They were 6-12 before the trade and 11-5 since with the 5 losses coming against Heat, Pacers, Spurs twice and Bobcats in OT. Can someone who's been following the Raptors please explain to me what happened? Post a link if there are any good articles on them.
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Gay sucks an totally kills team chemistry with his horrible shot selection and propensity to turn the ball over. Any other questions?
When the Grizz were making deep runs in the playoffs in recent years, Gay was injured and not playing.
People just look at the stat line on the ticker and see Gay scores like 24 points and think he is good. He isn't. He will shoot like 7 of 30, turn the ball over, and play horrible defense.
The Raptors now have better ball movement which results in better shots. I would imagine they have less turnovers, etc. They're obviously better without him.
There is a reason Gay keeps getting traded.Comment -
Gay was fixing games when he was on Toronto. He was a cancer to that team. They are better without him.Comment -
Gay is one of the most inefficient players in the NBA by all advanced metrics. He takes low percentage long twos, doesn't distribute the basketball, and is an average defender at best. What is surprising about the Raptors improving without him?Comment -
Thanks for the replies however I don't buy this Gay is cancer thing. I agree that he is somewhat an inefficient player but the kings have had some success with him, beating the Rockets twice, Heat and blazers since they got him. If he is such a cancer why would the raptors acquire him last season? I am sure they had quantitative analysts with the team who were able to study the games and stats and make suggestions to the management about him.Comment -
Gay is part of the reason but it is not due to him being a cancer. That is nothing but the spew raptors brass and media spreads to misinformed fans.
It can be argued that demar is more of a cancer but that's a diff story.
The team had two wing players both inefficient that commanded the same space. This clogged the paint and it didn't help when demar cannot make a simple read for a pass. So basically it turned Lowry into a spot up shooter as the offence was built around gay/demar and bigs were not getting touches.
Gay could create with the pick and roll but often telegraphed passes so he had a turn over problem. Demar can't even make a read so he'll settle for long two's.
Anyways since gays departure the team offense is Initiated from the perimeter through Lowry. This also boosted Amir/Val/tyler touches through Lowry penetration. It's mainly Lowry and Amir who are responsible for this. Patterson and Vasquez have also strengthen the bench.
Demar is still a problem here. Just an inefficient wing playing in a role not suited for him. Raptosr brass is quick to hide his faults and I guess since he's a home bred talent he gets live.Comment -
LOL...Gay is not a Team Cancer...never mind what the public is saying...they simply don't understand the difference between a team scorer (Lebron, Griffin, Durant) and Volume Scorer (Kobe, Gay, Irving, Melo). Gay is a classic textbook volume scorer. If he scores 25, he took 25 shots....right now in tonights game for example, Lebron has scored..24 pts on 13 shots....Melo has scored 23 on 21 shots...why does it take Melo almost twice as many shots to score less points ? LOL...because he is cut from the Kobe cloth...He is an isolation player that must shoot to get into rhythm...the problem is his shooting usually comes at the expense of the team dynamic....
This is what was happening with Gay...and the effect it was having on the Raptors was costing them games..they should have won. The team with the most assists usually wins...there's no ball movement with an ISO player....hence no assists...hence the open man is never found...Gay was great in the 4th quarter and won them games but they lost just as many with his style of play. It makes perfect sense that the raptors would start winning more after his departure...they move the ball and find the open man far more often...Ross is twice the defender Gay is...a slightly more efficient....his minutes have gone up, while the opponents points raptors give up has gone down...Ross gave Paul George fits last week.....
Gay is a great locker room guy...well liked by his teammates...he is not a CANCER...unfortunately...his style of play just does fit the Raptors system..and is not conducive to team basketball...Ex raptor GM Collangelo....did not understand this which is why he traded for him....teams with star player Volume scores require extremely efficient players around them..usually bigs...to make up for their inefficiency (See Shaq, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom with Kobe Bryant)...Surround Volume Scorers with small players and you are going to have serious problems...(See Knicks with Melo, current Lakers with Kobe, etc)
First thing Raptor GM Masai Ujiri did when he arrived in Denver was get rid of Melo...what happened? Denver continued to win..why? Melo was too ISO...and took too many shots..with Melo out, Denver started moving the ball far more...and continued to win. Masai has done the same thing in TorontoComment -
Theyve been very lucky outside, the Raptors are terrible and dont waste your time on that teamComment -
Have the nuggets gone as deep in the post season without melo?
Ujiri had to make the move anyhow as Anthony wanted out.
Gay was a good defender as a raptor. I believe demar shud have been moved but contracts..Comment -
Rudy Gay D is overrated. His jumper was off every game, WIDE open shots bricked every night. I won't say he's a cancer, i believe he's cool in the locker room just an overrated player. I watch every Raptor game trust me, Rudy Gay didn't play well while he was in Toronto. I thought we were getting a superstar, i was very surprised how shitty he played. Big shock.
He had everyone fooled for sure.
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This is a very insightful post, thanks Marquee. Do you think the Raptors would be better off trading Demar instead of Gay? Or trade them both? I've noticed the improvement in Lowry's game since the trade, he basically turned into an allstar caliber player. And you are right Salmons, Vasquez and Patterson are very efficient contributors and team players who improve team chemistry.Comment -
Demar is better than Gay. Demar has the work ethic, no way Demar is a cancer I dunno know where that came from. Demar isn't going anywhere!Comment -
LOL...good point....and that is why Karl was fired...he should not have been fired but that was their reasoning...Shaw is trying to implement the triangle..or at least some kind of half court set....and is failing miserably...Miller who should have retired a Nugget has left the team....but they sure are crushing OKC..lol. Demar is improving...but he is still almost as inefficient as gay and the numbers he has put up since Gay left show it. Gay took so many shots that Demar's efficiency actually improved...by default...but he has to continue to make an effort in shot selection and play making to remain effective...Comment
