The playoffs race is still far from finish line for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they are now expressing interest in acquiring Rudy Gay to team up with Russell Westbrook. The move is speculated to push through this season as the Thunder are looking for a sharp shooter to boost Westbrook's stats and lead the team to the finals.
OKC Thunder's Game Plan
The Thunder are reportedly doing just fine as they are now in the seventh place in the Western Conference standing with eight wins and eight losses record. The team has lost Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors last season, but Westbrook has been the franchise's piece of redemption as the All-Star player is obviously pulling his team up to the finals this season. With Durant gone, Westbrook is now the biggest name of the team and has been playing hard to prove that he can also lead the Thunder.
The powerful point guard is now surprising the league with his all-around game, and has previously recorded his fourth triple-double in their game with the Nets. He is now making an average of 31.8 points, 10.6 assists, and 9.6 rebounds per game this season. Westbrook is first in scoring in the Thunder, second in assists, and 14th in rebound. Alongside him are Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams. The three are at the peak of their careers with them pulling the Thunder up to the finals.
However, it is believed that the franchise is still in need of another reliable shooter if they want to secure their chance to the finals as they experienced two losses in a row. An additional scorer means defenders will be divided in the court, giving the Thunder a better chance to hit the basket. Not to mention the recent reports that Oladipo is confused with Westbrook's defense strategy. It is then believed that it will be best to take a defender who can cover for Westbrook while backing him up on scoring. The guy that they are searching for? The Sacramento Kings' small forward, Rudy Gay.
The Targeted Scoring Piece
Gay has always been known as a good defender as he was observed to be a good defense piece for the Memphis back in his time with the team. He has carried it on up to the present while manifesting his shooting skills. NBA trade rumors then have it that the 30-year-old player will be pulled in by the Thunder to help the team improve their stats.
Gay is the 8th overall pick by the Rockets in 2006, but he was immediately traded to the Kings on the same night that he was drafted. After a decade of being in the league, Gay is now making an average of 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.3 assists.
The Kings' standing is currently hanging, and joining the Thunder will give Gay a better chance of experiencing a championship. Besides, it has been reported that the Thunder have been interested with the Kings' SF even before the season started. If the Thunder are able to gather the pieces to get Gay, the team is said to benefit in so many ways. As already mentioned, the veteran player is known for his shooting caliber and for his defensive play. He is said to be a bait for the opposing team, clearing the way for Westbrook and the others on the team to score a basket.
It is not yet clear who the OKC Thunder are willing to give up for Gay since the team's plans of getting him this season are still raw and might just only be purely speculations for now.
