Unselfish to a fault?
After a long summer of negotiations and deliberations, teen phenom Ricky Rubio, a lottery pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, took one page out of Fran Vazquez’s book and decided to pass on the NBA to sign another contract in Spain. Rubio moved from the team in which he grew up, Joventut Badalona, renowned for developing young talents (like Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez, for example) and joined FC Barcelona, consistently one of the top squads in Europe for the last 25 years.
His choice was widely discussed in basketball circles. Many were critical. Rubio, unlike Vazquez, made the call to enter the draft early only to leave the Wolves empty-handed by the end of the summer. Others, looking at the example of European players that went to the NBA too young and got stuck on the bench, have praised the move. It should be noted, though, that Wolves GM David Kahn went on the record saying Rubio would start from Day 1 in Minnesota.
As far as team success, the decision to sign with Barça appears to be the right one. The Catalan club has been trouncing competition both in the Spanish League and the Euroleague, with just two losses in 33 games and wins by an average margin of 20.2 points per game. The last one came Sunday – 105-55 against Gran Canaria, a middle-of-the-pack team that features former NBA players like James Augustine and Melvin Sanders.
When it comes to his individual performance, though, the reviews have been mixed. While Rubio ranks among the leaders in assists and steals in both the domestic and European competition, he’s averaging a rather pedestrian 6.4 ppg in the Euroleague, which ties him with journeyman Daniel Santiago. He has not been shooting very well – 39.0 percent from the field – and has not been shooting much either – just 3.7 attempts per game.
Nikola Loncar, an NBA analyst for Spanish TV, went as far as to question whether Rubio would have been worthy of a first-round pick in 2010 given his play early in the season. That said, even Loncar, who won gold medals with Yugoslavia in the European and World Championsip playing with the likes of Zeljko Rebraca and Dejan Bodiroga, recognizes Rubio has been making some strides lately.
“I didn’t like his conservative approach,” Loncar said. “We got used to seeing Ricky score 15-18 points very often. That’s the Ricky I like the most and it wasn’t happening anymore. Then there was a turning point for his season with the game against Real Madrid (in late December). Even his shooting form has changed. He’s not shooting like he used to.”
Still, Loncar believes Rubio has to be much more aggressive on the offensive end.
“It’s OK that he’s unselfish, but there’s going to come a time when he has to make more decisions offensively. It’s not just that he has to score. If he really wants to be one of the greats, he has to score the key baskets! It’s great that he’s dishing 8 assists, but if you are just going to score 4 points… Come on.”
Meanwhile, Timberwolves scout Pete Philo, who was in the war room when Minnesota drafted the Spanish guard, thinks it makes sense for him to defer to the veterans in his first few months playing with Barça.
“Ricky is a very smart and clever player, so he’s not going to come into a new team early in the season and try to do too many things,” Philo said. “I think he’s such a great teammate and great team player that it was brilliant actually the way he came into that team.
“There aren’t that many point guards that have his makeup. To me, it’s pretty refreshing to see his unselfishness.”
Rubio’s low-key attitude is still striking considering he’s probably the most high-profile player on the FC Barcelona roster. At 19, the 6-foot-4 guard has achieved a popularity than few non-NBA players enjoy in Europe. He’s the pitchman for McDonald’s in Spain and one the most popular athletes in the country – especially among teenagers. Pete Mickeal, one of his American teammates, blogged a few weeks ago on HoopsHype that being around Rubio was like traveling with a rock star.
“I played with Latrell Sprewell and I thought that was something,” Mickeal said. “Everybody wanted a piece of Spree, everybody wanted an autograph, but there’s no comparison on the attention Ricky commands. It doesn’t matter where we’re at. Anywhere in Spain, in Europe… We can be in Turkey, everywhere. That’s why I call him the Rock Star, because I actually see people crying over him. I’ve never seen it! Girls crying! People want pictures, they come to the hotel to find him… It’s unbelievable.”
