"We don't know if that would have happened if I were there, too," Gay said. Maybe Gay was blocking their progress, maybe they just needed time. They've been worlds better aesthetically and otherwise, sharing the ball on offense and trusting each other on defense. Sophomores Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross have grown, too. The bench depth the Raptors received in return for Gay helped them, and Lowry and DeRozan have had career seasons in the backcourt. I'm in Sacramento now and I have to build this team." "Of course I'd like to be a part of that. Just like when the Grizzlies traded Gay and all he could do was cheer for his friends in the Western Conference Finals, he's happy for his former teammates but focused on what he has to do.
That's when things turned around for a Toronto team that is now third in the Eastern Conference.
He and the Raptors lost 12 of the season's first 18 games before Ujiri shipped him to the Sacramento Kings. Now Toronto is playing for something, but it's without Gay. You're actually playing for something, you're playing for the best playoff seed you can get." "Obviously you're still playing for something - you're playing for your city even if you're not a playoff team - but it's more than just going out there, just being competitive when you're out there. "The vibe in the locker room is different ‘cause at that point it's all about seedings, who you're going to play and you have to keep pushing and you're still playing for something," Gay said in the preseason. Get news, links and Ziller's #hottakes in your inbox every weekday morning.