Ricky Rubio is Legit

[FireDavidKahn]

And those of you who doubted him better be prepared to eat some major crow.

Tonight he showed why he was hyped up so much for so long.

The way he commanded the offense was unreal, he looked like a veteran in that sense. He looked calm and collected on the court and already knows what Adelman wants to do. He was telling everyone where they should be on the court during the play all night long. His ball handling is already top notch, he was dribbling around people all night and could weave his way in and out of traffic at will.

His vision already is also top notch. The way he plays the game he sees and imagines what he is going to do before hand. Because of this he can make some flat out ridiculous passes that defenders can only shake their head on. If he gets 30+ minutes a game there is no reason why he shouldn't be averaging 9+ assists a game.

His man defense was iffy tonight, but he also was guarding 2 guards all night as he played with Barea a lot. His isolation defense was alright but nothing special. What he does very well is getting into passing lanes and bait players without actually gambling for a pass. Too often you will see defenders gamble for a ball, miss, and then the guy they were defending is wide open. This doesn't happen with Rubio.

Finally, his scoring. His shot isn't great and Rubio knows that. He will probably average no more than 6 shots a game. He can however draw fouls. He is amazing at weaving into and out of traffic and because of that he can get into the paint fairly easily and should be able to draw some fouls. This isn't a huge area of concern as the Wolves have other players who will be the main scorers (Love, Beasley, Williams.)

Rubio wont always put up the flashy stat lines but he does so much in leading the team that his impact goes way beyond what his box score will be. He will be like Tebow in the sense that he wont have amazing stats but finds way to win, obviously the Wolves aren't going to be good but Rubio improves us soooooo much.

Rubio will be a good player for a long time. You have been warned.

[iggy>]

He will be manhandled on the defensive end. He'll be an above average point guard overall.

[swi7ch]

Too bad Norris Cole is this forum's favorite rookie PG.

[FireDavidKahn]

He will be manhandled on the defensive end. He'll be an above average point guard overall.
Manhandled? :oldlol:

No he wont. He did just fine against the bigger 2 guards tonight. He may not be the all world defender that was defensive player of the year but he isn't going to be a bad defender at all.

[Optimus Prime]

Strong preseason games are a surefire ticket to a first ballot Hall of Fame selection!

[MMKM]

Stats tonight? Just out of curiosity...

[FireDavidKahn]

Stats tonight? Just out of curiosity...
6 points
6 rebounds
7 assists
2 steals
1 turnover

23 minutes

[GOBB]

Legit after 1 preseason game? :facepalm
No, but seriously i didnt get a chance to see him. Saw statline, 7 dimes is nice. If I ever sit thru a wolves game it'll be to see derrick williams, rubio and beasley. should be fun to see how he fares in the NBA. Wow he's finally here!!! Holy crap. No more jokes. ha

[Sarcastic]

Stats tonight? Just out of curiosity...

1-4, 6 pts, 6 rebs, 7 asts.

Not bad to be honest.

[FireDavidKahn]

Legit after 1 preseason game? :facepalm
No, but seriously i didnt get a chance to see him. Saw statline, 7 dimes is nice. If I ever sit thru a wolves game it'll be to see derrick williams, rubio and beasley. should be fun to see how he fares in the NBA. Wow he's finally here!!! Holy crap. No more jokes. ha
Yep, you didn't even read any part of my post.

Edit: Oops, missed the white text

[Dresta]

He did look really good out there tbh: controlled the offense very well.

[madmax]

NBA - where preseason games are all what's needed to enter HOF:applause: :bowdown:

[KG215]

After any player's first NBA preseason game is always the best and most logical time to claim a player's greatness in my opinion. It's a foolproof idea.

[ZHAKIDD532]

People really need to stop judging players by a single preseason game...

[KBryant24]

6 points
6 rebounds
7 assists
2 steals
1 turnover

23 minutes
impressive

[KGMN]

impressive
More impressive than it looks. He played fantastically; very refreshing for a Timberwolves fan.

[RoseCity07]

Sergio Rodriguez. Never forget that. If Rubio could shoot I'd think differently.

[NewYorkNoPicks]

Too bad Norris Cole is this forum's favorite rookie PG.

Only because his name is Norris

[OmniStrife]

I liked what I saw.
He's exciting to watch and that's good enough for me as a non-Wolves fan.

[Xsatyr]

Jordan Hill is legit too, had 17pts and 13rbs tonight in 29 minutes. I only need one game to make assumptions.

[JohnnyFord]

Jordan Hill is legit too, had 17pts and 13rbs tonight in 29 minutes. I only need one game to make assumptions.
jordan hill looked better than tim duncan out there! future hof Jordan Hill

[cavEman2]

I liked what I saw.
He's exciting to watch and that's good enough for me as a non-Wolves fan.

amen

[The Big Skinny]

amen
:dancin :hammertime: :dancin

[G.O.A.T]

Rubio has game, no doubt. He'll be a guy his teammates love playing with. Solid on both ends, the weaknesses are there on the offensive end, but overall, I think he'll be worth the top five pick they used on him.

[All Net]

Waits for the Norris Cole threads to start if he plays well tonight.

[alenleomessi]

He will be top 5 passer this year, and that pick Clippers traded to Hornets wont be top 5. :rockon:

[Shepseskaf]

He will be top 5 passer this year, and that pick Clippers traded to Hornets wont be top 5. :rockon:
A top 5 passer? What the hell does that mean?

I'm glad that the kid at least looked good in his first game. Let's see what happens when things get serious. I still don't think he's a legitimate starter.

[trig]

no doubt he can pass. but can he be effective once the defense ignores him and just zone on his teammates?

Rondo have this problem but atleast he's fast and athletic. He can also defend and is surrounded by HOFs

[Jyap9675]

Rubio was looking good out there! keep it up, cant wait to see more.

[OmniStrife]

Who shoots better? Rondo / Rubio?

[BigTicket]

People really need to stop over-reacting one way or the other on Rubio. He's not a complete bust, and he's also not a future hall of famer.

He's a young player with some promise who just had a nice pre-season debut, why not leave it at that ?

[Lebron23]

I am impressed with his passing ability. He needs to improve his shooting because NBA teams are going to take him very seriously in the regular season.

[OmniStrife]

People really need to stop over-reacting one way or the other on Rubio. He's not a complete bust, and he's also not a future hall of famer.

He's a young player with some promise who just had a nice pre-season debut, why not leave it at that ?
You forgot about something. The hype.
It's too late to leave it at that.

He's been hyped into having fans and haters without playing a single game in the NBA.

His every move will forever be praised or scrutinized.

[Oositdwn]

You forgot about something. The hype.
It's too late to leave it at that.

He's been hyped into having fans and haters without playing a single game in the NBA.

His every move will forever be praised or scrutinized.
Well, he isn't the first player to receive such scrutiny like this. I think people need to relax and that counts for players who like or hate him.

[sipitri]

Who shoots better? Rondo / Rubio?
I have a feeling Rondo is the better shooter but Rubio will work a lot on it this season (I hope) so let's wait a couple of months. I believe Ricky can become a decent shooter.

[sh0wtime]

He looked good, that is one exciting team to watch. Rubio will figure it out though, even statistically. Considering his gamestyle after all these years of observing him he reminds me alot of Jason Kidd, his game strongly hints he has potential to head that Jason Kidd route eventually in the future, more or less.

[vix]

All Rubio vs Bucks :cheers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9mCXyEy_XI

[Da KO King]

Not sure why Ricky Rubio's performance is thread worthy.

I don't think anyone ever doubted his ability to play in the NBA. The doubts were about whether or not he'd be a PG worthy of being a #1 overall pick as he was once projected.

[Yung D-Will]

Not sure why Ricky Rubio's performance is thread worthy.

I don't think anyone ever doubted his ability to play in the NBA. The doubts were about whether or not he'd be a PG worthy of being a #1 overall pick as he was once projected.
You'd be suprised how many people doubted his abilty to play a minute in the nba


He got picked #5 so that shouldn't be a big deal anymore

[Go Getter]

Hype or no hype the kid has got game reminiscent of Jason Kidd (my best comparison-of course not as good as Kidd).

[FireDavidKahn]

Not sure why Ricky Rubio's performance is thread worthy.

I don't think anyone ever doubted his ability to play in the NBA. The doubts were about whether or not he'd be a PG worthy of being a #1 overall pick as he was once projected.
Are you joking?

90% of this forum thought he would be absolute trash.

[Shepseskaf]

I don't think anyone ever doubted his ability to play in the NBA.
I did, and still do. One pre-season game proves nothing. I want to see if he can stand up, especially defensively, on a nightly basis.

