The Importance of Rubio

ESPN's Chris Sheridan reported yesterday, August the 26th that the deal between Spanish Quarterback Ricky Rubio and Barcelona is not done yet. The Spanish newspaper MARCA reported that Barcelona would have agreed in paying the $3.7 million Euros buyout to Rubio's former team, DKV Joventut, which could mean he wouldn't play in the NBA next season. Ricky Rubio was picked 5th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA Draft. The truth behind this whole soap opera is the fact that Rubio doesn't want to play for the Timberwolves. On a "difficult" year for talent in the draft, Rubio was probably the second most talented player on everybody's board and he went fifth. It's true that he didn't want to go to Memphis, very much advised by Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro, and that he actually didn't fit well with Westbrook in Oklahoma City but a team like Sacramento, actually a franchise like the Kings, pass on a prospect like that is inexplicable and unacceptable, even more because Rubio wanted to play there, he even went to California to try to convince the owner. The Timberwolves can't allow themselves to lose Rubio. Right now he's the main piece of the rebuilding process. In tough economic times, teams are looking for every single possible way to sell tickets. A rising star like Rubio guarantees part of that, plus Kurt Rambis knows that they are not a playoff team today, so they will try to get people to watch them by the way they play, like the Warriors for example, and the playmaker is a crucial piece for that. Rubio is not the perfect player. He can't shoot however he's eighteen and he already has history behind him. He's a pro since the age of 15, he already played an Olympic Gold Medal Game and he can't even drink in the US yet. He'll be the coolest player to play with, throwing the ball in the air every time for guys to dunk and he's a contributor on the defense event, he's no Shane Battier but he could get there. If Rubio signs with Barcelona, that doesn't mean he won't play in the NBA or for the Timberwolves. It means that the rebuilding process in Minneapolis take a hit. A combination of Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love, Al Jefferson and maybe Jonnie Flynn off the bench is a strong foundation for the next five years to come. They are not a contender today but with complementary pieces, maybe tomorrow they could be. That's why signing Rubio is important. He's the highway that can drive this franchise into the relevant road. Check More at: It's More than Just a Game