PUTTING IN THE WORK
Rubio is right now the seventh leading scorer on a club that is filled with NBA talent and heavily favored to win its second Euroleague crown. The six men ahead of him – Mickeal, Vazquez, Juan Carlos Navarro, Terence Morris, Erazem Lorbek and Boniface N’Dong – have either played in the NBA or been drafted by one of its teams. Rubio should soon move up in the pecking order, especially if he continues to improve his jump shot, long considered the most flawed area of his very flashy game.
His former teammate Rudy Fernandez was considered a slasher early in his pro career, but ended up developing a deadly three-point shot with the extra time spent in Spain before heading to the U.S. Rubio is credited for a strong work ethic, so it’s not crazy to believe he could become a decent shooter down the road.
“I spent time this summer with (Rubio) during the Spanish National Team training camp down in Cadiz and I watched him really getting in a lot of work both before and after practice,” Philo said. “He’s dedicated and he knows where he needs to work as far as shooting. It’s getting better.”
Mickeal agrees: “He puts the work in every day. Anybody who’s willing to put the work in can be anything they wanna be. It doesn’t matter what anybody says, what the media says. I watch him every day. He’s gotten so much better because he’s been putting the work in before practice. That’s the bottom line.”
Rubio should have plenty of time to work on his jumper before leaving for the NBA, as the opt-out clause on his contract with Barça doesn’t kick in until after the 2010-11 season. Only then will we be able to see how Rubio’s game flies in the big leagues.
Raul Barrigon contributed to this story / Picture by Emilio Cobos
Larry B. Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 9:37 am
Ricky actually looks a little bigger in that pic. Looks like he’s gained some upper body strength. Or maybe it’s just me…
slamfan4life Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 9:54 am
He’ll be fine in the NBA, Brandon Jennings avg in europe was around 6 ppg and now he’s boasting an impressive 17 along with 6 assists.
Rubio can probably put up 14 and 8 in his first NBA season, he’s like a second coming of Steve Nash w/o that amazing shot.
Hector Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 10:20 am
Ricky is going to have a great future at the NBA but it takes it’s own process. He has to build his own career at Europe and develop his shooting, maybe the most important thing for an european star at the NBA. Once he has improved that key point, he will do great at the NBA.
I’m sure one day we’ll see Ricky giving 20 or more assists on a single game. He’s able to specially in the NBA.
ballerman11 Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 10:26 am
You need to stop trying to compare him to Brandon Jennings. They don’t compare and Rubio wont put up numbers in the NBA like Jennings. Jennings sucked it Europe because he didnt play much. Rubio is playing and putting up average to below average numbers for the hype he recieves. Thank god the T-wolves didnt do something stupid like get rid of Flynn. Rubio can stay in Europe and become the european legend who averages 5 ppg. I am calling it right now IF Rubio comes to the nba he will be the european sebastian telfair all hype and big endorsements.
hype world tell me i am wrong! Oh and you better not be people that thought michael olowokandi was gonna be the greatest international player in the nba.
simone Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 10:35 am
“…a second coming of Steve Nash”? Have you ever seen Ricky Rubio playing? Have you ever seen Ricky’s defense? Nothing like Nash, Rubio is a second coming of Jason Kidd. Moreover, I think he will be a better second coming of Jason Kidd.
Adam Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 11:18 am
When you wrote this article did you maybe interview his coach and ask him what he expects Rubio to do.
If the coach asked him to be a passer first, then that is his job. To distribute the ball. He is only taking 3.7 shots a game, It’s not like hes taking 10 shots and only scoring 6 points a game.
