Dogged by skeptics, Gay blossoming in second season

Rudy Gay, shown here blocking Bobby Jackson's shot, has shown star potential in his second season with the Grizzlies. AP

POLL Who will be the first All-Star from the 2006 draft? Brandon Roy, POR Rudy Gay, MEM LaMarcus Aldridge, POR Andrea Bargnani, TOR Someone else  View Results

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Jerry West's parting gift to the NBA was Rudy Gay. Entering his final season as the Memphis Grizzlies' president, West gambled by trading Shane Battier -- a solid veteran and community leader -- to Houston for Gay, the No. 8 pick in the 2006 draft. West was betting the Grizzlies' future on a 6-foot-8 UConn sophomore devalued by rival teams as an exasperating talent who lacked passion for the game.

It hasn't taken long for West to be vindicated. Gay is leading the Grizzlies with 18.7 points per game -- up from 10.8 as a rookie last year -- while occasionally flaunting his All-Star potential as a playmaker and explosive finisher.

"I think Jerry was right and I'm happy to be the beneficiary,'' said Chris Wallace, the Grizzlies' new general manager. "In the past, Rudy didn't make shots from outside with the consistency he's making them now. He's blocking shots, he's having some really good rebounding games, and he's very young -- he would be a senior in college right now. He's the type of guy you've got to have because that's a clean-up hitter we're talking about. Down the road in the playoffs, he could be the best player [in a series].''

Though Gay is less persuasive in his self-assessment, he doesn't lack confidence. "I have high goals,'' he said. "I would love to be an All-Star every year -- I want to have something to do on that weekend.''

Six months before the draft, Gay was widely projected as the No. 1 pick. He has no difficulty remembering the anonymous criticisms from NBA scouts that caused him to plunge.

"How could I forget it: He's inconsistent, he's soft, things like that,'' said Gay, now 21. "I think that's what kept me going. That's one thing that motivates me during the summer. These guys say I can't do this, so why not work on it?''

The most damning criticism was that Gay played because he had a talent for it, and not because he loved it.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't love the game,'' he said. "People like that get exposed. I want to be here night in, night out. After the draft, I was in the local gym shooting. I love this game, and hopefully more people understand that.''

But that love will be tested. The better he plays, the more coach Marc Iavaroni will demand of him.

"We're on him,'' Iavaroni said. "We expect a lot from him. We don't want to beat him down, we don't want to mess with his confidence, but we want to demand more from the guys who have more to give. We want it all out. If he has a little to give, we'll ask for a little. If he has a lot to give, we'll ask for a lot.''

Can a subdued talent like Gay become a star? He may be undervalued by playing for a rebuilding team in Memphis.

"His personality doesn't say star -- he's a quiet guy, polished, reserved,'' a Western Conference personnel executive said. "Everything about him says that he's going to be a quiet and appreciated player for a long time. Even if his numbers keep growing the way they're growing, very few people will pay attention. So it's hard to say that he can quickly be a big-time player in the league. But I do think he's going to be really good.''

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