The term "flash in the pan" comes to mind whenever his name comes up. Given all the hype, when you say, "play in the NBA", I translate it as "play well", not just as a back-up, or spot player.

Time will tell. If I'm wrong on the kid, I'll be glad to acknowledge it.

[shootingcomets]

I'm not sure what you mean by "legit"

legit waterboy?
legit benchwarmer?
legit starter?
legit all-star?

and really... OP seems to be caught up in all the hype... lets wait and see what happens

[lebob23]

he will average 7 pts 7 assists 3 rebounds 1 steal a game this year.

[LA_Showtime]

I didn't even watch the game but I remember seeing him play against Team USA. I don't know if he'll ever be an all-star caliber player or put up video game type of numbers but he's going to help the Wolves win games. It seems like he's got that certain something that just translates to wins.

[BankShot]

Did the OP.... or the other people commenting on his first preseason game.... actually watch the game??

From what I saw, he's still a long way from being an all-around contributor to a good team, but his performance was definitely encouraging.

I know its just preseason, which almost means as little as Summer League play... but i can't help but be at least a little excited to be a Wolves fan. Finally. :bowdown:

[FireDavidKahn]

Did the OP.... or the other people commenting on his first preseason game.... actually watch the game??

From what I saw, he's still a long way from being an all-around contributor to a good team, but his performance was definitely encouraging.

I know its just preseason, which almost means as little as Summer League play... but i can't help but be at least a little excited to be a Wolves fan. Finally. :bowdown:
I was at the game...

[Fatal9]

Needs to be able to hit that shot off the pick and roll, but he looked really good. The misses weren't pretty either, clank off the rim and over the backboard types lol. The better finishers and better spacing in the NBA (especially the Wolves who have 4-5 guys at a time who can shoot the 3) should help out his game though. Handles, vision and passing were amazing as expected.

[G-train]

Not sure why Ricky Rubio's performance is thread worthy.

I don't think anyone ever doubted his ability to play in the NBA. The doubts were about whether or not he'd be a PG worthy of being a #1 overall pick as he was once projected.

You underestimated the stupidity of ISH old friend.


Anyone with an bball IQ of 50 or above, who has ever see Rubio on any court holding a basketball knew he had NBA skills. His game is brilliantly suited to the NBA.

[G-train]

Bonzi Wells :roll:

[Yung D-Will]

You underestimated the stupidity of ISH old friend.


Anyone with an bball IQ of 50 or above, who has ever see Rubio on any court holding a basketball knew he had NBA skills. His game is brilliantly suited to the NBA.
This. In all honestly I think people just started to hate him and doubt his game because he didn't come straight to the nba. I remember people on this forum claiming he was scared or he was a diva. It's just like how people can say that certain stars suck because of their off the court actions. I always found it lol worthy.

The Kid was never gonna be Darko or Kwame. Hell the Kid was a #5 draft pick anyway.

[KGMN]

I was at the game...
+1 :cheers:

[DevilsAssassin]

Can't wait until our next game.

Team is fun to watch.

Derrick Williams Highlights from Yesterday Game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dum3ukfgKms&feature=g-user-u&context=G2bb648cUCGXQYbcTJ33ZOqS3s_Em7z5tRemjnjsum nJ38aGhqOzg

[Mr.JB]

After one game?!....no no im sorry, after one PRESEASON game?! come on man.

[The_Yearning]

I didn't even watch the game but I remember seeing him play against Team USA. I don't know if he'll ever be an all-star caliber player or put up video game type of numbers but he's going to help the Wolves win games. It seems like he's got that certain something that just translates to wins.

It's called European. These guys play to win and don't care about stats.

Where do you think Kobe picked up this mentality? Grew up in Italy after all.

[FireMcFailPlease]

hard to play "no defense" against the best players on the planet, when overseas theyre equally as bad on offense, but just get portrayed for playing great defense? gotcha.

if they were worth a shit and had any basketball skill with the ball, theyd be in the nba.

[IGotACoolStory]

Why does it matter to you so much that people must share the same opinion as you? It's one thing to argue a point, however you are way beyond "arguing a point" and now in the ***** territory.

[FireDavidKahn]

Game 1 in the books and he looked good!:cheers:

[BrentISballin]

I'm sold on Rubio , guy made some nasty passes . Can't wait to see more of him in the future :rockon:

[Shepseskaf]

Rubio's debut was impressive, but it would be foolish to discount everything that Euroleague has been saying. There is a definite track record established for this kid, especially in regard to poor shooting.

I think he'll initially surprise some teams with his passing, but will he be able to do the same things once coaches start to game-plan for him?

Despite his taking a charge on Westbrook tonight, I still think he'll ultimately be a defensive liability when teams start to focus in on him.

The shooting must improve. I wasn't the only one to notice that while he's great on the break in the open court, in fluid situations, he contributed virtually nothing in the standard half-court offense.

I simply don't think he has the foot speed and lateral quickness to break down a defense in the half-court set.

Time will tell, but it will definitely be intriguing to see how he develops.

[Lebron23]

He's good.

[Profound]

Rubio's debut was impressive, but it would be foolish to discount everything that Euroleague has been saying. There is a definite track record established for this kid, especially in regard to poor shooting.

I think he'll initially surprise some teams with his passing, but will he be able to do the same things once coaches start to game-plan for him?

Despite his taking a charge on Westbrook tonight, I still think he'll ultimately be a defensive liability when teams start to focus in on him.

The shooting must improve. I wasn't the only one to notice that while he's great on the break in the open court, in fluid situations, he contributed virtually nothing in the standard half-court offense.

I simply don't think he has the foot speed and lateral quickness to break down a defense in the half-court set.

Time will tell, but it will definitely be intriguing to see how he develops.
You're not the only that noticed that at this point he's more of a fast break playmaker, maybe he just needs to get used to playing with his teammates and learn the offense. He just looks to lack the ability to dribble around defense much like Nash or Rondo but I never watched this kid enough to know if he can do that or not.

[FindingTim]

He created about 8 easy baskets that only Nash could have imagined. That's 16 extra points right there. Beautiful, tricky, yet sensible passes. Say he gives you 10 points and 10 assists per game. That's 30 points. Factor in the positive effect his unselfishness has on his teammates. Then factor in how his exciting style fills the crowd with energy, then factor in how the energy of the crowd positively effects the Timberwolves players.

Bottom line: even with questionable defense, Minnesota should be ECSTATIC to have Ricky Rubio.

Oh yeah, factor in that he has the coolest name ever. that's gotta count for something.

[Borat_Sagdyev]

three year old mix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12FOZsjWxwk
At 17 Ricky played in the 2008 Olympic basketball final (in team with Gasol brothers, Navarro, Fernandez, Calderon and others) and schooled Jason Kidd. At 18 he was main PG of strongest Euroleague team Barcelona. No doubt he is Legit.

[chains5000]

Not that bad of a first game for Rubio (judging by stats only).
For those who watched the game, how did he look out there?

[upside24]

Not that bad of a first game for Rubio (judging by stats only).
For those who watched the game, how did he look out there?
He actually played better than his stats show. He saw the court well, made several pinpoint passes into tight areas and seemed really comfortable for his first NBA game. He was obviously the best passing guard on the Wolves and should start imo.

[chains5000]

Rubio's debut was impressive, but it would be foolish to discount everything that Euroleague has been saying. There is a definite track record established for this kid, especially in regard to poor shooting.

I think he'll initially surprise some teams with his passing, but will he be able to do the same things once coaches start to game-plan for him?

Despite his taking a charge on Westbrook tonight, I still think he'll ultimately be a defensive liability when teams start to focus in on him.

The shooting must improve. I wasn't the only one to notice that while he's great on the break in the open court, in fluid situations, he contributed virtually nothing in the standard half-court offense.

I simply don't think he has the foot speed and lateral quickness to break down a defense in the half-court set.

Time will tell, but it will definitely be intriguing to see how he develops.
Nice to see you giving him props.
I agree with open/half-court comment.
As for the defense part, he was playing against one of the most athletic PGs in the league, so I guess problems were more than expected.

[chains5000]

He actually played better than his stats show. He saw the court well, made several pinpoint passes into tight areas and seemed really comfortable for his first NBA game. He was obviously the best passing guard on the Wolves and should start imo.
I don't think it's bad to get him to slowly turn into a starter, less pressure on him this way.

