Gay barely got to the rim last year and wasn’t amazing when he got there. There are some numbers to support that he was a really strong defender last year, and those matter, but if you ask Spurs fans about his defense the general consensus is that he’s not a good defense.
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I think he adds to a defense in ways that aren’t obvious even to people who watch closely by rebounding, being in correct position etc. But I also think there’s no denying that he’s fallen off physically (as most 35 year olds do) and that he’s not a great defender in the more visible areas like on ball defense.
I don’t think it matters too much because it’s just the RS, but I think Rudy Gay will have a hard time replacing Niang’s RS production. Niang was a perfect fit into his lineups and really starred in his role. Gay is not the same player and can’t do the same thing as well, but it’s about the playoffs and that’s where you’ve got to hope Gay shines.
I don’t know what that is, but his versatility offers up a lot of different ways he can help this team.