He also helped write Yao's autobiography. I love homers, sometimes you just gotta feel good about your team GO RIC BUCHER!
I understand Rick's point on this. Memphis is a very soft team who got softer. Gay and Swift for Battier is a huge mismatch talent-wise, but for a team with no players who can perform in the clutch, losing Battier is a hit. But they can get a player with attitude (preferably at point guard, Mighty Mouse can't be a long term solution), and then they will have the talent and the attitude. I really think Memphis will be down for a couple of years. They have mortgaged the present for the future.
Ric also said that various NBA people have told him that Gay was the next coming of Swift. Athletic ability but unable to use it.
The problem with this comparison is that Gay has a lot more skills than Swift. Gay can shoot, he can handle the ball better, and he is a good perimeter defender. When Swift was drafted, he was a dunker and shot blocker. He has developed into a dunker and shot blocker that can make one dribble drives and a hit-or-miss 18-foot shot. Gay's ability to create offensively at the NBA level has been questioned, and his drive has been questioned, his defense and intelligence have never been questioned.
