Rudy Gay is using this Bonus Bubble Basketball session to demonstrate to the world (and, honestly, the whole universe [assuming they can decode our television signals (“they” being alien life forms)]) that he’s not just a role-player at this stage in his career. He’s a HIGH-END ROLE-PLAYER. That’s the official designation you get when you’re better than a role-player but worse than a star.
I’m of the opinion that Rudy Gay was never a star in this league. Even though he was the primary scoring option on many teams, he never quite made it to “star” status. The All-Star appearances bear this out, since he doesn’t have any (not like I care what the All-Star voters think about anything – too many casuals are weighing in on that for it to hold any real weight). But I do concede that he was occasionally (and maybe even often) able to take over games with his pure one-on-one scoring ability like a taller Joe Johnson. And that’s the Rudy Gay that’s re-emerging in the bubble.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go rewatch for the thousandth time the video of the Raptors fan yelling “NOT THIS GUY” (among other things) as ‘Zlies-era Rudy Gay drops a game-winner on the Raptors.