One of the key additions the San Antonio Spurs made over the offseason was signing veteran forward Rudy Gay to a two-year, $17.5 million deal after he opted out of his previous deal with the Sacramento Kings.
The 31-year-old is coming off a torn Achilles that he suffered back in January and has been steadily recovering from the injury. According to James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area, Gay has received medical clearance to play, but the Spurs have elected to take a precautionary approach.
Gregg Popovich said Gay is cleared to play, but he wants to take it easy on him. Not sure if Gay will play more SF or PF this season.
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) October 2, 2017
There is no reason to rush Gay back at this point given that it's just preseason action along with the severity of the injury that he suffered. A torn Achilles can be a career-altering ailment that could have a major impact on a player's physical ability on the court. If not handled correctly, it could lead to other nagging injuries due to his body compensating for the surgically repaired area not being ready to handle the physical rigors that come with the game.
The Spurs clearly have major plans for Gay to be an important role for the team likely coming off the bench as one of the primary scorers of the second unit. The fact that they have yet to determine his spot on the floor will be dependent on if he can show he can excel at playing power forward in small ball lineups. If he can prove that, Gay could be a vital piece to the puzzle this upcoming season.
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