Pablo Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 12:18 pm
Ricky has played pretty good so far this year. I think he should have gone to the NBA though. Great article Jorge
Sergi Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 12:24 pm
Barça has enourmous offensive talent, they have Navarro, Mickeal, Lorbeck etc… that’s why Ricky only averages 3.7 shots pg, it’s because they don’t need it, Ricky rules the team and make better the other players finding their better posicions to shot.
aldstar Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 12:25 pm
rubio is going to be a star in the nba!! im convinced, last year i doubted rubio, but he has proven himself (he already did when he was 14 and played his first proffesional game in the acb). Im a bit like Rubio, ofcourse not talentwise and visionwise, but im way too unselfish, and that sounds weird, but everybody says to me i should take allot more shots. Same thing goes for Rubio. I’m pretty sure Rubio will be in the ROY consideration when he enters the nba, and im sure he will average like 10 points and 10 assists and 5 boards. I have high expectations of him now!!!
alex Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 12:38 pm
Brandon Jennings: Played in Rome averaging 5.5 ppg, 2,3 assists & 2.1 steals. Who cares about that numbers now? When he arrived to the NBA he realised he had to do better.
I have no doubt that Rubio is better player than Jennings. Rubio is special, he is improving his shooting skills in a short period of time. Staying here in Barcelona for 2 years is the best option for him.
In september 2011 he will be ready to make a great impact in the league.
bigdog Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 12:42 pm
Come on Jorge, you know better. Overseas the teams play much more team oriented basketball and the PG is the hub of that. If he’s putting up shots, he’ll be taken out of the game. His job is to set everyone else up (novel concept for a PG) and just because he doesn’t have a “me first” attitude there are scouts out there trying to criticize that because well we care about is PPG, even with PG’s, instead of APG/RPG/(+/-)/etc.
He’s doing a great job overseas running a much older and more veteran ball club and that seasoning will serve him well when he transitions to the NBA game.
Joey Deegeling Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 1:17 pm
Rubio matches up favorably with Brandon Jennings stats in Europe.
Rubio’s team is 31-2 now? Terrible point guard he must be….
ab_40 Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 1:28 pm
well he’s being a point guard and he has proven clutch scorers on his team like la bomba. He’ll be a double digit scorer in spain and in europleauge next season.
No worries there he’s doing just fine. He works hard at his game an to the things he does in europe is special.
la bomba Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 2:02 pm
ricky’s gonna excel in the nba. ..but when he gets to meet d.rose face to face, rose will eat him alive by that time
JR Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 2:08 pm
He is ranked 12th in the league in 3 point shot percentage 44,5%.
He averages 6,8ppg / 4,9assists (3rd on the league) and 2,5 steals per game (1st on the league) playing 20 min.
Dont compare ricky to nash, u should compare him to Rondo.
He will be a double-double man in the nba and one of the top PG ever seen!
nfmos Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 3:46 pm
Nash with better defense? A better second coming of Kidd?? Come on guys, he’s definitely talented, but blowing out overmatched teams in the Spanish League does not mean he’s going to end up being better than two of the best point guards to ever play the game. I like the guy and would love the see his entertaining style of play in the NBA, but Im not ready to call him a future Hall of Fame top 5 alltime point guard just because he crossed up James Augustine.
Joey Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 3:53 pm
6 points on 3.7 shots is pretty darn good. Agreed that Jennings and rubio are completely different players… Jennings is putting up 18 points on 16 shots a game which is pretty awful.
Heres what happened. Rubio went to a new team full of former nba players who all dream of making it back to the league. They all want to score and pad stats. Rubio doesn`t want to make waves and in reality, the best way for him to serve his team is to defer the scoring to everyone else. All rubio has to do is shoot just enough to keep defenders honest. He spends the rest of his time playing solid defense and involving his teammates on the offensive end. If rubio put up 18-20 a game on 13 shots… thats 10 less shots a game for his teammates. I`m sure his teammates love his game and love playing with him.