[upside24]

I don't think it's bad to get him to slowly turn into a starter, less pressure on him this way.
I definitely agree. I hope he gets more minutes though and eventually gets a starting spot because his impact on the game was noticable. He is fantastic in transition finding open teammates.

[Force]

Rubio looked outstanding in his debut. Give the guy 2 years, his passing and defense are will be among the best in the league. Even if his shot doesn't become automatic it doesn't mean he can't be an all star level player. Rondo can't shoot and got MVP talk. Rose couldn't shoot a year before he won MVP and even then he was dominating a lot of games. Westbrook can't shoot...I think you see the pattern. Point guards don't have to be excellent shooters in today's league. It's all speed and pick and rolls. Rubio will be fine. His basketball IQ is very high.

[Force]

Tyson Chandler can't score either. NEVER HAS AND NEVER WILL.

I think he's turned out to be pretty damn valuable on the court even though all he does rebound and play defense.

This is a team sport and I'm sure Rubio will have teammates who can score, especially with him finding them. They just better be ready to catch the ball, Rubio sees it all.

[stallionaire]

I just got back from seeing the Wolves in person. Ricky Rubio is something else. He will be a star in this league. He could have made some of his earlier shots but towards the end he did everything he could to turn the game back in the favor and he was an absolute tempo changer.


Rubio is legit.

[Jyap9675]

I dont care if he cant score shit, he is so entertaining! reminds me of rajon rondo

[Jyap9675]

thing is people are basing their opinions on the player's performance not nba hype and marketing. If he sucked badly, then of course he will be rated negatively regardless of the hype and marketing he got beforehand.

[Quizno]

rubio's assists will go up from euroleague now that he can pass to significantly better teammates who can finish with ease

[Jyap9675]

This thread has gotten a bit too personal, imo. Everyone has the right to express an opinion without being attacked in such a manner.


I didnt mean to attack when I made that comment sorry. Was meant to be as a joke lol, but I agree I want to see how rubio does well in the long run.. but my main point is that as of his performance from last two games, he is doing well.

[Shepseskaf]

I didnt mean to attack when I made that comment sorry. Was meant to be as a joke lol, but I agree I want to see how rubio does well in the long run.. but my main point is that as of his performance from last two games, he is doing well.
Agreed 100%. He's already one of the most interesting developments of the young season. Let's see how it goes as the season progresses.

[Stuckey]

kid can pass

[blacknapalm]

i like the fact he uses so many bounce passes. he takes real nice angles and nba players are so not used to solid skipping bounce passes. i think that's part of the reason defenders are caught off guard. on this team, he won't be relied on to score so that also helps

[vinsane01]

He has great court vision and accurate passing skills. Needs to work on his scoring ability though especially his jump shots since it looks awkward and according to his euro league stats he isnt that good percentage wise.

Also, based on last night's game alone, he doesnt seem to be attacking the basket while they are playing half court. He probably isnt that good of a finisher if that's the case; since i think he has the ability to attack. So inability to finish is the only hindrance i can see for him to be this passive while playing half court. I dont think speed and lateral quickness wasnt that much of a problem in his debut game. Let's just see what happens.

[joe]

Not sure where people are getting the impression that he's a bad defender. Is it just because he's white? Because I don't see any evidence of that.

He's got good hands for picking peoples pockets. Has good size. At no point have I watched Ricky Rubio and thought, "man, he has no lateral quickness." Just seems average to me in that respect.

[blacknapalm]

Not sure where people are getting the impression that he's a bad defender. Is it just because he's white? Because I don't see any evidence of that.

He's got good hands for picking peoples pockets. Has good size. At no point have I watched Ricky Rubio and thought, "man, he has no lateral quickness." Just seems average to me in that respect.

same. plus, he has decent anticipation skills. he's not on a cp3/rondo level but there's no way he's on a fisher/nash level either

[Shepseskaf]

Not sure where people are getting the impression that he's a bad defender. Is it just because he's white? Because I don't see any evidence of that.
The race card? Seriously?

It has nothing to do with race. If you look at his physique you can obviously see that he lacks strength, which is a key component to being a good defender. You can get by with being thin if you're gifted in other areas like Tayshaun Prince.

With Rubio, I do see a lack of lateral quickness. I think it will become more clear as the season progresses.

[Fiba basketball]

Are you overrating Rubios passing or I just thougt that Nba has better passers than it actualy has

[Orlando Magic]

Didn't watch the game but the highlights showed him doing absolutely nothing in half court. He had like 6 fast break assists. Is he the best fast break PG in the league? Damn sure looked like it.

[mrhoopfan]

I was a Rubio hater after the olympics where i feel he was overhyped; however, I do feel that he can be a very solid pg in the NBA. his game fits the NBA style of play. I think he'd be helped out alot if the wolves pick up a real two guard. Wes Johnson is like a small forward to me and honestly, I thought and hope Wes would be better than this

[Rnbizzle]

Rudio = Rondo - Athleticism/Speed. Yes he obviously is a better shooter, but I think he's not good enough a shooter to be consistent.

[hawksdogsbraves]

I only saw the highlights but those passes looked pretty sick. I want to watch some actual T-Wolves games to see him in action.

[FireDavidKahn]

Nice to see you giving him props.
I agree with open/half-court comment.
As for the defense part, he was playing against one of the most athletic PGs in the league, so I guess problems were more than expected.
Just FYI, Westbrook did most of his damage against Ridnour.

[FireDavidKahn]

I was a Rubio hater after the olympics where i feel he was overhyped; however, I do feel that he can be a very solid pg in the NBA. his game fits the NBA style of play. I think he'd be helped out alot if the wolves pick up a real two guard. Wes Johnson is like a small forward to me and honestly, I thought and hope Wes would be better than this
Wesley sucks, end of story. He is a bust. The Wolves would of been sooooooooooooooo much better with Cousins that it hurts me to even think about it.

Picking Wesley Johnson over Cousins is going to turn out worse than the Flynn pick.

[FireDavidKahn]

TS% - 77.3%
eFG% - 66.7%
Asst% - 31.4%
ORtg - 176!
DRtg - 107
WS/48 - .231!

:pimp:

[Yung D-Will]

Are you overrating Rubios passing or I just thougt that Nba has better passers than it actualy has
Or maybe you were underrating his passing because of the offense he played in Barcelona?

Or is that not an option because you're a perfect analyst.

[ZHAKIDD532]

He needs to get stronger and be a good enough scorer to still have someone guard him, but he has extremely rare passing ability.

[HurricaneKid]

He has got a whole lot of Jason Williams in him. He made several really nice passes. He certainly had infinitely more confidence than Irving and played better than I was expecting. But the passes were all in space in transition.

[FireDavidKahn]

He has got a whole lot of Jason Williams in him. He made several really nice passes. He certainly had infinitely more confidence than Irving and played better than I was expecting. But the passes were all in space in transition.
This game most of his passes were all in transition, but he still found a few wide open players in half court sets when he drove into the lane. Normally he would get a few more assists from wide open jumpers but we uncharacteristically shot the ball horrible from 3 point range last night, we were 3/22.

[Yung D-Will]

He has got a whole lot of Jason Williams in him. He made several really nice passes. He certainly had infinitely more confidence than Irving and played better than I was expecting. But the passes were all in space in transition.
The Derrick Williams one and the Michale beasley one in the post weren't in transition.

That's 1/3rd of his assist

[madmax17]

I haven't seen passing like that in a while, plus he makes it seem so effortless, in a league where Westbrook and Rose are constantly criticized for hogging the ball Rubio is like a breath of fresh air, old-school.

Plus he'll sell tickets in Minnesota :D

I always thought he was one of those players that would do better in the nba than euroleague/spanish league because of his style and 'styles make fights', it shouldn't be long until he's a starter although you never know with Adelman.

[FireDavidKahn]

I haven't seen passing like that in a while, plus he makes it seem so effortless, in a league where Westbrook and Rose are constantly criticized for hogging the ball Rubio is like a breath of fresh air, old-school.

Plus he'll sell tickets in Minnesota :D

I always thought he was one of those players that would do better in the nba than euroleague/spanish league because of his style and 'styles make fights', it shouldn't be long until he's a starter although you never know with Adelman.
Rubio doesn't start but he does play the most minutes at PG and most importantly closes the game out.

[Yung D-Will]

I haven't seen passing like that in a while, plus he makes it seem so effortless, in a league where Westbrook and Rose are constantly criticized for hogging the ball Rubio is like a breath of fresh air, old-school.

