Rudy Gay Returns To Full Practice For Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY – Rudy Gay appears set to make his Utah Jazz debut in the not too distant future.

For the first time since signing with the team in the offseason, Gay was a full participant at Jazz practice on Monday, one day after he practiced with the team’s G League affiliate the Salt Lake City Stars.

Gay has been sidelined for the team’s first 13 games of the season after undergoing bone spur surgery on his right heel over the summer.

 

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The Jazz announced the surgery shortly before the preseason began with a target return date set for early in the regular season.

“Trying to get back and get with the players and figure things out after the season has started, it’s a process,” Gay admitted. “I feel good, my body feels good, and I think me being on the court can help this team.”

Now nearly a month into the Jazz’s campaign, Gay’s return couldn’t come at a better time.

After starting with a league-best 7-1 record to open the year, the Jazz have lost four of their last five games and could use a veteran presence to stabilize the team.

“I’ve always been the type of person to do whatever the team needs, you know?” Gay said. “This is my 16th year in the league and that’s the only way you stay here, you do what the team needs.”

📹| Rudy Gay talks about making his way back on the court after going through a full practice.#PracticeInterviews | @ZionsBank

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 16, 2021

Recently, the Jazz seem like they could use help just about anywhere Gay can offer it.

Over this rough stretch, the Jazz have the ninth-ranked offense and the 26th ranked defense, both of which were top five last season.

They’ve fallen from being the fourth most efficient three-point shooting team last year to 27th this season, and the second-best defensive rebounding team to the 14th.

Though Gay isn’t known as a sharpshooter, his career 35 percent three-point shooting percent would rank third-best on the Jazz this season behind only Mike Conley and Joe Ingles.

It’s also nearly a full 10 percentage points better than Eric Paschall who is getting the majority of the team’s backup forward minutes.

While he averaged just 4.8 rebounds per game last season, the second-lowest of his career, Gay’s history as a strong rebounder for his position would be an upgrade for the smaller Jazz roster.

“He’s big relative to our group,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “He’s not big compared to [Rudy] Gobert or Hassan [Whiteside], but his size and his ability to eat space on the floor is an asset.”

Gay has also proven to help his teams win on the floor, having ranked second on the San Antonio Spurs last season in plus-minus at +2.1.

Rudy Gay on his three-point shooting battles after practice.

"We're old, he looks older than me though. "

He did call Joe one of the best three-point shooters in history. #takenote | @KSLSports

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) November 15, 2021

Currently, all eight players in the Jazz rotation have a positive plus-minus, though Paschall, whose minutes might be partially absorbed by Gay, is the only player in the rotation below +1.0.

But when exactly Gay returns has yet to be decided. Snyder said that decision is up to the team’s training staff, and though the veteran has been back at practice, he’s still trying to get back into game shape.

“Wind is definitely an issue in Utah,” Gay laughed about the state’s altitude.

Gay could make his debut at Vivint Arena either Tuesday or Thursday as the Jazz host the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors or could wait until the Jazz travel to Sacramento to face his former Kings team on Saturday.

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