Fire Mchale Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 4:09 pm
The more I watch Rubio, the more I become convinced that his style of play in the NBA will make a few Timberwolves All-Stars. Rubio is effortless with the ball in his hands and has amazing court vision. He’s not Brandon Jennings, or Jason Kidd or Steve Nash. He’s a tall, lanky (he’s adding weight), fluid player who seems to see all of his teammates at the same time. If he’s going to reach the heights of excelling in the NBA, he’ll need at add 20 pounds of muscle and become an outside shooting threat. His shot is still unorthodox, but that’s something that can absolutely be worked on…..court vision - you either have it or you don’t. I’m leaning more and more towards the Timberwolves keeping the rights to Rubio and having him play the #1 their first game in 2011.
Derrick Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 4:16 pm
I think Rubio must only stay humble and continue to improve his game, if he does, then he will be a star in the Nba; if he is gonna get satisfied of the level he is now, then he will be less than an avarage player in the Nba.
Everything is on his shoulders, he must be hungry! So I think it is true that he needs to put up bigger numbers on offense; even if his teammates are all great players, he must surge up to be the best of all, the leader, and this involves scoring, no way!
Pablo Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 5:14 pm
Good evening in Spain!! Great work hoopshype with your web. Firsteable, Ricky is playing what Xavi Pascual want him to do. He has got all the team on his shoulders in the main parts of the game. What happen… FCBarcelona is one of the greatest team in Europe (33 - 2 told you everything you need to know), and they got an excellent roster, in the PG position they have Jaka Lakovic (excellent shooter) and Victor Sada (great defender with an espectacular fit). In the end of the first quarter if they are winnin for 10 points (it usually happens), Ricky goes to the bench and the other ones keep or make bigger the difference.
I really dont think that RR needs to improve SO much his shot, when he is alone he has got a great percentage, it’s not his duty to make jumpshots, his duty is to guide his team and make their teammates so much better and hell yeah he do that. The comparaision with JKidd i think that its good, but RR have got to play for a long time to get the performances that JK was capable to do. From here i want to invite every one overseas to watch one of our acb or euroleague games. The ACB is free on orange360 tv on the net. Real Madrid, Unicaja, Barça, Caja Laboral are very good teams in Spain. And please watch one entire game of Ricky before talk about him. Im sure that he will make a big impact there, when he goes to your league
frank_head420 Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 5:21 pm
Good article.
It’s nice to read about what Rubio is doing overseas right now.
Jams Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 5:23 pm
Its sad reading what all these Euro homos write about their love-child. Pity he’s gonna stink. Those numbers he’s averaging are as lame as Vanilla Ice.
Sinan Cem Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 5:24 pm
Guy is playing on the team which got most talented players in their roster at Europe. He is not trying to have flashy numbers he s trying to be floor general of this team and he accomplishs it. I don’t get how ppl can criticize him when he shares the ball with talented veteran scorers and focusing on defense. yes his jump shot is bad so he is not forcing to take shots and scouts and players with him says he s working a lot to improve that part of his game. So after hearing these from ppl close to him and after watching him playing i can say unless personnel problems and injuries gets to him he will be a top point guard in the nba. One of the best ever maybe.
Sinan Cem Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 5:34 pm
@ Jams
At least homos got some brain and they can understand how to play basketball. Not egoist , low IQ true ‘man’ like half of the nba players. That’s why a physically gifted(quickness and leaping ability) European becomes a star while NBA players care about their selves almost all time and thinks like they are the man which shows them they are still a kid. More athletic europeans growing each year and if this keeps going half of the nba will be europeans some day.
Real sad thing is seeing true talents wasted because they got low IQ and care their selves only at their life and at the playground. Like Corey Maggette , Steve Francis and more and more and more. i dont got time to type all of them.
tom verstreken Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 5:55 pm
“Only then will we be able to see how Rubio’s game flies in the big leagues.”
Only then in the big leagueS?
Everybody knows the NBA is the biggest, but apart from that, what do you have? ACB, Olympics, Euroleague. That’st pretty much the rest of the top 4, en he has played VERY well in all three of them.
Cocky Americans, try to look further, especially on a piece about an european player.
