In his first season with the San Antonio Spurs, Rudy Gay didn’t look like his usual self. In 57 games he played, the 32-year-old small forward averaged 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds on 47.1 percent shooting from the field and 31.4 percent from beyond the arc. Gay’s poor performance was somewhat expected since he just returned from the torn Achilles he suffered in 2017.
However, less than two months before the 2018-19 NBA season, Rudy Gay gave a huge update regarding his injury. In a recent interview with Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News , the veteran small forward revealed that he is 100 percent healthy. Gay said “everything is clicking” and he feels “athletic” again.
Since the 2018 NBA offseason started, Gay said that he is working hard to hard to improve his physique. He succeeded in losing some weight by working out and eating better. So far, he has already lost five pounds. Aside from being in a perfect shape, Gay has more reasons to be excited about the upcoming training camp.
Rudy Gay will be reuniting with his former teammate DeMar DeRozan, whom the Toronto Raptors traded to San Antonio, along with Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick, for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Gay has a good relationship with DeRozan, whom he calls his “brother.” Since the blockbuster trade happened, Gay admitted having more frequent conversations with the All-Star shooting guard.
Rudy Gay is excited to play with DeMar DeRozan again — “That’s my brother,” per @tom_orsborn https://t.co/9ZjUQfyUk7 pic.twitter.com/esGcpyanRV
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 20, 2018
Most people have doubt if DeRozan can make a huge impact in San Antonio. However, Gay strongly believes DeRozan will be a good fit for the Spurs.
“That’s the thing about this whole team – everybody has a chip on his shoulder,” Gay said. “His is just more publicized. But, look, I’m healthy (and have something to prove), LaMarcus (Aldridge) always finds someway to have a chip on his shoulder. Jakob wants to prove he can be a great player. DJ (Dejounte Murray) has a chip on his shoulder because he wants to be known as one of the best at his position. But I think we have a great mix of guys, a great basketball team. (Spurs GM) R.C. (Buford) put together a great team.”
In the ESPN Summer Forecast, the Spurs aren’t expected to earn a playoff spot in the deep Western Conference next season. Panelists predicted the Spurs to finish as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference with a 44-38 win-loss record. If Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan manage to exceed expectations, it may not be a surprise if the Spurs end up being the dark horse of the 2018-19 NBA season.