Plus he'll sell tickets in Minnesota :D

I always thought he was one of those players that would do better in the nba than euroleague/spanish league because of his style and 'styles make fights', it shouldn't be long until he's a starter although you never know with Adelman.
I doubt he's gonna start early in the season. Maybe after 1/3rd of the season is done he'll start that Rubio-JJ-Beasley-Williams-Love lineup. But I don't think Adelman really ever rushes into starting rookies.

[Fiba basketball]

Or maybe you were underrating his passing because of the offense he played in Barcelona?

Or is that not an option because you're a perfect analyst.
No . I think he is good passer but not that good . But when Rose ( my favorite pg in Nba ) who is not that good passer has 8 apg than it has to do something with the league . Is it the rules or just he just playes with better players that can hit more shots ? I think it is both and thats the reason you overrate Rubios passing . I just wonder how many assist would better passers from Europe have .

[LA_Showtime]

Said it before I'll say it again: Rubio's a winner. I don't know if he'll ever be an NBA all-star or a top 3 point guard, but the guy just wins games.

[poster]

he can play, very impressed wit the guy

[NumberSix]

Too bad Norris Cole is this forum's favorite rookie PG.
Norris Cole jacks up a lot of shots though.

[FireMcFailPlease]

rubio's assists will go up from euroleague now that he can pass to significantly better teammates who can finish with ease
how dare you diss euroleague players inept ability to put the ball in the hoop!

[FireMcFailPlease]

No . I think he is good passer but not that good . But when Rose ( my favorite pg in Nba ) who is not that good passer has 8 apg than it has to do something with the league . Is it the rules or just he just playes with better players that can hit more shots ? I think it is both and thats the reason you overrate Rubios passing . I just wonder how many assist would better passers from Europe have .
jesus. keep the euro trash in another thread.

[dirk94_]

The dude has swagg at the passing

[poster]

Norris Cole jacks up a lot of shots though.
still a good pg

[GOBB]

Rubio was fun to watch. I'll be giving wolvesore of a watch than other crap teams. Hopefully Rubio minutes don't decrease. I'd like to see him play even more. Those passes were amazing. I'd like to see him attempt to score more just to see it. One pass to Kevin love who got fouled ended up being called a bogus travel.

[LJJ]

No . I think he is good passer but not that good . But when Rose ( my favorite pg in Nba ) who is not that good passer has 8 apg than it has to do something with the league . Is it the rules or just he just playes with better players that can hit more shots ? I think it is both and thats the reason you overrate Rubios passing . I just wonder how many assist would better passers from Europe have .

We have seen some of the great Euro passers in the league. Prime Jasikevicius. Prime Spanoulis. Omar Cook. Some of the key playmakers in recent Euroball history.


Just because assists are more liberally attributed by the NBA doesn't mean that it's also easier to pass and distribute in the NBA. You need a higher level of intensity to run an NBA team that very few point guards in Europe can consistently display. A guy like Papaloukas? That shit would never fly in the NBA. As good as he was in Europe, never.

[Teanett]

t-wolves should try to sign the re-birth of adam morisson.
he would fit perfectly with rubio and k-love. damn that would be a cool team.

[poster]

they tried to revive darko lol

[MK2V1GP]

Rubio was fun to watch. I'll be giving wolvesore of a watch than other crap teams. Hopefully Rubio minutes don't decrease. I'd like to see him play even more. Those passes were amazing. I'd like to see him attempt to score more just to see it. One pass to Kevin love who got fouled ended up being called a bogus travel.

That was crap. He got sandwiched in between two guys, fell and they called the travel before a foul was called even though they fouled him first.

There were 3 or 4 bad calls that went in the Thunder's way. But that's not the main reason why Minny lost, not making excuses.

[Teanett]

darko
k-love
a-mo
ricky
jj barea


greatest all-white starting line up ever

[chocolatethunder]

No . I think he is good passer but not that good . But when Rose ( my favorite pg in Nba ) who is not that good passer has 8 apg than it has to do something with the league . Is it the rules or just he just playes with better players that can hit more shots ? I think it is both and thats the reason you overrate Rubios passing . I just wonder how many assist would better passers from Europe have .
Rose dominates the ball more and that alone gives him more assists. Just like Iverson. He didn't even play PG and got lots of assists because of how much he dominated the ball. Arenas and Francis were the same way. Although those guys both played PG they were hardly real PGs. I would like to see Rose shift to SG and play off the ball.

[Grinder]

Ricky's been living it up.
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9100000/photoshoot-with-Clara-Lago-ricky-rubio-9190533-456-620.jpg
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9100000/photoshoot-with-Clara-Lago-ricky-rubio-9190532-456-620.jpg
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9100000/photoshoot-with-Clara-Lago-ricky-rubio-9190534-456-620.jpg

[poster]

darko
k-love
a-mo
ricky
jj barea


greatest all-white starting line up ever
haha i was watching the game yesterday and noticed they had a lot of white guys

[Fiba basketball]

We have seen some of the great Euro passers in the league. Prime Jasikevicius. Prime Spanoulis. Omar Cook. Some of the key playmakers in recent Euroball history.


Just because assists are more liberally attributed by the NBA doesn't mean that it's also easier to pass and distribute in the NBA. You need a higher level of intensity to run an NBA team that very few point guards in Europe can consistently display. A guy like Papaloukas? That shit would never fly in the NBA. As good as he was in Europe, never.
I dont think that Spanoulis is in top 5 passers in Euroleague and Cook isnt that good passer even in Euroleague . Please give me a reason why a player like Teodosic or Huertas wouldnt be able to pass in Nba when Rubio can .

[Teanett]

I dont think that Spanoulis is in top 5 passers in Euroleague and Cook isnt that good passer even in Euroleague . Please give me a reason why a player like Teodosic or Huertas wouldnt be able to pass in Nba when Rubio can .

teodosic is too slow and cant run in the nba like rubio can. also, rubio is a better athlete and defender. teodosic might be a better passer (i doubt it) but he wouldnt play much.
why do you think every nba team wanted rubio since he's 18 years old while teodosic isnt so interesting? you think nba gm's are fools? the court is bigger, simple as that, you facken fool.

[04mzwach]

t-wolves should try to sign the re-birth of adam morisson.
he would fit perfectly with rubio and k-love. damn that would be a cool team.
True, I think Ammo would have a chance as just a part of a team not New York, LA and teams in places like that. He needs teams like Utah, Minnesota, Milwaukee or maybe Toronto. Places where they don't boo the shit out of players and harrass them.

[Foster5k]

Ricky's been living it up.
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9100000/photoshoot-with-Clara-Lago-ricky-rubio-9190533-456-620.jpg
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9100000/photoshoot-with-Clara-Lago-ricky-rubio-9190532-456-620.jpg
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9100000/photoshoot-with-Clara-Lago-ricky-rubio-9190534-456-620.jpg
Barf...

[swi7ch]

Ricky's been living it up.
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9100000/photoshoot-with-Clara-Lago-ricky-rubio-9190533-456-620.jpg
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9100000/photoshoot-with-Clara-Lago-ricky-rubio-9190532-456-620.jpg
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9100000/photoshoot-with-Clara-Lago-ricky-rubio-9190534-456-620.jpg

dude can bang any chick he wants in spain :rockon:

[swi7ch]

haha i was watching the game yesterday and noticed they had a lot of white guys

check out the lakers

[Fiba basketball]

teodosic is too slow and cant run in the nba like rubio can. also, rubio is a better athlete and defender. teodosic might be a better passer (i doubt it) but he wouldnt play much.
why do you think every nba team wanted rubio since he's 18 years old while teodosic isnt so interesting? you think nba gm's are fools? the court is bigger, simple as that, you facken fool.
They wanted Rubio because they thought he will become a better player , and they made a mistake . Teodosić is better passer than Rubio and the better player . He is one of slowest pg in Euroleague and he is still on of the best players there . He is faster than Fisher and Kid ( I talking about this season ) that are starting pg on their teams . But OK lets say he is slow , than what about McCaleb who is fastest player in Europe and would be in top 20 in Nba for sure ? They are both better than Rubio but he got hyped and now some people dont want to acept that Rubio didnt become good like they thought . Since when is 6 points and 6 assist great game ???

[FindingTim]

The Jason Williams comparisons are hilarious. Ricky's confidence/b-ball IQ dwarf Jason's.
He is far more Nash than J-Will.

[Shepseskaf]

you gay?
It looks like two girls.

[LJJ]

I dont think that Spanoulis is in top 5 passers in Euroleague and Cook isnt that good passer even in Euroleague . Please give me a reason why a player like Teodosic or Huertas wouldnt be able to pass in Nba when Rubio can .

