Plus, it really doesn't matter where he is drafted. Kobe was drafted where again? Someone went in front of Jordan also. Rubio could be the best of 09 draft when it's said and done him or some guy drafted 29th or something, you really don't know. Just that the guys picked higher have a better shot.
I don't understand the "Win Now" thinking popping up around the board. "Win Now" was relevant when Tracy was a walking box stamped "Fragile" but he's obviously gone and Yao is what he is and will be that for a few more years. Battier and Artest still have 3-4 good years left. Scola's not quite that old yet. Morey has made moves to make the team younger and it looks like he is embarking on a course that will continually keep the Rockets competitive. I don't think he is primarily thinking "Win Now." If you can get a piece that you can plug in for 10 years or more, you do it.
Yoyo, come on, man. You're much smarter than this. There is a rookie scale salary structure. No team can offer Rubio more than a 20% increase over the scale amount (which, by the way, is what most teams end up paying their first rounders anyway). Any salary larger than that is in violation of the league's collective bargaining agreement. This is also why young Europeans nowadays are actually hoping NOT to be drafted in the first round, since it will artificially limit their incoming salaries when they eventually come over if they develop into "Luis Scola-like" superstars over in Europe. To think, had Scola been drafted #29 overall under the current CBA, instead of going in the mid-50s like he did, he might never have opted to come to the NBA. He would have been forced to take a ~$930k salary (maximum) for 2-3 years instead of the 3yr/$10M contract the Rockets gave him. Some of the really young Euros (19- and 20-year-olds) are actually starting to opt IN to the draft in the hopes that their rawness causes them to slip into the second round or, better yet, completely out of the draft, which would enable them to be unrestricted free agents whenever they decide to come to the NBA, free to negotiate with any team and to pit teams against each other in a bidding war for their services. I actually feel sorry for Christian Eyenga (the #30 pick), who tried to do EXACTLY that but was picked by Danny Ferry and the Cavs at the absolute WORST possible pick for him. Sucks to be him. Maybe this means that he never plays in the NBA.
Besides teams that he has directly or possibly indirectly declined playing for, are there any teams Ricky Rubio as expressed interest playing with? Did ever specifically mention Houston?
I agree...you don't pass up on prodigy like players who go high and are 18 yrs of age. It's not like this Yao-Tmac era is something we should try hanging onto after all. All it's done up until this point is make it out the first round once.
Another random Rubio point,he's probably not done growing physically and he's definetly not done growing as a player. If we get him,let him stay over seas for 2 more years....there's no rush for us to bring him over.
How many players have skipped on playing for us(besides Tmac)? Houston is a big market team, not SUPER big like LA and NYC, but it's still big market. Plus there is a lot of talent, and a great coach that will allow him to do anything he wants to do out there. If anything, he probably hopes to come here. I think Rubio just wants to go to a team with enough finance to help out his buyout.
BimaThug, thanks for that edumicashun. Seeems the CBA needs a serious overhaul, especially if David Stern wants to increase the global scale of the NBA
Excellent post and worth repeating. You'd have to be blind to not realize the skills this kid possesses at age 18 are the types of skills that can not be taught. You either have "it" or you do not: court vision, anticipation, BB IQ, leadership, etc.
Never mentionned Houston or LA or any of the big teams because they weren't in the lottery. He said he liked NY because it was a big city. However, all signs point he would love Houston. Weather is much like Spain, a lot of international players he can relate to,..
theres no way you draft a guy in the top 5 or trade major assets for a top five drafted player and let him marinate overseas, thats like buying a really expensive sports car and telling someone else to break it in for you, too high of an investment to let someone else take care of for a couple years. but i still think rubio could be a major contributer on this team now. i love ab but and kyle but we just cant win against deron williams, chris paul and they great pgs in the west without a bigger guy to body em' up. rubios got length now and will have some size soon
The Eyenga pick at 30 is not so great for the Cavs, either, because, as you said, the salary scale essentially means they will NEVER get him if he ever develops into a useful player. Lets say he does grow into a "Scola-level" guy. He'd be earning, say, $2-3 million (or more) in Europe, and probably has a contract buyout clause for a significant amount. Why would he ever choose to subject himself to the rookie salary for the late 1st round pick, give up a higher Euro salary, pay a buyout (NBA team can only contribut $500K to buyout), and basically pay money out of his own pocket for the right to ball? Sure, he might become "big time" after 4 years and make good FA money, but that ain't a risk I'd take. Spurs, by the way, have that situation with Tiago Splitter now as far as I know. This is why, if you are going to draft a "Euro Stash" guy, it's better for both the team and the player to pick him early 2nd.
The sooner Rubio gets NBA experience, the better. I'd rather he turn 21 years old with 2 years of NBA experience under his belt than to come into the NBA as a rookie two years from now. (Remember he'll be 19 by the time the 2009-10 season is underway). As for "Win Now" argument, we were in "Win Now" mode when we traded Gay for Battier. That was 3 years ago. Not saying that was a particularly bad trade, but I'm just pointing out that the "Win Now" logic is a fallacy.
Look at the first page of Hoopsworld. It freaked me out I thought we just acquired Rubio. http://www.***************/Story.asp?story_id=13097
You absolutely do let him stay overseas,he plays against goos competition....you can let him get better. And in the meantime if you need another pg you grab an Andre Miller a Mike Bibby etc. Theres no need to bring him back over right away. Don't rush it let him develop over there......he play's for one of the top teams in europe...and it's better comp then he would get in the d league.
