20 yrs old and is playing grown men who are professional athletes - some of whom are former D1 guys playing in the Euro league. People act like he is going to be abused mightily by American PGs but Rubio's defensive struggles don't translate to say someone like Adam Morrison because the competition level is much higher in Rubio's case.
I like your examples, but these seem to me to be exceptions that do not really apply to RR. IMO, what separates the good PGs from the bad is: 1) Quick feet to get by athletic defense and play good D 2) Ball Handling to control tempo and navigate the paint 3) Either finishing ability or outside shooting, or both and what separates the good from the great is: 4) Passing ability 5) Composure 6) Leadership in that order from 1 being most fundamental and necessary to be a player in the league. Steve Nash and Jason Kidd may have flaws in their game, but those flaws are not fundamentally bad and can be made up by other aspects (i.e. godly shooting for Nash, strength/foot quickness by Kidd) that keep defenses honest. RR has flaws on the more basic levels: he doesn't have the burst to beat athletic guys off the dribble, can't keep them honest with the shot, and isn't a good finisher around the rim. His ability to pass wont really matter if he is that one dimensional. Imagine Steve Nash playing a pick and roll (because he can't beat guys one on one typically) but he couldn't shoot; whats stopping the D from simply guarding the roller when the ballhandler can neither shoot nor finish? Of course, you are right in saying that shooting is the easiest part of your game to fix, and vision is almost never improved over time. However, there is SO much hype over this kid that is undeserved if we are simply banking on the fact that he'll become the next Nash/Kobe of midrange pullups. For every Lebron James who improved his shot, there are plenty of Terrence Williams/TJ Fords who have not. TL;RD: Rubio might be good, he might not- all I'm saying is that there are so many flaws to his game that will hurt him in the NBA that we shouldn't be so eager to crown him a HOFer just yet.
No. I do not say that about every incoming white guy. And just a reminder, Rubio isn't white. I picked Rubio and Stephen Curry as the best point guards of their draft class and I said we should trade Brooks for either one of them in a heartbeat. I still stand behind what I said. Rubio and Curry will be the best point guards of their class. And Rubio will be a top 5 point guard in his rookie season. Curry's not white. Rubio's not white. But Jimmer Fredette is and I happen to believe he will be a baller in the NBA. And for some reason, you apparently think that just because I think Fredette is gonnna ball that I say that about every incoming white player. Stop the stupid race garbage. I don't know why I'm even wasting time responding to this stupidity. It's about basketball, the game, and the skills and bball ability of the players involved. Rubio, when he is healthy, dominates and controls the whole Euro game. He's a great point guard. He's only 20. He's going to be a dominant force in the NBA for the next 10+ years. And in 3-5 years, he will be the unquestioned best point guard in the league. He's a generational superstar. He will be a hall of famer when he is done. He's that good. By the way, I'm also predicting tha Biyombo is gonna be a very good big in the NBA. And he's dark as midnight. But that don't matter. What matters is his skills, his size and incredible length, his drive, his super quick super light feet that remind me of the Dream, and his work ethic. It's obvious to me that Biyombo will be a very good player in the NBA. Rubio will be great.
Not that it matter's a tinker's continental damn, jopatmc, but isn't Rubio Spanish? Is there something I'm missing here?
Whatever you say buddy... but wow, you are *really* reaching with what you think about Rubio. Reminds me of those days when you were pumping up Reddick.
Wtf jopatmc, have you seen him dominate the euroleague? where the **** are you getting this from? he dominates the euroleague in the same way brian scalabrine dominates the nba. the mere fact that you're saying that he isn't white (what do you think he is then? I'm really curious) shows that you have no idea who you're talking about.
Anyone that says Rubio (one of the worst players in Euroleague) is "the next great NBA point guard" is a troll.
This type of post proves I am the one with the knowledge of the issue here, and not others that claim they are. The Euroleague season ended a long time ago.
I'll see your "anchel" and raise you one "roksoer", Sam. Euro-troll's style is pretty easy to pick out. I just wonder if he has a signed V-Span poster for each personality, or if they have to share.
lol seriously? How can you completely disregard our opinions, which are far more reliable than most of your guessing in the sense of "oh they say this kid from europe is really good he must be the second coming of jesus, but with better passing abilities" This is my last post on the matter because it's obvious to me that you're all blinded by hype and won't listen to reason. like oohms pointed out, you obviously don't have any idea what you're talking about saying that rubio isn't white and that it's "playoffs" time in the euroleague...
1. Rubio is white. Saying he is not white is outright blatant racism. 2. Rubio has never "dominated" Euroleague. He has in fact been nothing more than at most a below average player. Ricky Rubio's Career Euroleague Stats: 2006-07 18.9 MPG 34.8 FG% 16.7 3PT% 76.7 FT% 3.6 PPG 2.4 RPG 2.8 APG 3.2 SPG 0.1 BPG 1.9 TOPG 2008-09 13.3 MPG 30.0 FG% 33.3 3PT% 62.5 FT% 2.4 PPG 2.4 RPG 2.8 APG 1.8 SPG 0.0 BPG 2.4 TOPG 2009-10 20.9 MPG 37.0 FG% 35.8 3PT% 89.3 FT% 6.8 PPG 2.9 RPG 4.1 APG 1.4 SPG 0.0 BPG 2.1 TOPG 2010-11 22.7 MPG 31.0 FG% 22.4 3PT% 83.6 FT% 6.5 PPG 3.3 RPG 3.5 APG 1.6 SPG 0.1 BPG 1.8 TOPG Compare Rubio's stats to his teammates: http://www.eurobasket.com/team.asp?Cntry=Spain&Team=100&Page=3 He's never been anything more than a role player and that is it. He never "dominated" Euroleague, not came anything even remotely close to doing any such thing.
I never claimed I had knowledge of Rubio (and I'm pretty sure neither of you with your dumba$$ opinions). All of my posts in this thread are just me hoping he'll be good in the NBA, and how he looks taller than Rubio. Please you freaking idiot STFU.
The problem for Rubio is that PGs need good players around him to dominate, the Euroleague is full of players that are mostly unathletic, and not very dominate. Rubio will be much better with quality basketball players like the NBA has, over the neverwasnorwillbe players in the Euro leagues. DD
He also needs to learn what made past euro prospects like him fail in the NBA. I assume Rubio and his friends watch a lot of NBA, and hopefully those friends are ones with good BBall IQ to tell Rubio how to separate himself from the rest and what he needs to work on from watching NBA ball games. First of all, he needs to not think the world is against him when he has come here. He will need to adapt well and try to make friendships as Yao did. Second, he should never become passive. Nor should he ever become discouraged by the coach or by expectations. It's really all about his mentality...that decides if he's gonna be a success or failure.
