So far in 2015, Rudy Gay is having one of his best and most efficient seasons. Although the Sacramento Kings are sitting at 14-20, it’s actually been one of their best starts in recent memory. DeMarcus Cousins has missed a number of games with injury, and Gay has been the main reason they’ve been able to stay afloat.
Averaging 20.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 4.6 APG, Gay is third, sixth and fourth in the those categories among qualifying small forwards respectively. He is one of 10 players in the league who averages 20 points per game, four rebounds and four assist per game. It’s also not too shabby being the only small forward beside LeBron James to average that.
The main reason why Gay should be an NBA All-Star this season is the lack of depth at the small forward position. There are really only a few small forwards who are worthy of All-Star consideration. In the East, you have James and Carmelo Anthony. In the west there is Gay, Kevin Durant and Gordon Hayward.
Durant is obviously a superstar, but out of the 34 games the Oklahoma City Thunder has played this season, he’s only been in 11. I vote for NBA All-Stars based on the performance they’ve had throughout the season, and you can’t properly judge if Durant should be on the team or not based on the small sample size. I always felt it should go to a player who is contributing; nothing against Durant, but you can’t contribute while in a suit on the sidelines.
Hayward is an interesting player because his numbers are pretty similar to Gay’s. He’s averaging 18.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 4.1 APG. The only issue with Hayward is his team is even worse than the Kings, and his numbers are just all around worse than Gay’s.
While there may be more talent in different positions in the Western Conference, I still think the team needs to have at least one small forward. Due to the lack of depth at the position and the stellar play of Gay this year, I would put him on the All-Star team in 2015.
Brian Brennan is a Portland Trail Blazers writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @b2brennan.
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