Report: Rudy Gay not being shopped

I wish Rudy Gay were being shopped. Gay was the main reason that the Grizzlies were an above-average team and not a title contender. Fans tend to rely on statistics as a crutch and look at Gay's ppg/rpg/apg as evidence that he's a good basketball player. However, the reality is that he detracts from what the Grizzlies were trying to do.

Gay's FG% is respectable, but that's because of how many of his shots come off of iso's, screens, and general offensive break downs where Gay gets a clear path to the rim. In those situations, he has room to use his athleticism and get to the basket. There's no doubt that he's a superior athlete, but he has about a zero basketball IQ and continually forces shots. At the end of the day, he's holding the Grizzlies back more than he's helping them.

On top of that, he doesn't fit in well with Randolph and Gasol. The Grizzlies have arguably the best 4-5 combo in the NBA, but Hollins severely underutilizes it. There were points in the Clippers-Grizzlies series where Marc Gasol was literally begging for touches and playing time; there were also times in that series where Z-Bo would start the game off by dominating Griffin and Jordan in the post. As the playoff games progressed though, Gay (and Mayo) would inevitably dominate the ball in the 2nd and 3rd quaters, having the ball in his hands on most of those posessions --- unsure what to do with the basketball but trying to make a name for himself none the less, being a little too cocky in his own abilities. That was the Grizzlies' downfall.

However, most fans/NBA management don't seem to see all of Gay's flaws. They see a guy who was one of the top scorers on Team USA's 2010 FIBA World Championship team, alongside Durant and Westbrook. I just wish that the Grizzlies' management would capitalize on the apparent interest in Gay instead of hoping he'll mesh with Randolph. I don't necessarily even want an All-Star caliber player in return for Gay. In my mind, he's an addition by subtraction. The Grizzlies are not that far away from being an elite team, and if a Rudy Gay trade can yield the Grizzlies an adept shooter, a reliable backup point guard who doens't turn the ball over or make bad decisions, and a late lottery pick, then I say go for it.