Subject :SACRAMENTO - Regardless of how the rest of the campaign shakes out, when its all said and done Decem
SACRAMENTO - Regardless of how the rest of the campaign shakes out, when its all said and done December 8 will be a date that jumps out as a turning point, not only for the Raptors but for Rudy Gay himself. 414571-003 Air Jordan 13 Retro Black/Infrared 23-Black( Men Women GS Youth Girls) . Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. "But its happened before and itll happen again." Rightly or wrongly, Gay has and will continue to shoulder most of the blame for Torontos 6-12 start, the same way his exodus will be credited for the teams remarkable turnaround. Theres no avoiding it. In Toronto, Gay was the offence, more or less. He was taking more shots than ever before, shooting the lowest percentages of his career and as a result the team was losing. The numbers are pretty conclusive, the Raptors are a better team without him on the roster. However, Gay has also taken off since the trade to Sacramento, which goes to show you that finding the right fit - although its easier said than done - can make a big difference. "I think here theres just more space [in the offence]," said Gay, who is averaging more points and taking fewer shots with the Kings. "Obviously with the kind of season Kyle (Lowry) is having and with DeMar (DeRozan) sometimes it would be a little cluttered out there, especially at the guard position. Here theres just more space for me to do what I do." Gay has shot 50 per cent or better in 17 of his 25 games with the Kings after doing so in one of 18 contests to begin the season in Toronto. Overall, hes hitting 53 per cent of his field goal attempts since the trade, having shot 39 per cent before it. "It just wasnt working up there for whatever reason," said Kings first-year head coach Mike Malone. "But when we made the acquisition we looked at Rudy as a complete player and his whole history, including his years in Memphis and you see how efficient and effective hes been for us." He credits most of that improvement to a system thats more conducive to his style of play, a system that revolves around dominant centre DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins is one of just three NBA players averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds this season. The attention he attracts in the paint has created space for Gay to operate on the perimeter. "You look at Torontos roster and no disrespect to Jonas (Valanciunas) or Amir (Johnson) but they dont have a true low-post presence," Malone said. "When Rudy was in Memphis he had two [frontcourt] guys that he could play with in Marc (Gasol) and Zach (Randolph) and we just thought the idea of putting him on the perimeter with the inside presence of [Cousins] could really allow him to showcase his abilities." "So it is a fit and guys have to compliment each other and thats what putting together a roster is all about," he continued. "Up there, for whatever reason, DeMar and Rudy on the court maybe wasnt a mesh, maybe [there] wasnt enough shots to go around. Im not sure what it was but all I can tell you is that the games that weve had Rudy hes been a great fit." The marriage between Gay and the Raptors, which lasted less than a full year, was flawed from the outset. He and DeRozan had repetitive skill sets that clashed on the court, restricting Lowry from playing to his strengths and stunting the growth of Valanciunas. Dwane Casey tried his best to fit square pegs into round holes until the inevitable split up freed his team and their most expensive player. The pieces just didnt fit. Though his pre-trade numbers may suggest otherwise, Gay never threw in the towel or lost hope that they would figure it out. "I think we had a chance to be a really good team," he said, two months removed from the deal. "I mean obviously theyre a really good team now but I still dont feel we had a lot of time to build and become a big threat in the East." Without Gay the Raptors have a record of 20-10, third best in the Eastern Conference behind only Indiana and Miami. They have recorded 20 or more assists in 24 of those 30 games, averaging 22.9 per contest, ninth-best over that stretch after ranking last in that category before the trade (averaging 17.3). They have gone from the 19th ranked three-point shooting team (34 per cent) to the fifth best (38 per cent) and find themselves in the top 10 in both offensive (10th) and defensive (fifth) efficiency since Dec. 8. "I think the trade helped both of us," Gay said. "Im here, I have more room and they have a solid bench. [Theres] no hard feelings. I love the fact that those guys are winning." Meanwhile, Gays reprisal hasnt translated to team success in Sacramento, at least not yet. The Kings are 11-19 since the trade, tied for the worst record in the West overall. Theyre last in the NBA in assists since Gays arrival but its been their defence, among the worst in the league, that has held them back more than anything else. Yet with Gay on board, paired with a young core of Cousins and breakout point guard Isaiah Thomas, the Kings are optimistic about the future. They have reason to be. "We couldnt be happier with Rudy and hes shown that hes much more than just a scorer," Malone said. "Hes proven to everybody that he can be a very efficient player so thats been a bonus." 310810-027 Air Jordan 13 Retro Low Black/Metallic Gold-University Red-White . According to bodog.ca, Cleveland moved up to grab the best odds to win the Larry OBrian trophy at 4-1 on Friday. By comparison, the Miami Heats odds plummeted from 3-1 favourites before LeBron left, to 50-1. Jordan 31 Banned Mens . And theyre pointing to the NHLs biggest market: Toronto. With Gretzky paid out for what is believed to be $7 to 8 million, Gretzky may be eager to get back into the NHL and TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports that the Maple Leafs are very much interested in The Great Ones services.Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jake Muzzin scored the game-winning goal with 3:37 to play as the Los Angeles Kings rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. Tyler Toffoli returned to the lineup after a six-game absence due to mononucleosis and delivered the game-tying goal and Jeff Carter finished with two goals and an assist for the Kings, who halted a four-game slide. It was huge, Toffoli said. It was the last game at home for a while, and playing against a really good team like Chicago. I think we played really well tonight. Jonathan Quick stopped 26-of-29 shots in the win. Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane each finished with a goal and an assist, Andrew Shaw also lit the lamp and Corey Crawford allowed four goals on 27 shots for the Blackhawks, who won their two previous games. I think we might have sat back a little bit and waited for them to come to us, said Kane. Usually when we do that, bad things happen. The Kings tied the game with 6:11 to play. After Carter took the puck off the boards, Dwight King shuffled a backhander to Toffoli, who wristed a shot past a screened Crawford for a 3-3 game. Muzzin put the Kings in front after his shot from the point deflected off the stick of Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson before going past Quick. Hossa threatened on a wraparound and Jonathan Toews rang a shot off the post with under a minute to play, but QQuick covered up the puck to halt the frenetic sequence. Mens/Womens Air Jordan 12 Retro Low Taxi Basketball Shoes White/Black-Taxi. Chicago also pulled Crawford, but was unable to force overtime. Kane started the scoring just 1:58 into the game. David Runblad took a cross- ice pass from Sharp and fired a shot from the right side. The puck was blocked by a Kings defender, but Kane was there to wrist it into the net. Carter emerged from behind the net, skated toward the left circle and turned around to beat Crawford with a short-side wrister for a tie game at 8:42 of the first period. Three minutes later, Sharp took Kanes feed and beat Quick with a quick shot from the left circle to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 edge. On the power play, Carter score his second of the night on a rising wrister from the right circle for a 2-2 game 1:45 into the middle stanza. Shaw put Chicago in front 2:25 into the third. Teuvo Teravainen skated through the neutral zone and into the slot before passing the puck to Shaw, who scored on a wrister over the glove of Quick. Game Notes Los Angeles now has 38 points at home this season (16-6-6) tying the 1980-81 and 1990-91 teams for the most points through 28 home games in franchise history ... The Kings are now 10-0-0 when Jeff Carter records a multi- point game ... Carter and Kane each had a game-high five shots ... The two teams will meet again on March 30 on Chicago. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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