Federico Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 6:32 pm
It’s sad to see that some Americans have the Euro-phobia. When Dirk and Pau, Kukoc and Sabonis came to the NBA, Europe seemed to be the new Holy land. And then they got Tskita, and Darko, and Lampe. And since now there’s another new way of thinking: it’s European, then he’s trash. Lot of prejudices, just lot of prejudices. Like the ones who say that in Europe they play no D. Always a prejudice: look at what guys like Pietrus, Sefolosha and Jerebko do in the NBA: they are DEFENSIVE players, they took them TO PLAY D. I think that the safest way is to watch the guy play, then to judge. You already have two Spanish PG playing in the NBA. Rodriguez not too much, but Calderon is a starter. So, it’s not impossible for a Spanish to run a NBA team: there’s a French in San Antonio who does that very well…Rubio is a special player, only a blind guy or a hater cannot see that. And, you know what? He suits perferctly the NBA style of play. With a starting role in the NBA, he’ll make 10 APG, every season, easily. He’ll never be a 25-27 PPG guy, but I bet that he already have 12-15 PPG in the NBA. Also, he can take boards. I’m sure you’ll love him, when he’ll decide to play in the NBA…it’s just a matter of time.
For the guy who talked about Olowokandi: he has NOTHING TO DO with Europe man!!! He went to an American college, PACIFIC, 4 years. There they teached him the game. He never played in Europe before to go to the NBA. The Kandi Man is made in USA, not made in Europe. It’s like as you say that Olajuwon, who is born in Nigeria, is a product of Euro basketball…no way you can say that: The Dream learned The Game in the USA, such as The Kandi Man did. Not the same results I guess…
:-) 
:-)
ballerman11 Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 7:09 pm
You guys are on one…..Steve Nash or Jason Kidd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He might be a solid nba player which i dont think he will be but saying that he is a Steve Nash/ Jason Kidd caliber player is crazy. The kid averages 6 pts the way you guys are talking about him we might as well put him in the hall of fame already!
He MIGHT be decent but dont be putting him on nba hall of fame status comparing him to Nash and Kidd.
Yall hyping him to be the european Lebron James.
Kraan Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 7:12 pm
Keep in mind he’s only averaging 20 mins per game. He plays in a team with an 11 man rotation. A team with 3 very good guards who all get minutes. He’s doing exactly what he’s being asked to do.
You can’t compare Rubio’s and Brandon Jennings’ stats. Jennings plays 34 mpg. What would Ricky do with 34 mins per night? Jennings dishes out only one more assist than Rubio in 15 more mpg. If you want to compare here’s a stat: Ricky’s shooting 44% from three, not bad for a bad shooter. Jennings shoots 39%. Rubio is a much better all-around player. Jennings is just a better scorer. Being a good basketball player is more than just scoring. Particularly for a point guard.
Larry B. Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 7:49 pm
I think some people are not taking into account how different the Spanish league is from the NBA. There is much more of a team-first emphasis than the NBA. The numbers don’t really translate at all. A high scoring average over there is often in the mid teens. Rubio plays on the deepest team in the league. I’ve looked up a lot of the stats and they play like 10-11 guys easy most games…
Larry B. Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 7:53 pm
I think Rubio will be fine. I think he will be a good pass first point, and I think with time he will eventually be a decent shooter and offensive player. His game will be his passing and court vision, so basically a Kidd with a little more length and size. He has the body to be a very good defender in the NBA if he puts in the work…
Don Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 1:45 am
His stats are relative to the european game. People should understand that superstars in europe tend to average around like 20 minutes a game and most scorers max out at like 12 or something. And for people saying he should be torching that comp for points regardless and not settle for being the 8th option on a squad but consider the 7 seven guys getting shots ahead of him are considered to be very good players in their own right.
Now with that being said its pretty clear hes having a other worldly year for a 19 year old playing for the best team in europe dominating in what hes known for making plays and forcing turnovers.