See, no matter who I used as an example I knew you would pull some other names out of your ass. Maybe they aren't the very best passers in the case of Spanoulis and Cook (even though Cook is a top assists man in pretty much every Euroleague season), but these are prominent examples of players who simply could not make in the NBA. Players that have been there. Do we really need to cherry pick a couple of players who haven't, when so many star playmakers have come and gone? Can't you see some sort of rudimentary trend here?

Rigaudeau?
McIntyre?
Elmer Bennett?


Why does it have to be Teodosic (who is actually A LOT like Spanoulis) or Huertas? Only because they haven't failed in the NBA yet? Huertas is making like 2 million bucks right now. Teodosic was making around that amount up to last season. A decent starting point guard in the NBA is going to make 60+ million in his career easily. Do you think that if Teodosic or Huertas could be surefire starters in the NBA, they wouldn't be here? That makes no sense, sorry. If so their agents are doing a horrible job.

[chips93]

his court vision and passing are already elite. he looked really tentative to shoot, but if hes just playing to his strengths, maybe this is a good thing. i was really impressed. its clear that he will have to adjust to nba calibre athletes. westbrook had a handful of plays where rubio clearly just under estimated his explosiveness.

i 'll wait to see how he fares once teams have adjusted to him, and had a chance to scout him, and see how he plays then, before jumping to too many conclusions. good start though.

[Teanett]

They wanted Rubio because they thought he will become a better player , and they made a mistake . Teodosić is better passer than Rubio and the better player . He is one of slowest pg in Euroleague and he is still on of the best players there . He is faster than Fisher and Kid ( I talking about this season ) that are starting pg on their teams . But OK lets say he is slow , than what about McCaleb who is fastest player in Europe and would be in top 20 in Nba for sure ? They are both better than Rubio but he got hyped and now some people dont want to acept that Rubio didnt become good like they thought . Since when is 6 points and 6 assist great game ???

teodosic is too slow for the nba. same problem as jasicevicious, who was faster.
ricky's got nba speed. that's all.

[stallionaire]

Rubio > every european guard

[FireMcFailPlease]

zzzzz

[FireDavidKahn]

Oh my god Rubio took over at the end of the half and is the reason we lead the heat right now:banana: :pimp:

[FireDavidKahn]

Oh my god Rubio took over at the end of the half and is the reason we lead the heat right now:banana: :pimp:
I'm not even under playing it. Rubio was the best player on the court in the last 5 minutes of the half. The Wolves haven't seen basketball like that since forever.

[FireDavidKahn]

:roll: @ 90% of ISH for doubting Rubio.

[FireDavidKahn]

No one is man enough to eat crow.

[FireDavidKahn]

2/2 on threees tonight, who said he couldn't shoot?:oldlol:

[leopoldstotch]

i was a doubter, but i believe now. :bowdown:

4/7 fg, 2/3 ft, 12 points 6 rebounds 12 assists 5 to's 31 minutes

[Lebron23]

Almost a triple double.

[hawkfan]

Rubio is the real deal. He's very good.
He's a real pass-first point guard.
Very unselfish.

[FireDavidKahn]

Almost a triple double.
He has rebounded so much better than I thought he would.

[BankShot]

The MN crowd absolutely loves Rubio.... many times tonight there was a significant portion of the crowd chanting his name :applause:

[cuad]

He has rebounded so much better than I thought he would.
That's because you never looked at his OREB% or DREB%.

http://www.in-the-game.org/?page_id=9936

4.9 and 12.8, comparable to Rondo's career averages of 4.5 and 11.9

[FireDavidKahn]

That's because you never looked at his OREB% or DREB%.

http://www.in-the-game.org/?page_id=9936

4.9 and 12.8, comparable to Rondo's career averages of 4.5 and 11.9
Which is better than I thought he would rebound at.:violin:

[FireDavidKahn]

If anyone needs any more proof as to how good Ricky is, the Heat had to put Lebron on him late in the 4th to try and cool him off.

[LBJMVP]

ill admit that i was very wrong about this one.

but i will state that i still think derrick williams will be a bust.

[BankShot]

If anyone needs any more proof as to how good Ricky is, the Heat had to put Lebron on him late in the 4th to try and cool him off.

I thought that was really cool that they had Lebron on him to close the 4th quarter.... and he definitely deserved the attention

[BankShot]

ill admit that i was very wrong about this one.

but i will state that i still think derrick williams will be a bust.

He definitely has looked lost in the first three games.... he needs to get it though his head that he's not a wing, and shouldn't be focusing on shooting threes and handling the rock

[FireDavidKahn]

Here's his highlights against the Heat. Almost everything comes in half court sets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBoDWNBcf0s&feature=player_embedded

Who said he couldn't do anything in the half court offense?:lol

[Clippersfan86]

Yea Rubio is definitely impossible not to like. Not only is his game flashy and brilliant to watch (besides the turnovers, but will get better) but he actually makes everybody around him better. I'm very pleasantly surprised by this guy and think he's going to have a great career.

I said before his upside is Derek Fisher... but honestly I was trolling/being a hater. After reading up on this kid and watching him... I can't help but love/respect his game. He's what a point guard SHOULD BE. He reminds me of some of the older great PG's who knew the value of a bounce pass. It seems like the simple bounce pass is a lost art. The understanding of angles on a pass.. a lost art.

[CelticBaller]

lol lakas is on suicide watch

[MeLO MvP 15]

I always like Rubio and thought he'd a good starting PG, but he looked even better than I thought he'd be last night. I know it's just one game, but wow. He literally had the Nash effect and had all of his teammates cutting and getting easy looks.

[brisbaneman]

imagine if rubio were black, he'd be all over espn right now as the Second Coming

[GOBB]

imagine if rubio were black, he'd be all over espn right now as the Second Coming

Agreed like Tim Tebow is. Wait what?

[Yung D-Will]

He definitely has looked lost in the first three games.... he needs to get it though his head that he's not a wing, and shouldn't be focusing on shooting threes and handling the rock


Adelman said he's playing him as a 4 for now but that doesn't mean that he wants to take out one of the strongest parts of his game. He just has to realize when to do certain things for now.

[Zenji]

Ricky Rubio vs Miami (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBoDWNBcf0s)

[FireDavidKahn]

Another bump!

Rubio is taking over.

[Faptastrophe]

imagine if rubio were black, he'd be all over espn right now as the Second Coming
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n27/heathertonwarrior/1wasis.gif

[comerb]

Yep, I was wrong. He's legit.

[sodap]

"Rubio has played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter of all four games and has made 7 of 10 shots and scored 21 points with 14 assists and nine rebounds in those 48 minutes."

source: nba.com

[juju151111]

This kid is legit.

[Micku]

Rubio and Kevin Love reminds me of Dirk/Nash.

Rubio is awesome. Hopefully he keeps this up.

[SpecialQue]

Small markets, baby!!!

[EnoughSaid]

I love this kid. A rare, non-attacking PG. :bowdown:

[The_Yearning]

Rubio is good. Not sure I like Love being the closer. They need a real closer unless Rubio can turn into one.

[SpecialQue]

Rubio is good. Not sure I like Love being the closer. They need a real closer unless Rubio can turn into one.

Maybe Love can become a closer?

[OmniStrife]

Maybe Love can become a closer?
Why not? he's averaging a friggin' 26/16 so far.

[The_Yearning]

Why not? he's averaging a friggin' 26/16 so far.

Yah and LBJ averaged 30/7/7... everyone knows closers have the best stats :facepalm

Love posted the most emptied stats of any player I have ever seen last year.

[OmniStrife]

Yah and LBJ averaged 30/7/7... everyone knows closers have the best stats :facepalm

Love posted the most emptied stats of any player I have ever seen last year.
I dunno if they were empty, or his team was horrible.

The way the Wolves are playing now, I'm leaning towards the 2nd option.

[c3z4r]

I dunno if they were empty, or his team was horrible.

The way the Wolves are playing now, I'm leaning towards the 2nd option.

His team was horrible, but he definitely pads his stats. Blatant proof of this was in today's game when he got 2 rebounds in the final 30 seconds of the game, when in the last 3 minutes it became fairly obvious the game was out of reach, but he stayed in the game and collected 2 more totally meaningless rebounds.

[sodap]

His team was horrible, but he definitely pads his stats. Blatant proof of this was in today's game when he got 2 rebounds in the final 30 seconds of the game, when in the last 3 minutes it became fairly obvious the game was out of reach, but he stayed in the game and collected 2 more totally meaningless rebounds.

which is a good thing: when you are used to always stay in the game, you dont have trouble to stay in the game under pressure.

