Based on what we've seen, it appears Gregg Popovich might be grooming him for a potential postseason showdown against the Golden State Warriors. More important than his results from the first couple weeks are how Gay can help lift San Antonio in games that really matter. He's a smart, self-aware player those types usually do well in San Antonio. His movement is fluid from the catch, whether he rips through towards the baseline or backs down into a soft jump hook. Long a potent scorer with his back to the basket, the Spurs have folded Gay's post-ups into their game plan in ways that don't halt their machine's steady churn. Threes are wonderful, and Gay is enough of a threat to space the floor when spotted up anywhere on the weakside, but turning him into a catch-and-shoot weapon wouldn't squeeze out all he has to offer. We're only six games in, but Gay's PER, True Shooting, and free-throw rate are all career highs, in part because he's gouging opposing teams from the inside out.
Even against bigger defenders who he used to blow by, Gay can still get a good look with a crafty post game, pretty footwork, and a shoulder that knows how to dig into an opponent's chest without drawing a foul. Gay's athleticism isn't where it once was, but his balance is right there. They're encouraging him to take his time on the block, attack mismatches, and lean on his strength and guile to muscle into worthwhile shot attempts. Whether he's at the four in lineups alongside LaMarcus Aldridge, at the three with Gasol and another big slotted in the frontcourt, or even at the five (where he successfully moonlighted against the Miami Heat during the second half of a Spurs win), Gay's intermediary skills have already blended beautifully with San Antonio's general philosophy. But until then, how San Antonio is using Gay has been brilliant. Those shots will eventually fall, and Gay should attack with more conviction as the season goes along and concern over his career-altering injury recedes from memory. He's yet to capitalize off San Antonio's swing-swing ball movement, struggling against closeouts that often go nowhere and only making three threes so far despite a majority of his 11 attempts coming without a hand in his face. The embers of his supernova athleticism rarely glow nowadays (especially in the open floor), and Gay, understandably, is still feeling his way into a system that treats him more as a cog than a main attraction. Even before he declined his player option in Sacramento, Gay was veering towards a more contemporary shot chart, and instead of reaching back and trying to capture what made him an effective (albeit polarizing) NBA player in his prime, the Spurs have streamlined his game in a way few other teams could.
Nearly two weeks into the 2017-18 season, it's beginning to look like this might have been the wrong reaction. A 61-win team that aspires to dethrone the Golden State Warriors needs more than a 31-year-old who will never make an All-Star team, once personified the exact type of player analytically-savvy organizations (like the Spurs) frowned upon, and whose former teams all seemed to gel and prosper after he was traded away.