Griffin or Rubio????
- Thread starter CruzDude
- Start date
yeah, i just don't see the Maloofs passing on Rubio. Whether they draft Griffin and trade down for him (Smart) or just draft Rubio straight up (=/) I think he will be wearing a Kings uni next season. If he pans out we'd be the new face of Spain! His ballhandeling and passing is just on another level, WE NEED THAT.
I'm officially on the Rubio bandwagon. I look at this team, and as mixed up as we are, we're still more talented than our record would indicate. What we lack most is leadership and identity. I think Rubio brings both of those in spades. Not that I really believe this, but NBAdraft.net seems to think that Rubio will combine the best parts of Steve Nash (passing and control of the game) and Walt Frazier (defense). I don't know if you could come up with higher praise for a point guard prospect.
Actually, Rubio is the perfect point guard to put next to Martin in the back court. Martin brings the shooting and scoring, the biggest knock on Rubio; Ricky brings the defense, passing, and intangibles, the biggest knock(s) on Kevin. If Rubio really is 6'3" in socks (and some posters have previously indicated), then he's probably big enough to guard opposing teams shooting guards on the perimeter, and we would actually have some semblance of perimeter defense again. Not to mention the fact that our young bigs would thrive being fed by a pass-first point with court vision as tremendous as Rubio seems to possess (lest we forget the Steve Nash/Jason Kidd effect...ahem...Mikki Moore). Does he have limitations? Absolutely. He can't jump very high (though he can dunk), he's not blindingly quick, and he's not a lights out shooter (which can be learned). But guys like Bird, Barkley, etc. also had physical limitations, and it didn't really matter because they flat out new how to play the game. Basketball I.Q. Is, in my mind, the single most important talent a player can have (especially point guards), everything else is secondary.
Also, I think the excitement in Rubio's game would put butts in the seats from day one, which has to pique the interest of the Maloofs, who are currently trying to fill and empty arena whilst simultaneously building a new one and trying to keep the team in Sacramento. Don't discredit the foreign market either, as Rubio's star power across the pond could translate to a lot of new fans and interest in the Kings from Europeans, which translates to dollar signs in the eyes of Maloofs, and more national and international exposure for the Kings franchise.
The last thing I want to see the Kings do is drafting a scoring point guard who's passing abilities , court-vision, and defense are a 'work in progress'. Point guards are born, not created, and when you have an opportunity to grab somebody with that much point guard talent, and you are in dire need of a point guard, I don't see how you can pass on the opportunity. The Kings already have enough me-first scoring guys. They say that the hardest positions to fill in the NBA are the point and center. With Rubio and Hawes you have a gifted pass-first, defensively capable point guard and legitimate, full-sized, old-school back to the basket center (though I wish he would shoot less from beyond the arc). That's basketball as it's supposed to be played, and we'd have a solid core for years to come. I'm sick of undersized shooting guards passing themselves off as point guards, and I'm sick of face-up power forwards passing themselves off as undersized centers. With Griffin I think you get a player who is very similar to Jason Thompson, though perhaps 30% better. That's nice and all, but I'd rather take the 18 year old pure point. Am I getting ahead of myself? Absolutely, but I'm an optimist. Rubio is my pick, even if we get #1. I firmly believe that you take the guy you want, don't chance trading down only to have that guy not be there when your number is up.
As for the Nike signature moves things, I also liked this one:
[yt=Euro Step]BR3TXMbKgVE[/yt]
Actually, Rubio is the perfect point guard to put next to Martin in the back court. Martin brings the shooting and scoring, the biggest knock on Rubio; Ricky brings the defense, passing, and intangibles, the biggest knock(s) on Kevin. If Rubio really is 6'3" in socks (and some posters have previously indicated), then he's probably big enough to guard opposing teams shooting guards on the perimeter, and we would actually have some semblance of perimeter defense again. Not to mention the fact that our young bigs would thrive being fed by a pass-first point with court vision as tremendous as Rubio seems to possess (lest we forget the Steve Nash/Jason Kidd effect...ahem...Mikki Moore). Does he have limitations? Absolutely. He can't jump very high (though he can dunk), he's not blindingly quick, and he's not a lights out shooter (which can be learned). But guys like Bird, Barkley, etc. also had physical limitations, and it didn't really matter because they flat out new how to play the game. Basketball I.Q. Is, in my mind, the single most important talent a player can have (especially point guards), everything else is secondary.
Also, I think the excitement in Rubio's game would put butts in the seats from day one, which has to pique the interest of the Maloofs, who are currently trying to fill and empty arena whilst simultaneously building a new one and trying to keep the team in Sacramento. Don't discredit the foreign market either, as Rubio's star power across the pond could translate to a lot of new fans and interest in the Kings from Europeans, which translates to dollar signs in the eyes of Maloofs, and more national and international exposure for the Kings franchise.
The last thing I want to see the Kings do is drafting a scoring point guard who's passing abilities , court-vision, and defense are a 'work in progress'. Point guards are born, not created, and when you have an opportunity to grab somebody with that much point guard talent, and you are in dire need of a point guard, I don't see how you can pass on the opportunity. The Kings already have enough me-first scoring guys. They say that the hardest positions to fill in the NBA are the point and center. With Rubio and Hawes you have a gifted pass-first, defensively capable point guard and legitimate, full-sized, old-school back to the basket center (though I wish he would shoot less from beyond the arc). That's basketball as it's supposed to be played, and we'd have a solid core for years to come. I'm sick of undersized shooting guards passing themselves off as point guards, and I'm sick of face-up power forwards passing themselves off as undersized centers. With Griffin I think you get a player who is very similar to Jason Thompson, though perhaps 30% better. That's nice and all, but I'd rather take the 18 year old pure point. Am I getting ahead of myself? Absolutely, but I'm an optimist. Rubio is my pick, even if we get #1. I firmly believe that you take the guy you want, don't chance trading down only to have that guy not be there when your number is up.
As for the Nike signature moves things, I also liked this one:
[yt=Euro Step]BR3TXMbKgVE[/yt]
Even if everything you said was true, it doen't mean that Rubio is the best PG in the draft. In fact, with the quantity of PG's in the draft, the odds are good that someone else will be better. But, I don't think you can say the same thing about Griffin. He is according to almost every expert the best of the draft.
Now, as far as Rubio goes. He's not the best defensive PG in the draft. He's good at playing the passing lanes and help defense, and plays similar to Garcia, but he doesn't have the quickness to stay in front of NBA PG's. He's not the best shooter, but shoots well and can finish around the rim. His ball handling is flashy and he carries the ball too often, which will be called in the NBA. Is he the best all around PG? Probably.
But, if the Kings can get one of the other good PG's with the Houston pick, and Griffin with their pick, they'll be far better off in the long run. Griffin+Holiday, Griffin+Maynor, Griffin+Williams would all be better then Rubio+any Big available at #24.
Now, as far as Rubio goes. He's not the best defensive PG in the draft. He's good at playing the passing lanes and help defense, and plays similar to Garcia, but he doesn't have the quickness to stay in front of NBA PG's. He's not the best shooter, but shoots well and can finish around the rim. His ball handling is flashy and he carries the ball too often, which will be called in the NBA. Is he the best all around PG? Probably.
But, if the Kings can get one of the other good PG's with the Houston pick, and Griffin with their pick, they'll be far better off in the long run. Griffin+Holiday, Griffin+Maynor, Griffin+Williams would all be better then Rubio+any Big available at #24.