Agree on all of that....and it is impossible to truly compare guys that are at the end of their careers and have a large body of work to a 19 year old playing for his home country. He will set his own standard, which according to most NBA analysts, coaches, and players will be pretty good. DD
I can understand that. In any case, it is all speculation and we still a few years to wait before we get an actual idea of what he can or can't do against nightly NBA competition.
Rubio is overrated. That doesn't mean he will be a bad player, but it's alot of hype for a guy who isn't a superb athlete and can't shoot. Also, I'm betting he never plays for the Wolves.
ASK STROMILE SWIFT how extremely important athleticism is. And for point guards, its more about intelligence & skill sets. Sure it looks like Rubio is a one trick pony, but again hes only 19 right now. Give him a couple years more to develop that jumpshot, and my goodness, hes legit nba player!
...I hate to say it but I think there is a lot of prejudice among the average NBA fans against foreign born players. Look at Yao - how many people doubted him despite being one of the if not THE most skilled big in the game. For whatever reason the average person finds it hard to believe a foreign player can be good at a distinctly American sport.....I'm not calling out just American here either - I'm sure Europeans scoff at the skill level on any US born soccer player. We just get used to seeing our sport played by a specific type of person and it's hard to break those pre-conceived notions. The other BIG misconception is that all other leagues outside of the NBA are vastly inferior and I just don't think that's true anymore - hence the need for USA to sculpt a very specific team of truly the best US players with training, practices, and specific strategies to beat other teams in the world. I still think the best basketball players play in the NBA, but I don't see the Euro leagues or the Worlds as an inferior training ground. Look at Brandon Jennings - his numbers didn't jump out at you in his Euro play but in the NBA he proved to be a very good PG if maybe doomed to being in the league at the same time as a lot of other potential HOF PGs(Paul, Rose, Nash, Kidd, Williams, Rondo, Tyreke, etc). Several scouts say the European leagues are even tougher places to play than in college because you are playing bigger/faster/more intelligent guys of all ages. The best college Bball players go to the NBA AND foreign leagues in Europe, Japan, South America, etc.
Meaning because Wall IS a superb athlete and can shoot? .461 FG and .754 FT if you need him. I'll stand by my original post, I do not think Rubio will ever be a consistent all-star. He could contribute and be a great asset, but with the rules as they are you have to be quick to be an elite guard in the NBA or big enough to compensate. He is neither... right now. But how much athleticism will he really gain? Other than that, people posting about Nash and Stockton are laughable. Nash was the quickest, best conditioned athlete on the floor for years. When came in to league nobody could keep up with him. And Stockton for his lack in speed had great feet and quickness, all in the era of hand checking. Maybe people are too young to remember his younger years, but most of his assists came off the break.
I never said he wouldnt be a good player, i just dont think he will be all nba/all star type. When u draft a guy that high, thats what u expect. I do like his feel for the game and even at 19, why not come play against the best. Rose and westbrook were 19 when they came to the league. anthony,james,bosh were all 19 or so when they came in.Parker was 19 also when he came in.
No, meaning that John Wall has played exactly the same number of games in the NBA as Rubio, yet he is also hyped like crazy. And Rubio has performed in much tougher competition than Wall, to date. Nash? He was on the bench for a few seasons.....Stockton was not that quick, he was always uber smart. DD
i think rubio is the worst player in the world. or maybe the best player in the world I havent decided yet.
There is a bias because foreign born player typically have not had success in the NBA. Things are changing, but just as Europeans should have a bias against American soccer skills it goes the other way in the NBA. Look at Altidore for example, physical specimen and one of our brightest young players, but the skill difference is obvious vs others of the same age. Hopefully he will keep improving. Yao is a once in a generation and Scola was an MVP. But look at the foreign group as a whole and the gap may be smaller but it is certainly still there. The best college players go to the NBA, and the rest of the world if they can't cut it.
Are we still in 1994 if this guy can play in a physical euroleague he can play in the NBA .. People still think the Nba's more physical ?? those days are far gone and The need for extra weight or great build is overstated .. Durant .. Rondo .. Brooks are all good examples ..
What skillset does Rubio have apart from his ballhandling and playmaking? I admit those two skills of his are at an elite level already however if you're gonna be a pg in the NBA you need more than that. FYI Mike Conley JR. also has pretty good playmaking and ball-handling skills and like Rubio he has nothing else, how has he turned out? IMHO you need to be a threat on your own, whether its by shooting (Nash), athleticism (John Wall), or just by slashing into the paint using your quickness (Parker, Rondo). You can't just rely on your ball-handling and playmaking to get it done. And for the final time, yes I agree once Rubio develops a shot he'll be a pretty good player in this league. In fact, I think he might be an even better Steve Nash, as IMHO he'll be better defensively than Nash ever was. Let's hope that by the time that happens Rubio will be wearing Rockets Red courtesy of the best GM in history David Kaaaaaahn!!!?! :grin:
Hey Sam, are you the same guy that was going off on DaDa and me when we were touting Redick over Brewer, Carney, Sheldon Williams, and some more no names??
Rubio is very good, but he's also way overrated. Spanoulis is much better than Rubio. So Rockets fans need to keep that in mind. Rubio will only succeed if he is placed in the absolute right situation.
I would argue that rubio's court vision and basketball IQ are at such a level for a 19 year old that, given a few years, they will suffice to make him an above average, if not dominant point guard. if he can develop a consistent floater, that would be a great combination with his constant drive-and-dish threat, similar to nash, rondo, or parker.