Tully Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 1:59 am
His team is 31-2 and they win by an average of 20 points. And he is 19 years old. It’s quite a stretch to look at these numbers and find something negative in them.
Hue Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 2:33 am
He’s gonna flop.. I doubt he could handle the nba. His latterall movement is poor, so his defense will be a liability.
Gerry Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 5:07 am
Remember that he is averaging 20 minutes a game this year… His numbers playing 30 would be just huge… as somebody said before, he is doing perfectly what he is being asked to do… and if you say that his defense will be a liability, you have never seen Ricky playing… D is definitely one of his strenghts
dRu Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 7:21 am
Rubios stats for 20games in the euroleague show that half his shot attempts are from 3pters.. he is also shooting 44% on those..so it looks like he is becoming more accurate. he is below 20minutes a game..but is 3rd in the league in assists..if he played closer to 30 he would lead the league and average double figure scoring.. not much to be worried about.. in the NBA with man to man he will get both more assists, and more shot attempts.
Yugo Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 8:27 am
the only bad thing about Rubio is unless Barcelona wins Euroleague this year, he is not coming to NBA untill 2011…. and dont expect Rubio to add much more weight because it would hurt his speed for sure…. I live in Spain so i watch him play weekly, and his game is improving…. its also not the same to play for Juventud (a team that heavly depends on young players) then it is for Barcelona (almost every guy on the team avereges between 10-25 minutes), plus they are so loaded with offensive power that Ricky had on his 4th game 25 EFF, while scoring only 6 points…. in my opinion very few PGs in NBA history could have dominated the game without scoring (Magic, Stockton, Kidd….) and that is what really makes him special…. if he improves his shooting skills, sky is the limit
simone Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 9:37 am
after reading that his defense will be a liability, I think I’ve read enough.
Rake Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 10:33 am
besides the bad stats-interpretation etc others mentioned before, I just keep asking myself why the author acts as if the nba is still the ultimate thing in world-bball.
euroleague ist more intense, better teambasketball and more interesting.
the nba post jordan became a posterboy oriented slashfest with bogus rules contradicting solid defense.
lets just “walk” to the nba title.
a rly smart choice would be to just stay in europe and play team-ball.
alfredo Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 1:28 pm
A guy said he’s more like Rondo than NAsh…that’s obvious.
lol simone, completely true.
RR is:
1.- Greater PG in Europe for ages. Only Tony Parker can be compared to him (with different play style)
2.- BEST DEFENSIVE G I’ve ever seen in Europe. I can only remember similiar defense skills watching MJ23, John Stockton or nowadays Chris Paul, but he is bigger than the last two and his long arms make the difference.
3.- He has not Steve Nash passing-vision talent, but he is on it. I really doubt he could have achieved that level with 19. He can’t be compared to Magic. Magic is God in terms of passing-handling the ball.
4.- Really bad shot. Slow and useless. He has to improve so much on this… I wish he will…
5.- Last and not less important: He’s good brain, perfect social behaviour, etc…
BenDover Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 2:46 pm
#
Jams Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 5:23 pm
Its sad reading what all these Euro homos write about their love-child. Pity he’s gonna stink. Those numbers he’s averaging are as lame as Vanilla Ice.
…….
I’M a eurohomo(sapian) and YOU should write for Vanilla Ice. funny stuff. BTW, Ricky will be kicking ass wherever he plays… as the object of any competition is to win. Ricky is a winner. Bottom line punto y basta.
