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Those numbers suggest that Rudy Gay’s biggest negative impact was on the defensive end and a look at the Sacramento Kings since the trade holds up that theory. Their defensive rating has dropped from 102.1 before the trade to 98.3 after the trade and that 98.3 rating is good for fifth in the NBA over the stretch following the trade to now. But on defense is where Toronto has really made the huge leap. Their offensive rating has only jumped a couple of points - 101.1 before the trade to 103.8 after the trade - and on an individual level, no player has really thrived in Gay’s absence with the exception of Amir Johnson, who is putting together a wildly efficient stretch of play. While Gay was much maligned for his porous shooting, the amount of shots he was taking and the detrimental effect those things were having on Toronto’s offense, the Raptors actually have not made much of improvement on the offensive end. Toronto has been able to make this leap mostly on the back of their great defense. In general the combination of Rudy Gay’s departure and the Atlanta Hawks losing Al Horford for the season have led to the Raptors being the clear cut third-best team in the East, with Washington and the Horford-less Hawks actually pretty far in the rear view mirror. They also have the eighth-highest net rating (5.5) over that stretch - and, again, the third-highest net rating in the East. Heading into Wednesday’s game against Detroit, the Raptors were 10-5 since trading Rudy Gay, which has earned them the eighth-highest winning percentage over that stretch and the third-highest win percentage in the East. Since the Rudy Gay trade - where Toronto traded away Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy for John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes - the Toronto Raptors have been playing some of the best basketball in the Eastern Conference. There is no denying the fact, though, that he tends to hold teams back rather than make them better. But, when the statements towards Gay cross over into somewhat personal and character attacks, I think we may have crossed a line (and I am guilty of it, also). Yes, Rudy Gay is a highly inefficient player whose style and production cannot really stand up to the advanced analysis a large portion of the NBA - fans, analysts, coaches and front offices - is starting to embrace. I am going to try to keep the Rudy Gay bashing to a minimum here if only because I think the NBA media has kind of gone overboard with the attacks on this guy. Despite the relative lack of trades this season, though, there have been a few significant, smaller trades and one “big” trade involving - for the second year in a row - Rudy Gay. Nothing really happened, though: Omer Asik stayed put as Houston realized telling everyone, “We have to trade this guy by this date!” could hurt the value trade offers - the fact Asik was showing us a complete arsenal of “I’m depressed” faces while in a suit on game days did not help (as a self-proclaimed stats nerd, am I allowed to criticize Daryl Morey) Doc Rivers shut down any Blake Griffin– Carmelo Anthony swap rumors immediately, because he knows the inherent power of trade rumors from his time using them to forge his way from coaching Jordan Crawford at point guard to a guy named Chris Paul and the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets cannot make any trades because … well … because they have no assets and have no cap space (New York City Meltdown, Part 26). This year is no exception, as fans and media alike braced themselves for a crazy trade season when the embargo to move players signed this summer was lifted in mid-December. Trades are much more frequent in the NBA than they are in any of the other major sports and as a result, we tend to always assume more trades will happen in any given season than what reality leaves us. The NBA trade market is an interesting thing. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports Miami, FL, USA Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (10) drives to the basket as Miami Heat shooting guard Ray Allen (34) defends during the first half at American Airlines Arena.