Wicky Wubio Signs 6 year Deal with Wegal Barcelona, affordable buyout in 2011

Do you suspect Chris Paul was lying to all of us when he said Rubio was a tough defender and was a great player?

 

I think he was severely exaggerating. Not to derail the topic, but I definitely don't believe everything that comes out of Chris Paul's mouth. He's not exactly "Mr. Candor" in my opinion. Calling Ricky Rubio a "great player" in the NBA sense is ridiculous. CP was just being nice. Nothing more than that. It's the proper thing to say about a defeated opponent.

Remember, V-Span "owned Chris Paul" in the 2006 World Championships. What happens in the limited number of international games does not necessarily reflect a Euro player's success in the 82-game meat-grinder of an NBA season.

 

seriously, people who think that rubio will be a good/great player are like cavs fans thinking lebron will stay in cleveland... delusional.

 

Shooting 3's doesnt mean if a guy can or cant shoot. Stocton was a knockdown shooter from mid range. Also stockton always had good footspeed. Guards with slow feet, when they get by a defender id they can, the gap closes and the defender catches up. When a guy has good footspeed and he gets by, there isnt any catching up, the gap widens.

 

You talk like you have any clue how Rubio is going to do. People that think he'll bust are just as delusional as people that think he'll be great. No one knows how he'll do.

 

I agree on certain points, but not all.

Stockton did have good foot speed, but nothing too impressive by NBA standards. As a taller player with presumably longer strides and arms, Rubio doesn't necessarily have to possess significant speed to be successful.

As for shooting, it's true that poor 3 point shooting doesn't always indicate poor jump shooting. What I meant to represent with Stockton's lack of 3 point shooting is that a player doesn't necessarily have to possess a complete skill set upon entering the league. There is still time to develop and improve, especially for a 19 year old. In addition, shooting happens to be one of the most universally improved stats as players mature.

But again, I don't want to argue over a guy that may never even wear an NBA jersey. The truth is that we won't know how legit he is or isn't until he does.

 

Indeed. Who the hell knows how he'll turn out in the NBA. No one can deny his potential though. And in the end, that's what NBA GMs care about. Rubio has as much upside as any player in this draft, which albeit is a weak one.

 

True. Every time Lebron James makes a good pass, people says he is Magic Johnson.

 

The things that Rubio's critics point out are all physical: he's too slow, he's not strong enough, those are the only 2. No one questions his baskeball IQ or how he'll do in command of a team.

Rubio has a great chance to succeed, he's got the most important parts of PG down.

 

actually, i do know how rubio will do in the nba. i have a time machine and im here to tell you he isnt worth all the fanfare he has gotten.

 

You have a time machine? Tell me what Morey's next move is going to be. It's a lot more interesting than whether Rubio will pan out.

 

Don't forget shooting.

I've read there are a lot of question marks about his shooting skill and his ability to shoot off the dribble.

Kidd had a heck of a career despite being a relatively poor shooter but despite all the hype, Rubio has yet to prove he's Kidd-caliber.

Regardless, his shooting, as a whole, is a weakness that gets pointed out in most every scouting report I've seen.

 

It just so happens that being too slow AND not strong enough are two very big reasons for concern. It doesn't matter how much floor vision Rubio has if he isn't physically gifted enough to be effective in the NBA. I'm not saying he will be a bust, but this puts a serious cap on his potential IMO. This is why I don't think he has the upside to be a franchise player.

To anther poster, comparing him to Stockton is silly. Stockton wouldn't win a 100-meter dash but he was quick and could accelerate & change direction as well as anyone. Rubio is taller and can't do either. Completely different players on both ends of the floor.

 

I appreciate your views on bball. I respectfully disagree. Rubio is plenty quick, deceptively quick. The whole key to bball is deception. Being ultra quick, like Aaron Brooks, is one thing. When you combine ultra quick with deception, it is something better. But when you combine ultra deception with a little bit of quickness, it is best. Magic wasn't the quickest guy by far. Nor was Larry Bird. It was their ability to see the floor, visualize the play happening, and deceive their opponent right into the play. That is the ability that Rubio has. Time will prove who is right.

 

I understand about deception, but the NBA is at another level and deception without athleticism AND shooting ability will only go so far. Bird's deadly jumper is what kept defenders honest and opened things up for him. The defender had to get in his face or it was over. Magic was a physical freak of a PG. Even time he led a break he would just throw it down if a defender or two didn't completely commit shutting him off. IMO, he ran the best fast break in history in college and the NBA (other than maybe LeBron). I wouldn't compare Rubio to either of those guys.

His first couple of years (at least), I think Rubio's supporters will be very disappointed.

 

How about Shaun Livingston. Has anyone made that comparison yet? I apologize if it's already been made, but I see similarities between the two: lots of potential, skinny, good vision, not a good shooter, not super athletic, similar builds. Before the injury problems, Livingston was still an unknown right...like he was supposed to become a star but still was far from it.

 

Tho Livingston was pretty athletic. And a good defender.

 

Get it done Morey ... Brian Cook for the draft rights to Rubio in 2010 when the situation between the Wolves and Rubio becomes undoubtably estranged and hostile.

Just like Scola and the Spurs and Andersen and the Hawks

 

I'm confused now.

Is he the Pistol Pete, Magic Johnson, Steve Nash or Jason Kidd of Spain? Oscar Robertson, maybe?

Or is he already too good of an NBA player to be compared to any of those chumps?

 

If teams aren't respecting his shot which they probably won't since he is inept at shooting, he is going to have a very very difficult time creating off the dribble.