Looking Back: Rudy entered the year with a lot of expectations. He was on a team that looked to be ready to make a push in the highly competitive West and didn’t quite make it. While it was a disappointing season for the team, Rudy showed that he was the leader of the team. His season carried over into the FIBA World Championships, where he filled in nicely behind Kevin Durant. While he isn’t Durant, he showed that he is an up and coming star, landing himself a max contract and with that high expectations.
The Good: Rudy is blessed with an abundance of athleticism. He is a highlight reel ready to happen. He has an ability to play heavy minutes, averaging 39.7 a game and knows how to get to the line, which all great players can. While he isn’t known for his defense, he has a great ability to get steals which lead to those highlight dunks at the other end. His jumper is still a second weapon to his deadly driving ability, it has come leaps and bounds from when he first entered the league.
The Bad: Turnovers. He needs to limit the careless and unnecessary turnovers that plague his game, averaging 2.11 a game. He also had a poor outside shooting year and dipped in his average. He needs to bring it up from just .327 from three point range.
Looking Ahead: The arrow is pointing up for Rudy. He is on a young but talent filled team that keeps adding core players around him. His play overseas has added attention to his game and he should respond to that with a solid year. With the max contract signed, he is now the unquestioned leader of the Grizzlies and should help lead the team into the playoffs. If he can do that, then it will be a successful year.
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