I don't think this has been posted yet. No great insights, but its an interesting read.
http://www.nbadraft.net/rubiointerview.htm
http://www.nbadraft.net/rubiointerview.htm
Rubio articles/discussion (merged)
- Thread starter bajaden
- Start date
Q. Will you declare yourself for the upcoming draft or will you wait at least one more year?
R. That's one decision I haven't taken yet and that I'll talk with my parents. I want to focus now in my team (DKV Joventut) with whom I still have a contract, and when time comes up we'll take a decision. It's not something now that stops me from sleeping. It will depend on how I finish up the season, because if I don't perform well, maybe the interest of NBA teams in me decreases and I'll leave it for another year. You never know what's going to happen.
That, to me, sounds like he will be coming over to the draft this year so long as he'll be a top pick (which he would be).
Q. Here are some things NBA-USABasketball players told me about you during the past Olympics in Beijing. Jason Kidd: "The sky is the limit for him"; Carmelo Anthony: "Ricky is the most fascinating story of the Olympics"; Kobe Bryant: "He's played awesome, he single hand changed the course of some games" or Chris Paul: "Ricky is unbelievable". Not to mention what your partners in the Spanish national team and NBA players like Gasol, Calderón, Rudy Fernández, Marc Gasol or former like Navarro, Garbajosa and Raúl López told me. How does it feel?
R. Good, great (smiles). It's a great honour that these worldwide star calibre players say things like this of me. I feel very proud and satisfied, but I always say this to myself: "If you believe what everyone says good about you, all the compliments, you'll never reach anything". These types of compliments they say about me only help me to keep on working harder everyday.
Q. Ever since I've known you ( at 15 years old), I've been shocked by you're maturity (not common of your age) and that's been highlighted by your Spanish NT team mates. What's the best advice someone ever gave you in order to be like this?
R. My dad always repeats the same to me: "When you feel you know how to do one thing, that day you'll stop learning". Every time I'll give all I have on court... Maximum effort, every time, everywhere.
He sounds so mature and driven. I don't know how much can be taken away from something like this but I liked what I read a lot.
R. That's one decision I haven't taken yet and that I'll talk with my parents. I want to focus now in my team (DKV Joventut) with whom I still have a contract, and when time comes up we'll take a decision. It's not something now that stops me from sleeping. It will depend on how I finish up the season, because if I don't perform well, maybe the interest of NBA teams in me decreases and I'll leave it for another year. You never know what's going to happen.
That, to me, sounds like he will be coming over to the draft this year so long as he'll be a top pick (which he would be).
Q. Here are some things NBA-USABasketball players told me about you during the past Olympics in Beijing. Jason Kidd: "The sky is the limit for him"; Carmelo Anthony: "Ricky is the most fascinating story of the Olympics"; Kobe Bryant: "He's played awesome, he single hand changed the course of some games" or Chris Paul: "Ricky is unbelievable". Not to mention what your partners in the Spanish national team and NBA players like Gasol, Calderón, Rudy Fernández, Marc Gasol or former like Navarro, Garbajosa and Raúl López told me. How does it feel?
R. Good, great (smiles). It's a great honour that these worldwide star calibre players say things like this of me. I feel very proud and satisfied, but I always say this to myself: "If you believe what everyone says good about you, all the compliments, you'll never reach anything". These types of compliments they say about me only help me to keep on working harder everyday.
Q. Ever since I've known you ( at 15 years old), I've been shocked by you're maturity (not common of your age) and that's been highlighted by your Spanish NT team mates. What's the best advice someone ever gave you in order to be like this?
R. My dad always repeats the same to me: "When you feel you know how to do one thing, that day you'll stop learning". Every time I'll give all I have on court... Maximum effort, every time, everywhere.
He sounds so mature and driven. I don't know how much can be taken away from something like this but I liked what I read a lot.
Griffin remains a wildcard of sorts, as almost surely the #1 pick regardless of anybody's needs. But of the rest of the prospects the three that look to me to have the most special, potentially franchise altering skillsets are Thabeet, Rubio and Jennings. The problem is that they all have significant warts, and could as easily bust as thrive.
