How former Memphis Grizzlies are stacking up in the playoffs

Rudy Gay 

Pau Gasol probably was the better player than Rudy Gay in Memphis, but Gay was probably more exciting. He made an All-Rookie team his first year with the team and never looked back.

He dropped in over 20 points per game in his second season and was a staple of the Memphis Grizzlies’ starting five for over a half decade. He made a name for himself as an offensive threat in Memphis, shooting nearly 40 percent from deep in 2010-11.

With the Grizzlies uniform on, he proved he could score from everywhere on the court, but they shipped him off to the Toronto Raptors when his contract was near its expiration so they wouldn’t lose him for nothing, and they haven’t had a wing player as good as him since.

Now, Gay is a San Antonio Spur, and his ability to be a secondary creator was supposed to be a blessing next to Kawhi. But there was no Kawhi, and Gay was forced to play out of his role. For the Spurs in the playoffs (amazingly, just Gay’s second time in the postseason), Gay started four of the five games. He was able to drop in 12.2 points per game against Golden State and was one of San Antonio’s most effective players.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

The Memphis Grizzlies had a few more former players in the playoffs, but these guys felt like the most important ones to highlight thanks to their relevance to Memphis in some way. Memphis is hopeful it can get back on track next year and have its own postseason story to write.