Man in Memphis.
Ron Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal points out Rudy’s recently “up and down” play, and Mayo’s supposed role in the whole thing:
“[Gay] is willing to accept many of the theories for why he’s struggled to find consistency. But Gay appeared amused at the notion that he’s engaged in a personal battle to keep pace with rookie guard O.J. Mayo’s extraordinary scoring.
“I don’t have to compete with my teammate,” Gay said with a broad smile. “It’s not like that. We’ve been the two people on the team that’s been consistently scoring. If anything, I feel I can score every night with O.J. rather than compete with him. What O.J. does on the court helps me out a lot. We help each other a lot more than people think.”
Through 17 games, Rudy is averaging 20.2 points, while Mayo is dropping 21.9 a night. Gay’s field-goal (43%) and three-point (25%) shooting is down from last year, and while no one expected the Grizzlies to be much better than their 4-13 record at this point, they’ve looked especially awful at times and hardly improved — at least some of which has to fall on the franchise player.
If you had to pick one, who should get top-option status on the Grizzlies: Gay or Mayo?
Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal
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December 3rd, 2008 at 4:42 pm
IGP says:
I’d go with Rudy, but I’m a big fan. I think he’s more versatile and can be a really great player. OJ is nasty too, though.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Dime Magazine says:
I go Rudy. A 6-8 perimeter super-athletic swingman who has improved in leaps and bounds is much closer to what a franchise player should be than a short two guard.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
got them..SCOOBY DO's says:
oMg….why do you media guys have to start something that isnt’ there?
Why can’t they both be the top-options like they are stating….
I think the object of the game is to try to compile wins…who cares who the top-option…whoever is hot, and if they’re both on..does it matter who takes the last shot…I’d rather have two guys to go to in the clutch than one….
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Shogun says:
Mayo!
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:49 pm
weng santos says:
Because that’s the American way of sports. Sombody’s gotta be the man. It’s all about the alpha dog.
Stoudemire, fighting for the limelight, going 1 on 1- somebody needs an excuse to be selfish.
Not only is a ball-hog “go-to” guy tolerated, it’s encouraged. This is the NBA; stats equal dollars.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Shakers says:
Gay and OJ should watch plenty of tape on Pierce and Ray in Boston. Whoever has the early hot hand gets the offense run through them. Memphis just doesn’t have the third option as a spot up shooter like KG.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:54 pm
weng santos says:
Plus, you know, you gotta start something between these 2 because it makes for a more interesting storyline. Infighting is the stuff TV careers are made of.
That’s why everybody finds the Spurs boring; they’re not compelling because there’s no power struggle going on there. Pop is the coach and everybody listens to him; Duncan is the leader and everybody wants to play beside him; everybody else got roles they’re happy with; and everybody likes everybody.
They’re… NORMAL. And dysfunction is much more intruiguing =)
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:18 pm
srb says:
rudy
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:19 pm
French says:
BREAKING NEWS - SAM MITCHELL FIRED, JAY TRIANO TAKING OVER!
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:23 pm
MadSammyboy says:
Dime got scooped by French.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Justin Solomon says:
If Mayo keeps ballin the way he is, he is looking at ROY status. Dude is taking over on a team that has no leadership. Sorry but Rudy belongs on the all-soft team. I never seen him really step up the way he should for the Grizz.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Raj S says:
Mayo scores a lot, but also gives up a lot of points. Imagine if Kobe didn’t use a lot of effort on defense, and he ADDED effort on offense. He’d score 40 a game while giving up like 25. Chris Webber used to get 20 and 10 regularly, but it didn’t matter because he was giving up 20 and 10 as well.
Rudy Gay is the best player on the Grizzlies. He is athletic as hell, and he already has a great skill set. Mayo is nowhere near as physically impressive as Gay, either size or athletically speaking. His skill set is probably a little better, but skills are the easier to obtain than athleticism (and certainly easier to obtain than length).