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I do think Griffin is a safer pick than Rubio. But looking at Rubio's skillset, and what he has accomplished so far, means he could have more potential and more of an upside than any other player in the draft.
I think Griffin will go #1 regardless Rubio being or not being in this years draft. Griffin is he safest pick in the draft, but Rubio could end up being the best player down the road.
I think Griffin will go #1 regardless Rubio being or not being in this years draft. Griffin is he safest pick in the draft, but Rubio could end up being the best player down the road.
On that one I stil disagree to some degree -- I can almost guarantee you Thabeet will be in the NBA in 8 years (assuming health). He will always have a use. The only question is whether he will have use as a defensive star, or jsut a reolplaying bench guy. So its sort of a thing where not only am I almost positive he will still be int he league, but I'm almost positive he will still be in the league for preceisely the reasons you would bhe drafting him (gigantic shotblocking presence).
I think Griffin has a lot larger starter sweetspot, but much of it is filled up with David Lee or Troy Murphy (different game obviously) or Luis Scola type of hits. And unlike Thabeet, who will always be enormous, there is some true bust potential with a Griffin. If he's not at least somewhat special, then there is nothing he brings that is going to automatically anchor him in the league. He needs to be good. I still think Griffin has lower bust potential than the various guards, but Thabeet is a different story -- he'll always be 7'3". Always be a shotblocker. And there are never enough of those guys. He would have to fail spectacularly not to have a role in the league.
I'm still leaning toward Griffin as the safest pick. He has some flaws, but to have accomplished what he has, and still have room for improvement is a good thing. However, if Rubio can do at the NBA level what he does on the international level ( a big if ), there's no doubt he could have the biggest impact on the Kings team. He could become the glue that holds the team together. Of course its all speculative. Were all just arm chair scouts. I can't speak for the rest of you, but I've been wrong many times. Its the times that I've been right that I savor.
When Blake Griffin's body is beat up and he's taking painkillers to get on the floor and shoot the jumper he had to develop because of his declining athleticism, Ricky Rubio is still going to have his brain, which is his biggest asset.
The dude just sees everything and knows how, where, and why things are happening. Not the quickest guy on the floor? He had the play figured out before the quickest guy did and moved before him to take advantage of it.
You just can't pass up this type of thing. I say even if the King's manage to get the #1 pick, take Rubio (or nab Griffin and trade for Rubio+).
I think that either of the two could be busts. Griffin in my mind has a higher chance of becoming a good Carlos Boozer type player, however he is held back from EVER becoming a Bosh/Dwight type of a player because of his height. Rubio on the other hand does not seem to have any overcomable dissabalities in physical capabilities that prohibit him from being a superstar. Basically what I'm saying is that Rubio is a higher risk but a greater reward while Boozer is a medium risk, medium reward. Just my opinion thoe. Personally id rather have Rubio because he just seems to be exactly what the Kings need right now. We could use both players but Rubio fills a spot we have absolutely empty, while Griffin would just add onto a spot we already have a solid starter in.
Yeah, definitely there is bust potential in every player in the draft not named Lebron James, but I don't agree that Thabeet has the 3rd least bust potential. To me he has A TON of bust potential, but he could also turn into a very good presence at D. Personally, I do not want Thabeet one bit even if we were to drop to 5 or 6.
I dont know about other people but if griffin can become a boozer type player then i would consider that a pretty high reward 
boozer is a potential 20/10 guy and i wouldnt mind that as our first pick
boozer is a potential 20/10 guy and i wouldnt mind that as our first pick
Yeah, I agree with this. He would fit us well because pg is what we need most and I like him to fit in with our other pieces. Man, I just hope he enters this year. He said that he hasn't put too much thought into it yet and it will partly depend on how well he does the rest of the year. He said something like if he does well the rest of the season then he will more likely enter and if he doesn't then he has less of a chance of entering. So.... GO RICKY!!!