DS Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 6:23 pm
Some of you people ought to be ashamed of yourselves for overhyping Rubio. He will be a servicable player and that is about it.
anen Said,
February 2, 2010 @ 10:49 pm
@Larry B. Said,
February 1, 2010 @ 9:37 am
“Ricky actually looks a little bigger in that pic. Looks like he’s gained some upper body strength. Or maybe it’s just me…”
Yeah maybe just a little. He has always been misproportioned though, his upper body has always been bigger than his lower body
Ballislife? Said,
February 3, 2010 @ 12:36 am
rubio being compared to Nash and Kidd? please send me some of the marijuana you guys are smokin, it must be fire kush and get you higher then Jupiter to make ridiculous comparisons like that. honestly, we all have opinions and this is mine. rubio won’t be an all-star, LOL cmon guys it took deron willams how long to become an all-star? and you guys are gonna stand here tellin me that rubio boy here is better then deron? rubio will be a solid starter, nothing too special, amazing vision but I doubt his game translates perfectly to the league. but I guess well see, but honestly don’t flatter him by makin these Kidd and Nash comparsions y’all are crazy.
Klaus Said,
February 3, 2010 @ 7:05 am
@ Ballislife?
You really follow de NBA?? A important thing to be an all-star is play very good basketball but something better is have the fans behind you, and when you did a Highlight in every play you make this is easy. Of course when you have 19 and EVERYBODY in basketaball world knows you even if you still don´t play in the NBA, it´s very hard to predict that you WON´T be an all star. By the way, it´s better PG Derrick Rose than D-Will?? David West deserved an all-star? Mo Williams? Are you Nostradamus?
Nobody Knows exactly what kind of player Rubio will be in the NBA, but for sure he will have all the oportunities to shine, Starter since day 1, all the crew chanting his name and of course the hopes of the franchise (in fact he´ll have more weight in the Timberwolves that he has in Barcelona)
Larry B. Said,
February 3, 2010 @ 10:22 am
Defense will be an adjustment, but with his body and size he should be able to overcome any deficiencies. I think the biggest issue with him will be his scoring. He will need to figure out some way to get open shots. He will need to develop some sort of in-between move for guards to respect and leave him open for shots. His combo of court-vision/handling and size will cause many a problem in the NBA, trust…
Larry B. Said,
February 3, 2010 @ 10:24 am
Does anyone remember how bad an offensive player Kidd was like his first 3 to 4 years in the league?
Larry B. Said,
February 3, 2010 @ 10:27 am
Deron didn’t make all star game quicker because he plays in the same conference with the likes of guys like Parker, Nash, Kobe, Chris Paul, etc. He made second team all nba in just his third year…
Larry B. Said,
February 3, 2010 @ 10:30 am
Also with his size and length he could probably defend both guard positions on most nights, defense should eventually be a big strength not an issue, issues will be his offense and where he ends up playing…
Yugo Said,
February 4, 2010 @ 8:14 am
Larry B. Said,
February 3, 2010 @ 10:30 am
Also with his size and length he could probably defend both guard positions on most nights, defense should eventually be a big strength not an issue, issues will be his offense and where he ends up playing…
Larry, did Stockton have any issues playing offense??? he had around 12 ppg carrer average, and he is next to Magic the greatest PG to ever play the game……
Ballslife….. at age of 19, Rubio is twice as better player the Deron Williams was….. if you remeber the true star of that Illionois team was Dee Brown…..
Larry B. Said,
February 4, 2010 @ 3:39 pm
Yugo, Stockton’s low scoring avg is mostly due to his unselfish nature. Stockton although not very athletic or particularly good at driving to the hoop was a very good shooter. His career Field Goal Attempt average was around 9 a game. Although he had a 12 ppg average, he had seasons where he averaged as much as 17 PPG. HIs career FG% was 515 which is extremely good for a guard. Your Stockton comparison is shrewd because if Ricky learns from that style he could have a very effective career as well…
ka inso Said,
February 5, 2010 @ 9:57 am
rubio should have enterd the nba this season,because if he enters the nba on 2010 or 2011 he will eat the dusts of rose and john wall
ka inso Said,
February 5, 2010 @ 10:00 am
at the age of 19 john wall is far more better than than rubio.
