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Positional Breakdown: Small Forward

It wasn’t long after Team USA Managing Director Jerry Colangelo heard five-time NBA All-Star and reigning MVP Kevin Durant withdrew from World Cup competition that Rudy Gay’s number appeared on his phone. 

Sacramento’s veteran small forward reached out to him, hungry for another opportunity with the National Team. 

“I received a call last night indicating that Rudy was available to join the National Team if Coack K [Mike Kryzyzewski] and I felt he could help,” said Colangelo at the time of the transaction. “We both felt he would be a valuable addition because of his outstanding skills and the fact that he so familiar with USA Basketball and our National Team program.”

An integral member of USA Basketball since 2005 and a contributor on the 2010 USA World Championship Team, No. 8 worked hard to earn one of the final 12 spots on the team. Not wasting any time to mesh seamlessly with the coaching staff, and the current roster as World Cup play began. 

Thanks to a rare mix of agility, grace, size and power, Gay has been able to showcase his potent abilities on a national stage once again. Often called as the first reserve from the bench, further solidifying his equity in Sacramento’s lineup in the process. 

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*Spent 18 games of the 2013-14 season with the Toronto Raptors**Spent 11 games of the 2013-14 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves

While the 28-year-old is making headlines in Spain, his time in Sacramento is what really put the nation on notice. In one of the most proficient stretches of his career, the Baltimore, Md. native totaled 1107 points over 55 games as a King – a clip of 20.1 per night, which tied his previous career-high from 2007-08 and was good for third-best on the team behind DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas. 

A model of consistency, Gay has never averaged fewer than 17.8 points and 5.3 boards per 36 minutes over his last eight seasons in the League. Furthermore, he notched five double-doubles and connected on 48.2 percent of his field goals in a purple and black jersey last year. Atop his résumé is a career-high-tying 41-point performance on Jan. 21 against New Orleans thanks to 16-of-25 shooting including 5-of-8 from behind the arc.

After the game, Gay said, “If we want to win, I have to be aggressive, offensively and defensively.”

"He put on a show tonight,” added Kings Head Coach Michael Malone.

In addition, Derrick Williams – who played in 67 games at forward in 2013-14 – will look to add depth and versatility from both forward spots. Originally a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves after being drafted second-overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, the fourth-year pro was acquired by Sacramento in late November. 

No. 13 stepped in right away and performed his best when his name was in the starting lineup. In 15 starts, he shot 44-percent from the field and averaged 12.5 points per outing. He also cleaned the glass and found open teammates with 7.3 boards and 1.3 assists per game. 

Williams – whose 6-foot-8, 240-pound frame lends itself well to physical play, but still allows for quickness and agility – spent the majority of the summer improving his jump shot in Los Angeles. Yet, he also made an appearance in Las Vegas joining the team for mini-camp and three games in Summer League competition. 

“I told Coach [Malone], ‘I wanted to come out and play [in] Summer League,’” he said. “I think the main thing is just playing throughout the summer. You never want to play against the same competition over and over and over. So getting out here, playing against different guys every single day, [in] different games and having real refs – I think it’s good.”

The former Arizona Wildcat averaged 12.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in those three meetings, but posted his best offensive outing on July 14 against the D-League Select Team tallying 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting in just 26 minutes of action.