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:04 pm
callmedarko says:
Neither, Darko!
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:19 pm
QUeSt??? says:
rudy, but he might want to watch his back in a few years
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:37 pm
kobeef says:
If we were talking about Kobe or STAT or Nate Robinson or Mo Williams you might be able to convince me that there was some kind of Alpha Dog stuff going on…but this is Rudy Gay.
I’ve been following this kid since college and he is the real deal. A good, down to earth, head on straight freak of nature. Rudy really doesn’t have anything to wrry about and he knows it. He’s known since he was 18 that he was gonna get paid to play in the NBA because he is the real deal. Rudy will get an 8 figure contract offer from the Grizz if he averages 15 pts per game or 29 points per game. Rudy will always (if healthy) be an NBA starter because he is a special talent.
If anything, Rudy is glad to have someone on his team to help carry the load.
I like the OJ - Rudy combo as the future of this team and people who try to stir things up between them need to keep that future in mind.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
D.H. says:
this is the coaches job, is it not. Coach should be figuring out how to get both these guys involved equally. They both need touches for the Griz to be sucessful.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:25 pm
KDawg says:
Thats the problem with the NBA - its all about the me me me mentality… the glory of thy self is the downfall of the play. Remember the 80s when it was LA-Boston mania… those teams didnt give 2 damns about who got the ball… when you had players like Magic wheeling and dealing dropping dimes on everybody, thats when it was something special. Sometimes I wish the league could go back in time and remember what real “team basketball” was about. Even Jordan had to rely on 4 other player to get the shine for being the best and bring home multiple championships.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:43 pm
JCARR says:
Mayo… he has so much talent. Rudy is struggling and relies on dunking the ball too much. Although without each other they wouldnt be having 20 point outings.
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:49 pm
aaron says:
memphis doesn’t have a franchise player right now lol. seriously tho.
so the question of who gets the last shot??? ummmm whoever is shooting better that night. If they both are shooting well give it to someone else and use them as a decoy.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Dave says:
Gay …. for now
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Lucky says:
Mayo
December 4th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Jay says:
I’d definitely go with Mayo. His basketball IQ is much higher and that gives him the chance to develop his game more than Rudy. Mayo just knows more basketball plays. He can use screens in multiple way, he can drive and dish. His assists numbers aren’t great right now but the whole ball sharing deal with that team is screwed up. The only guys with high basketball IQs are Marc Gasol and Mayo and a lot of the time, in order to get yours, you have to call your own number. They’re too young and 3/5ths of the guys aren’t good passers so they lack cohesion.
I’ve never been much of a fan of Gay. He’s become a better shooter than I thought he would be. Even though his three point shot has been off this season, his mid-range and shooting off the dribble game is pretty good. But aside from that, he’s never been a good dribble-driver. Watch him attempt to drive, his first step is average and crucially, so are his second and third steps. As a result, he rarely ever gets all the way to the basket on his drives. So what if he’s long and athletic if he never gets to use his gifts in aggressively attacking the basket? When he has the ball, he has tunnel vision. He doesn’t make plays for others and he never has going all the back to college. He’s mainly an isolation player making plays only for himself. His basketball IQ is poor and when has there ever been an elite team whose top three guys didn’t have high basketball IQs? I don’t think a team can win big with him.
December 4th, 2008 at 7:51 am
hesays says:
OJ Mayo is a cancer to a team in the same way that Allen Iverson is. Sure he is a scorer, but that’s just code for ballhog. Mayo has all the talent in the world, but i predict his career turning out to be more like Larry Hughes than say Kobe Bryant. He will end his career the same way that Iverson is ending his (with no contending team wanting him around). It’s a shame too, because he is such a skilled player. He’s not the only one in this class like that either…hello Jared Bayless! Nates got him holding down that bench
December 4th, 2008 at 8:24 am
driveatsleep says:
Haddadi… no questions asked!