96 bulls right there

[c3z4r]

which is a good thing: when you are used to always stay in the game, you dont have trouble to stay in the game under pressure.

96 bulls right there

what?? Since when does staying and playing in blowouts prepare you for playing under pressure?

[FireMcFailPlease]

His team was horrible, but he definitely pads his stats. Blatant proof of this was in today's game when he got 2 rebounds in the final 30 seconds of the game, when in the last 3 minutes it became fairly obvious the game was out of reach, but he stayed in the game and collected 2 more totally meaningless rebounds.
u mad?

[c3z4r]

u mad?

yes:mad: :mad: :mad: Soo mad that kevin love had 2 rebounds that i want to punch mexican babies in the face.

Dude you have to realize that adults sometimes have debates and i just argumented pro kevin love padding his stats. I am neither mad nor do i give that much of a **** to really be affected by basketball events in my daily life.

[stallionaire]

yes:mad: :mad: :mad: Soo mad that kevin love had 2 rebounds that i want to punch mexican babies in the face.

Dude you have to realize that adults sometimes have debates and i just argumented pro kevin love padding his stats. I am neither mad nor do i give that much of a **** to really be affected by basketball events in my daily life.

Mad?

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5m12XoYF1qzaoamo1_500.jpg

[FireMcFailPlease]

yes:mad: :mad: :mad: Soo mad that kevin love had 2 rebounds that i want to punch mexican babies in the face.

Dude you have to realize that adults sometimes have debates and i just argumented pro kevin love padding his stats. I am neither mad nor do i give that much of a **** to really be affected by basketball events in my daily life.
:oldlol: :oldlol:

relax. love obviously won the rebounding title last year due to leading the league in meaningless minutes played

[c3z4r]

Mad?

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5m12XoYF1qzaoamo1_500.jpg

Ummm... are all Minnesotans like this?

[FireMcFailPlease]

Ummm... are all Minnesotans like this?
http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmumoa4osR1qa5rnho1_400.gif

[c3z4r]

:oldlol: :oldlol:

relax. love obviously won the rebounding title last year due to leading the league in meaningless minutes played

I don't have to relax since i'm not tense. I presented a proof of kevin's statpadding. If you want to prove me wrong, be my guest, I'm always up for a debate, but like i said I consider him a notorious statpadder

[comerb]

His team was horrible, but he definitely pads his stats. Blatant proof of this was in today's game when he got 2 rebounds in the final 30 seconds of the game, when in the last 3 minutes it became fairly obvious the game was out of reach, but he stayed in the game and collected 2 more totally meaningless rebounds.

Stat padding is probably the most retarded thing I've heard bitched about on this forum.

[Euroleague]

Ricky Rubio's Spanish League Stats:


32.0 Field Goal %

25.9 Three Point Field Goal %

77.1 Free Throw %

4.8 Points Per Game

4.1 Assists Per Game

3.2 Rebounds Per Game

1.6 Steals Per Game


Ricky Rubio's Euroleague Stats:


31.0 Field Goal %

22.4 Three Point Field Goal %

83.6 Free Throw %

6.5 Points Per Game

3.5 Assists Per Game

3.2 Rebounds Per Game

1.6 Steals Per Game

[GOBB]

His team was horrible, but he definitely pads his stats. Blatant proof of this was in today's game when he got 2 rebounds in the final 30 seconds of the game, when in the last 3 minutes it became fairly obvious the game was out of reach, but he stayed in the game and collected 2 more totally meaningless rebounds.

So Love should tell the coach "Take me out of the game, its over dispite time still on the clock. I'm done for the night." or if the coach keeps him in the game? Dont rebound the ball. No clue who gets the ball back, probably Dallas. But Love dont touch any rebounds, score, pass because you are eligible for the stat padding label. Pretty silly argument if I say so myself.

Minny franchise overall is a joke. Laughable. Since KG was traded that franchise has won how many games on average? And how often did they win the lottery? Thats laughable as well because being so damn bad they dont get rewarded with the top pick. I know its a lottery, but its just funny to see a team lose so much yearly to never win the lottery as much. THAT said, you have a proven coach finally and he decides beating the defending champs at home for the first win? Well he is going to keep his unit out there. Whats wrong with giving those guys a taste of what it feels like to not only win but to secure any late runs? Thats experience and this team outside if Ridnour is relatively young and inexperienced. I have no beef leaving those guys out there to the end. They deserve it, given they havent won much its a good thing and the fans in attendance was able to see their Wolves fight to the bitter end.

[Dual]

Ricky Rubio vs Mavericks (Highlights):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCf5lwHAiW4

:rockon:

[Teanett]

So Love should tell the coach "Take me out of the game, its over dispite time still on the clock. I'm done for the night." or if the coach keeps him in the game? Dont rebound the ball. No clue who gets the ball back, probably Dallas. But Love dont touch any rebounds, score, pass because you are eligible for the stat padding label. Pretty silly argument if I say so myself.

Minny franchise overall is a joke. Laughable. Since KG was traded that franchise has won how many games on average? And how often did they win the lottery? Thats laughable as well because being so damn bad they dont get rewarded with the top pick. I know its a lottery, but its just funny to see a team lose so much yearly to never win the lottery as much. THAT said, you have a proven coach finally and he decides beating the defending champs at home for the first win? Well he is going to keep his unit out there. Whats wrong with giving those guys a taste of what it feels like to not only win but to secure any late runs? Thats experience and this team outside if Ridnour is relatively young and inexperienced. I have no beef leaving those guys out there to the end. They deserve it, given they havent won much its a good thing and the fans in attendance was able to see their Wolves fight to the bitter end.

^^^what he said.

[NBAtipoff]

Rubio is legit. The early part of the season shows that. If he's consistent, that's a whole different topic. He'll fall off during part of his rookie year, that's inevitable.

[Teanett]

Rubio is legit. The early part of the season shows that. If he's consistent, that's a whole different topic. He'll fall off during part of his rookie year, that's inevitable.
i dont think he'll fall off. he's not a 'regular' rookie.

[LJJ]

Ricky Rubio's Spanish League Stats:


32.0 Field Goal %

25.9 Three Point Field Goal %

77.1 Free Throw %

4.8 Points Per Game

4.1 Assists Per Game

3.2 Rebounds Per Game

1.6 Steals Per Game


Ricky Rubio's Euroleague Stats:


31.0 Field Goal %

22.4 Three Point Field Goal %

83.6 Free Throw %

6.5 Points Per Game

3.5 Assists Per Game

3.2 Rebounds Per Game

1.6 Steals Per Game


Pretty damn nice. :applause:

The FT% proves he does have a pure stroke, but he just needs to receive some good coaching to improve his jump shooting technique. They have good shooting coaches in the NBA, case in point: Jose Calderon.

When his jumpshot improves to NBA standards, so will his scoring.

Assist numbers are solid for European standards.

Rebounding very good for a point guard.

Elite defense by European standards. :applause:

[MK2V1GP]

Someone needs to make a Rubio avatar for those who support Rubio, similar to what most do here come playoff time "I rep ______"

[QuebecBaller]

When will he become a starter?

[Miserio]

How is he play against the spurs?

[FireDavidKahn]

I'm gonna keep bumping this thread.

Rubio looks sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good, let alone for a rookie.

[Go Getter]

Pretty damn nice. :applause:

The FT% proves he does have a pure stroke, but he just needs to receive some good coaching to improve his jump shooting technique. They have good shooting coaches in the NBA, case in point: Jose Calderon.

When his jumpshot improves to NBA standards, so will his scoring.

Assist numbers are solid for European standards.

Rebounding very good for a point guard.

Elite defense by European standards. :applause:

Please stop.

:roll:

[FireDavidKahn]

Please stop.

:roll:
He is right...

If you can shoot free throws at a high level there is no reason why you can't shoot jump shots at a high rate.

[skan72]

Still lolling about the people who were saying it was a bad thing when his teammates were praising him because his passes kept smashing them in the face. It was because he's such a quick passer with such a high IQ that he gets you the ball before you even know you're open, but you are.

[FireDavidKahn]

Strong preseason games are a surefire ticket to a first ballot Hall of Fame selection!
:oldlol:

[GOBB]

:oldlol:

:roll: Optimus Fraud, I love it!

[DonDadda59]

I was skeptical, but Ricky looks like he's the truth. I think his experiences in the Euroleague and the Spanish National Team had him ready to hit the ground running.

Can a rookie win the 6th man of the year award?

