San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich praised new acquisition Rudy Gay for quickly adapting to the team’s system on offense, helping the squad to a 4-1 start this season. "He's done a wonderful job," Popovich said, per Chris Barnewall of CBS Sports. However, Popovich said Gay still has to adjust to the Spurs’ system defensively and understand how the team works on defense. The head coach said it might take some time, but he expects Gay to adjust quicker. Popovich signed Gay to a two-year, $17 million deal in the offseason.
Gay has shown that he’s in a good shape following an Achilles injury last season.
In five games this season, Gay is averaging 12 points and four rebounds a game, shooting 52 percent from the floor. Gay provides the Spurs some offense off the bench, especially in the shaded lane where he has done some damage in the first five games. Danny Green said Gay is a welcome addition to the Spurs, saying the veteran forward is another offensive threat for the team
Popovich shocked with Gay’s early recovery
Popovich earlier admitted that he expected Gay to return in November. So it came as a huge surprise when Gay told him that he would participate in training camp. Now, he still monitors Gay after every game, asking him if he’s fine or if he has played many minutes. “He keeps saying he's fine,” said Popovich, adding that team doctors told him that Gay’s doing great.
When the Spurs signed Gay, they expected him to be another option on offense aside from Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge. With Leonard still out due to a quad injury, the team will rely on him even more to provide the spark off the bench for the Spurs. In his career, Gay has been a reliable scorer during his stint with the Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies and the Sacramento Kings, averaging 18.4 points in 753 career NBA games.
Popovich’s advice to Simmons
After their 114-87 loss to the Magic, Popovich approached his former player, Jonathon Simmons, and gave him a hug and a friendly advice. When asked about Popovich’s advice, Simmons said his former coach told him “make sure you save your money.” Simmons left the Spurs in free agency and signed a three-year, $20-million deal with the Magic.
It was Popovich who gave Simmons his NBA break that paved the way for his big contract with the Magic. Against the Spurs, Simmons scored 17 points and grabbed four rebounds off the bench, and he clearly enjoyed the success against his former team.
