The rookie coach had his hands full in his first head coaching gig only winning 15 games in his and the franchise’s inaugural season.Įnter Shareef Abdur-Rahim. The Brian Winters-led Vancouver Grizzlies were made up of a mixture of young players in their first few years in the league, along with players like Byron Scott who were on the verge of retirement. Rudy Gay (7 seasons): 17.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 45 FG%, 0.9 BLK, 1.3 STL, 10.6 VORP, 16.1 PER Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty ImagesĪs one would expect, an expansion franchise in its second season is a franchise still in turmoil. The question is which wing had the better Grizzlies career? While Rudy Gay would never help the Grizzlies surpass the first round, his 7 seasons were successful, as he was productive on both sides of the floor at the small forward position, and the franchise has been looking for this level of production from the position since the parties parted ways. In Gay, the Grizzlies now had a player that could spread the floor, get out and run with Pau Gasol, and most importantly create his own shot on three levels, which the Grizzlies lineup had been missing in past playoff runs. In 2006, the Grizzlies would trade fan-favorite Shane Battier to the Houston Rockets in return for former fan-favorite Stromile Swift and the 8 th overall pick - University of Connecticut standout Rudy Gay.
Rudy Gay represented a transition for the franchise, as he arrived to a Grizzlies team that was stuck in neutral as a playoff team that would get swept in the first round. The team’s lack of success led to the legacy of their beautiful uniforms outlasting the actual play on the court and the play of the team’s best player being underrated as he is still sprinkled across the top of franchise leaderboards. 500 during his tenure in Vancouver, Abdur-Rahim had a productive career as a consistent bucket and defender for those young Vancouver teams. While that did not necessarily happen as the franchise never finished above. He was immediately made the face of the franchise and given the responsibility of carrying the expansion franchise to relevance. Shareef Abdur-Rahim was the first star to don a Vancouver Grizzlies jersey. They both brought to the team the total package as players that could get their own shot as well as hold their own defensively. While the line has become more blurred over the years of what a “wing” is, there is no denying that Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Rudy Gay are two of the best wings the Grizzlies have ever had.
Through these multifaceted skillsets, these players are often the most celebrated by basketball fans.
On the court, they are instrumental to a team’s success as they are generally the most unique player on the floor, possessing the size of a big man while having the athleticism and shooting prowess of smaller guards and the defensive flexibility to guard multiple positions. Off the court, they are a cherished finger food that do the body good while watching the game. Wings are an American treasure, essential to a successful game day experience.