[FireDavidKahn]

I was skeptical, but Ricky looks like he's the truth. I think his experiences in the Euroleague and the Spanish National Team had him ready to hit the ground running.

Can a rookie win the 6th man of the year award?
Didn't Ben Gordon do that?

[ILLsmak]

He is right...

If you can shoot free throws at a high level there is no reason why you can't shoot jump shots at a high rate.

I disagree. Plenty of players that can't shoot jumpers that can hit FTs. Myself included.

You have 10 seconds to relax and shoot a FT. You can shoot it underhand if you want to. No matter how tired you are, you can take a deep breath and relax. Not the same for jump shooting.

There's a lot that goes into a jump shot especially when you are defended and playing the role of a distributor.

I'd say that FT % is more of a sign of mental toughness than shooting mechanics.

-Smak

[skan72]

Didn't Ben Gordon do that?

Yessir, he did.

[04mzwach]

It doesn't really matter at this point whether people thought he was a bad jump shooter. He has already proven to be a good jump shooter.

[Nash]

Sticky this thread. Might as well because people keep bringing it up after every game Rubio plays.

[TaLvsCuaL]

bump

[Zenji]

Ricky Rubio

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[OKCThunderUP]

I was skeptical, but Ricky looks like he's the truth. I think his experiences in the Euroleague and the Spanish National Team had him ready to hit the ground running.

Can a rookie win the 6th man of the year award?

He won't get the nod over James Harden.

[Maga_1]

He won't get the nod over James Harden.

Unfortunatelly, this.
Harden is playing really really well.

[Whoah10115]

Ben Gordon did win it as a rookie.


Ricky Rubio is a beast...yowsa. And he apparently can play D.


Rose didn't beast Rubio, he just beasted. Rubio is special. TWolves will be a great team next year.

[Pointguard]

Rick got game. The point is rich with talent and he's an elite passer already. Very precise... .

[FireDavidKahn]

At this point I think Rubio is running away with the ROY award. He is so damn good.

[Go Getter]

Ben Gordon did win it as a rookie.


Ricky Rubio is a beast...yowsa. And he apparently can play D.


Rose didn't beast Rubio, he just beasted. Rubio is special. TWolves will be a great team next year.
Rubio held his own out there I agree.

[Teanett]

rubio for roy and 6th man oty

[Pointguard]

At this point I think Rubio is running away with the ROY award. He is so damn good.

He's behind Kyrie at the moment. Don't know where that will end up tho.

[pegasus]

He's behind Kyrie at the moment. Don't know where that will end up tho.

I think Rubio's numbers will translate to more wins, so he may end up ahead of Kyrie even if he's got slightly inferior numbers.

They usually don't look at the win column to determine the ROY, but Rubio is making too much of an impact when he's on the floor, it will be hard to ignore the fact that they are still in games in crunch times due to the energy, playmaking, and scoring he brings off the bench.

[IGOTGAME]

I think Rubio's numbers will translate to more wins, so he may end up ahead of Kyrie even if he's got slightly inferior numbers.

They usually don't look at the win column to determine the ROY, but Rubio is making too much of an impact when he's on the floor, it will be hard to ignore the fact that they are still in games in crunch times due to the energy, playmaking, and scoring he brings off the bench.

but even looking at the stats Rubio is looking like he will end up with superior ones. He may end up top 5 in the NBA in steals by the end of the season. You can see him getting more and more comfortable every game and can see him getting to spots better and with superior timing. This can seen in his last two games where he had 4 and 3 steals respectively.

If he continues at this pace he will finish the season top 5 in steals and top 5 in assists.

[Teanett]

He's behind Kyrie at the moment. Don't know where that will end up tho.

i dont think so. kyrie has the numbers but rubio drastically elevates his team as seen yesterday.

[pegasus]

but even looking at the stats Rubio is looking like he will end up with superior ones. He may end up top 5 in the NBA in steals by the end of the season. You can see him getting more and more comfortable every game and can see him getting to spots better and with superior timing. This can seen in his last two games where he had 4 and 3 steals respectively.

If he continues at this pace he will finish the season top 5 in steals and top 5 in assists.

I know, that's a possibility. But there's also this thing called "rookie wall", and they will probably both hit it.

Kyrie is a starter, so will still see his regular minutes, and his numbers may stay about the same, but Rubio's numbers may get affected. Or not. Either way, we don't know who's gonna have better numbers after 66 games, but looks like Rubio is making too much of an impact to be placed behind Kyrie even if Kyrie has better stats.

Thus far, I'd say Rubio is Ricky of the Year!:cheers:

[redhonda76]

This is my first time watching Rubio last night's game. I have to say I am very impressed. He was able to control the flow of the offense and very good court vision. A couple of bad passes could be because his teammates aren't used to playing with him yet.

[Go Getter]

To be fair though Rubio has three point shooters and high flying finishers to pass the ball to while Kyrie has....not much.

[Teanett]

To be fair though Rubio has three point shooters and high flying finishers to pass the ball to while Kyrie has....not much.
apart from k-love, they miraculously turn into high-flyers and shooters when rubio is on the floor. without him, they're back to being scrubs.

[FireDavidKahn]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/35381/the-dirty-secret-about-ricky-rubio


An hour or ago I found myself wanting to make some bold claims about how much Dwane Casey has helped the Raptors' defense. I had intended to say that no team's defense had improved as much as the Raptors' had thanks to their new coach.

But what I found instead was that in fact one team had: The Timberwolves also jumped up 14 spots compared to last year's defensive efficiency rankings. So, sneakily, I reworded my post to say that no team had improved more than the Raptors, and resolved to dig into this Minnesota thing a bit.

Verdict: Whereas the Raptors improvement is largely about team philosophy, the Timberwolves' have added a defender who makes a difference, and he happens to be the most exciting young offensive player in the NBA.

I'll try not to be the thousandth writer to tell you how exciting it is to see the ball zoom unpredictably around the court from the hands of Ricky Rubio. Just get League Pass already and see for yourself. (Under discussion: renaming "Daily Dime Live" "Ricky Rubio oohing and aahing"). That, my friends, is one hell of a show.

But without the ball, it's a whole 'nother "holy cow." BasketballValue tells us that when Rubio is on the court, the Timberwolves are giving up 95 points per 100 possessions. When he's off, that number is 104. It's early yet, and those adjusted plus/minus numbers are particularly vulnerable to small sample sizes. But it looks right now like Rubio is already a difference-maker defending NBA guards, and that his impact on defense rivals all that stuff he's doing at the other end.

To my eyes, it's clear that he has very long arms. (Look at that photo above. See how far his shoulder is from the ball compared to Danny Green's?) What's more important, however, is that he is constantly doing everything he can to try to make a difference. Coaches always say that a big part of being good at defense is wanting to be good at defense. Mission accomplished. Sometimes that means he gets caught watching the ball a bit, but in general, he's hustling. If you remember the play in the photo above (which Rubio later said he thought had been a foul) I'm pretty sure that Green was assuming nobody was going to bother to chase him down. But in this case, he was wrong.

You also might notice a lot of opposing guards simply coughing up balls against Minnesota. If you rewind and watch again, you'll notice a lot of those were poked free by Rubio, even if he is not credited with all those steals.

In fact, it's plays like that that make me love advanced stats like plus/minus. No, we can't say exactly what it is that works about his defense. But we can say that over this young season, when he's out there, the defense has worked much better than when he's not. As Martha Stewart would say, that's a good thing.

[FireDavidKahn]

apart from k-love, they miraculously turn into high-flyers and shooters when rubio is on the floor. without him, they're back to being scrubs.
This. This entire Wolves team is composed of scrubs aside from Rubio/Love/Williams/Barea.

Williams isn't anything special right now though.

[Teanett]

oh yeah! did i mention he's a good defender? and i believe he'll be great one by age 25 because he has great vision not only on offense but also on defense.

[FireDavidKahn]

APkrawczynski Jon Krawczynski
RT @mySynergySports: Ricky Rubio is leading the NBA in points per-(possession+assist) at 1.66
Favorite Retweet Reply

Awesome!

[MK2V1GP]

Highlight video of his first few games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqr1XWg7T-k&feature=player_embedded


-with Rubio on the court, Minn is +52 in 290 minutes
-with Rubio on the bench, Minn is -49 in 190 minutes

[Teanett]

-with Rubio on the court, Minn is +52 in 290 minutes
-with Rubio on the bench, Minn is -49 in 190 minutes
damn!

[Pointguard]

but even looking at the stats Rubio is looking like he will end up with superior ones. He may end up top 5 in the NBA in steals by the end of the season. You can see him getting more and more comfortable every game and can see him getting to spots better and with superior timing. This can seen in his last two games where he had 4 and 3 steals respectively.