Georgio Said,
February 5, 2010 @ 1:25 pm
In the first two games of the Euroleague Top 16 level Rubio has been awful. He’s no more than the #15-#20 best point guard in the Euroleague and that’s probably being overly kind. Easily he is the most overrated player I have ever seen and I have been a European fan since the 80s.
If he was on an average team on the Euroleague no one would even care about him. He’s just a 19 year old kid that can make some passes and that’s it. His team will lose a bunch of games now that they face real competition and he will be the primary cause of it.
Gabriel Said,
February 6, 2010 @ 9:21 am
Rubio is extremelly inteligent. He´ll score if needed, just look his 52 points-performance in the U-16 tournment
Juan A. Casanova Said,
February 8, 2010 @ 12:38 pm
Hello everyone from Barcelona (Spain).
Some data may help to understand why Ricky Rubio will be a (very) good NBA player in two years. He`s working and improving his outside shooting, but he’s the kind of a FIRST PASS player.
Barcelona has three playmakers in the roster and they are playin two strong competitions at the same time: Euroleague and Spanish Liga ACB. So Ricky is playing only 20 minutes per game, averaging 6,7 points and 5,1 assists (it could be easily 7-8 assist by NBA standards) right now, more than 10 in two years playing 30 minutes per game).
Juan A. Casanova Said,
February 8, 2010 @ 1:08 pm
Let me add something. I’ve seen about 90% of the games Ricky Rubio has played this season and I was in Poland last summer covering the European Championmship. I think I can say Ricky is undoubtely the best young european player and one of the best european playmakers right now. And he’s only 19.
How many times have you seen him playing, Georgio?
RasJaps Said,
February 11, 2010 @ 10:51 am
Have watched him and Ricky’s game is just like Rajon Rondo’s. I have no doubt that he’s gonna make a big impact in the NBA, but there are players in the NBA that will make him choke.
Keith Said,
February 17, 2010 @ 2:13 pm
I’ve watched Rubio as much as I possibly can on TV, given that I am an American living in the U.S.A., and he seems to me to be very special. Some guys just have “it”, and when you’ve watch an endless amount of basketball in your life, you can just spot “it”. I remember watching Steve Nash play as a freshman at Santa Clara and thinking “wow, that guy is unreal, he’s an NBA guard for sure”, and it took like 6 more years for Steve to get through college and then struggle through a couple of years in the NBA, but then he finally hit his stride. Rubio is like that, except there’s been very few guards who have been that good on defense at that age. Even if his shooting is subpar right now, his ballahndling, passing, rebounding, and defensive skills would make him an above average starting NBA point guard at worst. Many are quick to forget, but Rajon Rondo couldn’t shoot a lick when he came into the NBA, and still really isn’t great. Jason Kidd couldn’t shoot at all for years, and Derrick Rose isn’t exactly knocking down jumpers all over the place. Rubio has one of those exceedingly rare PG’s with the ‘pass-first’ mentality. I have no doubt that he’s a future NBA All-Star. Cast your mind to two years from now and think of the point guard situation in the West. Nash, Kidd, Baron Davis, Andre Miller, and Chauncey Billups will either be out of the league or have declined. I also expect that Parker will have lost a step. That leaves Paul (who just had a bad knee injury where they removed his meniscus), Deron Williams, and Russell Westbrook as the young guys for Rubio to use as a bar for comparison (I would consider guys like Mike Conley and Aaron Brooks to be a notch below - and guys like Monta Ellis and Tyreke Evans are NOT point guards!)
It’s too bad that the Wolves took Jonny Flynn instead of Stephen Curry. They should have taken Curry at #6 and created an unreal backcourt of the future. If they felt they needed another young point guard as insuarance, they could have kept Ty Lawson after drafting him at #18 instead of trading him to Denver. Flynn is a nice player, but he’s not Curry. Cna you imagine a lineup of Rubio, Curry, Corey Brewer, Al Jefferson, and Kevin Love hitting their stride in two years? Shame…