Watching this game, he kept getting burned on pick-and-rolls between Rubio and Barca's PF. I didn't see him get through the pick once (6 mins left in 4th quarter). Otherwise, he defended well and hustles but he didn't have a particularly good game.
Have you seen enough to be able to evaluate? I think of Carlos Arroyo. Guy just stoned USA for PR in Olys or Worlds. Then comes to NBA and bombs, essentially. A lot has to do with style. I believe in Rubio - because I want to, not because I have seen a body of work to orchestrate my reactions.
I'm not worried about Llull being as good as Rubio. It's great that he looks like he'll be a good contributor here. He's still a couple of years away from coming, though, isn't he?
most likely 2011-2012 season. Unless Les is willing to pay some ridiculously expensive fee to get him out of his contract on Real Madrid.
Les is not allowed to pay more than half a mil. Which is why he won't come until 2011. The Rockets would have to give him a sweet deal to entice him to come over earlier. So not going to happen that money is reserved for Lowry.
No match. Barcelona won an easy game. Rubio was obviously better than Llull in this game. Not even close. Rubio controlled the game. Great playmaking skills. Dirbble and pass like genius. Everytime he penetrated, he found an open man for an easy basketball. He leaded Barcelona a big lead after 1st half. No challenge 2nd half. Llull came off the bench as a PG in 1st half. Showed nothing impressive. Dribbled past half court then pass then nothing. Also did no pressure to Rubio in defensive end. 2nd half he played something like SG. Sinked a couple of long range jumpers and that's all. I didn't see any playmaking from him. He's like a SG more than a PG.
Llull is definitely a pg. He has been taught to run the offense that way and that is what he does. If he was allowed he could blow by Rubio on almost every play. As could Rubio to him. That is not the way they play and that is not what they want him to do. There are not any plays drawn up for him.
NBA teams humiliating Top European teams? Apparently you have missed the last 10-15 years of international basketball and the 3 last Olympics for that matter.
Arroyo? Rubio? Two very different kind of players my friend. Arroyo has NO basketball IQ whatsoever... and I´ve watched Arroyo play lots of international games... Rubio is a very intelligent player that still needs to get better offensively but he sure knows how to run a team and that´s all it matters when we talk about a PG.
Different rules, that illegal defense would not fly in the NBA. Also the American team usually slacked off and hardly practice up until recently. FIBA and Olympic games are the biggest games for a lot of International players but u can't say the same for USA.
If they come to America and play by our rules in a playoff game they will lose 9 out of ten times. The NBA is built around stars. The euroleague is built around team play. I am not judging your heart or effort just talent. Just look at the Rockets. the best international center is on our team. One of the best international powr forwards is on our team. Marco jaric failed here and is all star over there. Terrence Morris gets significant minutes on your best team and he hasn't been relevant to the NBA in years. LLull scored 29 points the other day and over here he would 3rd string. VSpan is a star and he is rejected over here. In international play you guys have the advantage by far and still we won the Olympics pretty handily. Your rules and we still win. Yes in a real game that means something by our rules you would lose. This is not about USA is better than the world either. It's just a fact that the best players are in the NBA. If you can't acknowledge that you are lying to yourself.
yeah you keep on thinking that. bball has blown up around the world and in the nba in 10 to 15 years it will look a lot different. hell wait until all the yao ming fans grow up there will be more and more chinese players in europe and the nba. count on it.
Llull and Rubio are so young, it's really hard to extrapolate any future for them. I'm pretty happy with Brooks/Lowry going forward, so I'm not going to worry about it much until they get into the NBA.
Some teams like the Wolves are under the cap and have rights to valuable players like Ricky Rubio. Can we trade David Andersen and a Knicks pick (or 2) for Rubio or another coveted non-NBA player? We would have a young talent...similar if not better then what a pick would give us...and we would shed salary and clear up a logjam at the 4/5 spot. Possible?
I still don't get why I keep have to hear about this Rubio kid, that is locked up in a huge contract until the end of the 2010-2011 season over in Europe and that another team drafted, like he is a possibility? Heck, the fact that he willingly went back to Europe, because his pops said he didn't like Minnesota's climate, just shows me he is a teenage diva and would probably be a bust to whatever team actually broke their backs trying to acquire him from the T-Wolves.
Well Morey is working hard to land him here. Rubio will be special. he's sooo young and has it all except the shooting. He had better options than going to Minnesota to freeze his butt off. Good for him. Fact is Wolves need him more than he needs them.
"Game winner" by Sergio today in the Euroleague. Real Madrid played in Madrid against Montepaschi Siena (Italian league leaders); they lost by 7 points in Siena last week, so they needed to win today by +7. Coming at the 4th quarter, Madrid was 5 down, Llull scored 15 points in this quarter, including the 'game winner'. With 4 seconds remaining and winning only by 5, Llull makes a three + one. http://acbtv.acb.com/video/2610 http://www.rtve.es/deportes/20100225/llull-revoluciona-vistalegre/320512.shtml You can hear how the crowd chants "Llull-Llull-Llull", after he scores, he's the fan favorite because his heart and his COJONES.
If he turns out to be a good player, than he is not likely to be a bust. There is no chance of him turning out to be great.