If he continues at this pace he will finish the season top 5 in steals and top 5 in assists.

Thing with Kyrie is this the first time he is playing competitively with 20 year olds and men for more than a month. So his learning curve is going to be humongous. To me he looks like a slower/taller Chris Paul with a better shot. But we don't know how long it will take for him to learn the game. Safe to say he's going to get gradually better, perhaps, in bigger increments than Rubio who came in more NBA ready.

[Pointguard]

Highlight video of his first few games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqr1XWg7T-k&feature=player_embedded


-with Rubio on the court, Minn is +52 in 290 minutes
-with Rubio on the bench, Minn is -49 in 190 minutes

If that stats stays the same he's ROY.

[Droid101]

Clearly ROY unless he hits the wall or Kyrie/Kemba go apeshit. He's getting better every game and actually helps his team win games.

[FireDavidKahn]

Clearly ROY unless he hits the wall or Kyrie/Kemba go apeshit. He's getting better every game and actually helps his team win games.
Well we aren't winning yet but are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better with him on the court. Basically you take a 17 win team + add Rubio + Add Adelman and suddenly we are a competitive team.


Williams hasn't done anything yet so far but will hopefully get there. I see his ceiling as somewhere around a better shooting David West.

[Yung D-Will]

Well we aren't winning yet but are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better with him on the court. Basically you take a 17 win team + add Rubio + Add Adelman and suddenly we are a competitive team.


Williams hasn't done anything yet so far but will hopefully get there. I see his ceiling as somewhere around a better shooting David West.
If Adelman turns him into a 3 over the offseasoon the way he attacks the basket reminds me of Paul Pierce.

[FireDavidKahn]

JerryZgoda Jerry Zgoda
Here are Top 5 Western guards voting so far: Kobe 690,613; CP3 540,173; Rubio 133,520; Steve Nash 118,922; Russell Westbrook 107,197


JerryZgoda Jerry Zgoda
Ricky Rubio is third among Western guards in very early NBA All-Star Game balloting, but well behind No. 1 Kobe and No. 2 CP3.

:bowdown:

[LA_Showtime]

:oldlol: @ anyone who thought this kid would be a bust.

Again, I don't know if he'll ever be a superstar per say or an all-NBA team type of guy, but he makes his teammates better and is a winner, period. He's got an IT factor you can't teach.

[FireDavidKahn]

:oldlol: @ anyone who thought this kid would be a bust.

Again, I don't know if he'll ever be a superstar per say or an all-NBA team type of guy, but he makes his teammates better and is a winner, period. He's got an IT factor you can't teach.
Everyone thought he would be a bust on this site before he actually came over here. The hate on him was way over the top.

[MK2V1GP]

Everyone thought he would be a bust on this site before he actually came over here. The hate on him was way over the top.

While I quit posting in this forum for a couple of years, I have been a huge fan and supporter of his for YEARS.





"Not only is Rubio better than I could project, he's better right now than John Wall, the No. 1 pick of the very next draft. Wall can't shoot as well, can't run a team as well and has virtually no chance of passing the ball as well. Wow, talk about misery loving company." -- Wilbon

[LA_Showtime]

Everyone thought he would be a bust on this site before he actually came over here. The hate on him was way over the top.

Yeah I wasn't sure what type of numbers he'd put up but after watching him in the Olympics over the past few years and especially against Team USA it was obvious he's got a unique feel for the game and is a great game manager.

[chains5000]

Everyone thought he would be a bust on this site before he actually came over here. The hate on him was way over the top.
I gotta admit his past two seasons made me think he'd be a bust, which is exactly the opposite of what I thought when he was drafted.
His improved shooting has really surprised me, the rest of his game is just what he's capable of when given freedom.

[Semi]

I have to admit, right now he is the only player in the entire league who can impact the game just while beeing on the floor. He is by far the best PG on this team. And that's not a knock on Ridnour who is a very serviceable PG but he is not in the slightest in a leageu with Rubio when it come to managing a game and seeing the floor. He always finds the open man. Especially on the perimeter, even without a drive and kick oftentimes. Just beeing able to scan everything on the court in a few miliseconds makes him maybe one of the 3 best PG in the league. It's great to see a PG in the real sense like he should play, especially in a league where most PG are just small scorers who occasionally find the open man. He wants to make everybody else better. I think the best comparison is Jason Kidd, he's just a special kid. Believe me, with the right teammates he will win rings and All-NBA teams.

[RedBlackAttack]

Clearly ROY unless he hits the wall or Kyrie/Kemba go apeshit. He's getting better every game and actually helps his team win games.
Hardly. He isn't even the frontrunner at the moment.

[Euroleague]

Rubio is "legit" at leading his team to a 3-7 record.

Most overrated player in the history of basketball, with LeBrick being a close second.

[Fiasco]

I have to admit, right now he is the only player in the entire league who can impact the game just while beeing on the floor. He is by far the best PG on this team. And that's not a knock on Ridnour who is a very serviceable PG but he is not in the slightest in a leageu with Rubio when it come to managing a game and seeing the floor. He always finds the open man. Especially on the perimeter, even without a drive and kick oftentimes. Just beeing able to scan everything on the court in a few miliseconds makes him maybe one of the 3 best PG in the league. It's great to see a PG in the real sense like he should play, especially in a league where most PG are just small scorers who occasionally find the open man. He wants to make everybody else better. I think the best comparison is Jason Kidd, he's just a special kid. Believe me, with the right teammates he will win rings and All-NBA teams.

Wow. Talk about drinking the kool aid.

[Semi]

Wow. Talk about drinking the kool aid.
Maybe I said it a bit drastical, but I think he gives the wolves so much with his playmaking and there are so obvious struggels when he's on the bench

[sodap]

this article from 2007 (in spanish) claims that ricky rubio will have the next quadruple doble, tells the story about previous ones, and how he actually had 19pt 10rb 13ast 11st in under-16 european championship semifinal, and he almost made back-to-back quadruple dobles: in the final he had 51pt 24rb 12ast 7st and while forcing 11 personal fouls.

right now he's averaging 10.2 pt, 7.9 ast, 3.9 rbs and 1.6 st in 29 minutes per game. but in the last games his rebound and steals numbers are rising.

http://www.ultimatenba.com/articulos/NBA/El_proximo_Cuadruple-Doble_sera_de_Ricky_Rubio-192.html

[Foster5k]

Rubio sucks.

[FireDavidKahn]

According to http://www.82games.com/1112/11MIN3.HTM Rubio has the following impact:

Our offense goes from scoring 96.2 points per 100 possessions when he is off the court to 108.4 when he is on the court.

Our defense goes from giving up 108.9 points per 100 possessions when he is off the court to giving up only 98.4 when he is on the court.


:bowdown:

[FireDavidKahn]

WolvesRadio Alan Horton
.@rickyrubio9 leads the #nba with 10 alley-oop assists & is 3rd in assists leading to 3ptrs w/ 31. #twolves #lobcity
38 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

:applause:

[FireDavidKahn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFB_OBmB_dE&feature=player_embedded

:bowdown:

[gyu]

I've been very impressed with Rubio, he's proving me wrong and I am glad he is. Check back near the beginning few pages I "checked-in" as a doubter but the guy can ball :pimp:

[chips93]

:applause:

so do you still want the wolves to fire kahn? im sure a lot of gms wouldnt have had the balls to draft him without a guarantee that he would come over.

[FireDavidKahn]

so do you still want the wolves to fire kahn? im sure a lot of gms wouldnt have had the balls to draft him without a guarantee that he would come over.
Yes I want him gone, but not as much as before. Aside from drafting Rubio and Williams he hasn't done crap.

[MK2V1GP]

AWESOME piece right here. Must-read:

http://theclassical.org/articles/the-importance-of-being-ricky

[Rnbizzle]

According to http://www.82games.com/1112/11MIN3.HTM Rubio has the following impact:

Our offense goes from scoring 96.2 points per 100 possessions when he is off the court to 108.4 when he is on the court.

Our defense goes from giving up 108.9 points per 100 possessions when he is off the court to giving up only 98.4 when he is on the court.


:bowdown:
:applause:

[Faptastrophe]

Rubio honored #9 on yesterday's game. Fun stat.

As of espn stats (http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=320118016) Rubio had:
0 three pointers
1 field goal
2 offensive boards
3 turnovers
4 personal fouls
5 defensive rebounds
6 steals
7 free throws made
8 assists
9 points

:applause: