Ricky Rubio.....

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Wait. He's 17 right now yet somehow he's going to be old enough to be in the draft by next year?

His b-day is 10/21/1990. Here is a quote I found from realgm.com

"Beginning in 2006, the age limit for entering the Draft will increase from 18 to 19 years of age. U.S. players must be at least one year removed from high school and 19 years of age (by the end of that calendar year) before entering the draft. An international player must turn 19 during the calendar year of the draft"

He is an international player so he can enter the draft.
 
I would much rather have Jennings. Rubio will be exposed in the NBA.


Could you elaborate on this? I've noticed a few of your comments on Rubio, and not one of them would indicate to me that you've ever even read up on him, let alone seen him play.

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvnKmfAe-Bg
He's 17, playing in a professional league (harder to stand out in than NCAA). He's plenty athletic (notice the two throw-downs at the end, how many times would you see Nash, Kidd or any other good NBA PGs dunk in a game? ), as well as his long arms and defensive IQ. He reads the lanes extremely well. I won't even mention his superb passing and vision. He is a master of the game at just 17 years old. Too bad he'll probably end up somewhere else.
 
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The amazing things the Spaniard Rubio does RIGHT NOW on the court as a professional basketball player at age 17 are clearly ahead of Nash as a college player at Santa Clara or even once the Canadian entered the NBA for his first 3-4 years. Look at Nash's stats early on as a pro and he was a struggling bench warmer who took years to rise to star and eventual superstar level. Rubio is going to be entering the NBA much more prepared, polished, skilled, for early effectiveness and virtual lock he won't be a bust. Rubio is often listed about the same height (6'3) as Nash and 10 pounds lighter. Actually he's thought to be at least one inch taller than Nash and his same weight when Nash was his age.

Here's NBADRAFT.NET profile on Ricky Rubio:

NBA Comparison: Walt Frazier/Steve Nash

Strengths:

The problem with Ricky Rubio is: Where to start? He has more skill than anyone in his worldwide age group. Including but not limited to: Defense, anticipation, intelligence, ball handling, PG (vision) creation, rhythm, coordination, ambition, scoring and personality ... He is practically ambidextrous, has good foot speed (not great) and excellent body control ... With excellent use of speed/ direction changes he excels both on the open court and the half court game as a set up or assist man ... Catch and shoot is quick and clean ... A smart rebounder, he gets optimum position under both boards ... Voted the best Euro young player for 2007, he has only acceptable shooting %'s both from 2 and 3 points. His shooting delivery is consistent with no waste of time or extra movement. I've thought about it a lot and think the best comparison to past-present NBA players would be the best of both Walt Clyde Frazier and Steve Nash ... At 17 years old he is already a feared and well respected ACB and Euro-level competitor. He is a warrior and plays all out, all the time. On top of that knows how to flop (with this kid it's an art form) ... He's also a master at getting to the FT line, where he knocks down a high rate (80%) ... Adventurous in his passing, he has two skills; Seeing and when necessary, creation of passing lanes. Excellent. Statistically he is a gem and he has personality. He leads. He knows how to win ... He will become a household name in many more households.

Weaknesses:

His outside shooting needs to continue to improve ... Maturity will bring the necessary leg strength and stability to shoot with better consistency ... His ratio of Assists/ Turnovers needs improvement, time and experience being the only necessary elements required. Related to this: His youthful inexperience sometimes gets him caught out of control when competing with physically stronger men at the highest Euro level ... He is thin but will fill out as his frame is good.
 
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I'm with Entity though...Salmons and Garcia are more then enough to handle the 3 with the departure of Ron. They both play D and can put up points.

I'd love for us to have a shot at Rubio, but I think Miller needs to be moved for that to happen.
 
Ricky Rubio is doing well against poor defense. When the guys he plays vs. grow 4 inches and weigh 40lbs more, he will become less of an impact player. At best he is selected 7th overall in the draft. Pgs take time, and he may be ahead of the curve. Steve took 3-4 years to become who he is in the NBA, and Ricky has enough baggage that any team that drafts him probably won't experience him when he is worth the pick.
 
Do they look a bit alike or what? Pete Maravich had a Serbian blood line and Ricky Rubio likewise southern Mediterranean stock. "Pistol" on the back of Pete's jersey and just "Ricky" on the back of Rubio's. Of course, very different games with Ricky the ultimate pass first, shoot last and the reverse with Pistol Pete. Still, they both see the court and feel the game with such brilliant passes.
 

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Could you elaborate on this? I've noticed a few of your comments on Rubio, and not one of them would indicate to me that you've ever even read up on him, let alone seen him play.

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvnKmfAe-Bg
He's 17, playing in a professional league (harder to stand out in than NCAA). He's plenty athletic (notice the two throw-downs at the end, how many times would you see Nash, Kidd or any other good NBA PGs dunk in a game? ), as well as his long arms and defensive IQ. He reads the lanes extremely well. I won't even mention his superb passing and vision. He is a master of the game at just 17 years old. Too bad he'll probably end up somewhere else.


You know what i will let his game speak for itself when he does make the step to the NBA. Another role player nothing more nothing less.
 
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Most likely Ricky Rubio will not start for awhile in the NBA - just like 95% of rookies - especially PG rooks. The expectations are that he "gets there" faster with his overall talent than Nash who didn't find himself until his third or fourth year and the superstar label was rather late in his career. I don't know if 17 year old Rubio is another Nash talent wise, but he seems to be headed in direction of becoming a very good NBA player when he gets over here.

Also, "when" he gets "here" is a question mark since he will be getting huge offers to stay in Europe where he's already very well paid.
 
Dime what was that story you had about him? How he passed the ball off his chest or jersey or something to prevent the clock from starting?
 
Dime what was that story you had about him? How he passed the ball off his chest or jersey or something to prevent the clock from starting?

The miniscule details may not be perfect, but the point remains:

Rubios team was up by a couple points, and it was his teams possession from the side. Their was 30 seconds left, and obviously the shot clock is 24 seconds. One of his team mates took the ball at the side and threw it in-bounds to Rubio. Instead of catching the ball, he let the ball hit him in the chest and bounce beside him. He didn't pick up the ball. As he was doing this he was explaining to the official beside him the rule ; the game clock starts as soon as the ball hits a player inbounds, however, the shot clock doesn't start until a team has possession of the ball. Since the ball was on the ground and not in the possession of anyone, the game clock continued but the shot clock didn't start. Once the game clock got to 24 seconds, he picked the ball up. Now his team could dribble out the rest of the game.

Our team was lucky enough to get to meet Spains under-16 team a few months ago, and he knows Rubio. He said he's unbelievably smart and knows every little rule inside out. He amazes everyone with something new. That's a guy I'd love to have running my team.

He's a smart player, as well as having a bunch of talent. He's a phenom. He's probably the biggest talent Europe has produced so far, at least at his age.

You can see him chesting the ball in some of the vids on youtube, only thing is it's only in the mixes so you have to watch his other stuff too (not a bad thing).
 
This thread has been sanitized. If you all want to discuss Ricky Rubio, please feel free to do so BUT the racial/nationalistic stuff stops NOW. And it's not open to debate.

I'm reopening it, and asking that you all just take it down a notch. Why ruin a good discussion with stuff you know isn't going to be allowed to remain?
 
Rubio will be a star in the USA.. End of story. He's not even come close to reaching his potential and he's already smarter (BBall wise) than 90% of the NBA PGs out there.
 
Rubio will be a star in the USA.. End of story. He's not even come close to reaching his potential and he's already smarter (BBall wise) than 90% of the NBA PGs out there.


I'm excited about young players like Rubio showing such potential at a young age. I'm hoping we, as Kings fans, get to see him develop in the NBA, up close and personal.
 
I would like to see Ricky play against Chris Paul before making any judgement.

I'd like to see 17 y.o. Ricky against 17 y.o. Paul.



However, I do not think that we have a shot to get him. There is another guy in Europe that we can get - Alex Shved. 6'6"/6'7" true PG who can also play SG. Amazing athlete. Very long arms. Very solid shooter. High IQ play maker. I know that we do not know about him a lot here, but b-scouts love his potential. He was born in 1988 but looks like he is 16-17 y.o. Obviously, he is a late bloomer. At least, Ricky looks more mature and older )))
Of course, he has some flaws. He struggles defensively against strong players (though he is not a bad defender) and he needs more expirience. He is not ready now but we are not talking about the 08 draft.
I've seen only 2 games with him and I like his athleticism and PG skills. Sure, I do not know a lot about him (mostly scouts' reports) but I think we should keep him in mind.
 
I read on draftexpress that he's eligible age wise for the 2009 draft, but that he probably won't declare because of his current contract. You also have to wonder what offers he might get from over there. They were saying on fox sports radio that Olimpiados, or what ever thier name is, is considering offering LeBron, 50 million dollars a year to play for them when he becomes a free agent in 2010. You have to wonder what they might offer Rubio.
 
Ricky Rubio is doing well against poor defense. When the guys he plays vs. grow 4 inches and weigh 40lbs more, he will become less of an impact player. At best he is selected 7th overall in the draft. Pgs take time, and he may be ahead of the curve. Steve took 3-4 years to become who he is in the NBA, and Ricky has enough baggage that any team that drafts him probably won't experience him when he is worth the pick.
You've got to be kidding me!

This is a kid, a 17 year old kid, playing against men in the toughest competition outisde of the NBA. The opposition he faces game in game out is at a higher level than anything he would remotely face in College basketball.

This is a 17 year old kid that is a target of every opponent's defence. The kid that gets the rough treatment very single game.

Rubio is already a star in europe and all at the age of 17. Anything that would get thrown at him in college is piece of cake compared to what he faces in euroleague. Maybe some of you need to actually watch some euroleague games then pass comments on a kid that deserves every accolade that comes his way!
 
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I would like to see Ricky play against Chris Paul before making any judgement.

You'll get your chance in the next couple of weeks. Chris Paul and the US Olympic team will play Ricky Rubio and the Spanish Olympic team very soon...Looking forward to it:).
 
I'll be really curious to see how he does in the Olympics. I know he's playing against good competition in Europe, but he's not facing people like Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Rubio's got all the JWill moves and then some, but after watching some videos he looks slow to me and he has one of the slowest jump shot releases I've ever seen. I think he's going to have a tricky time adjusting to the NBA with the number of lightning fast point guards. Craftiness can only get you so far. I know he's only 17, which is pretty crazy, but being a quick point guard in the NBA is mandatory these days.
 
I'll be really curious to see how he does in the Olympics. I know he's playing against good competition in Europe, but he's not facing people like Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Rubio's got all the JWill moves and then some, but after watching some videos he looks slow to me and he has one of the slowest jump shot releases I've ever seen. I think he's going to have a tricky time adjusting to the NBA with the number of lightning fast point guards. Craftiness can only get you so far. I know he's only 17, which is pretty crazy, but being a quick point guard in the NBA is mandatory these days.


Rubio is quick, you'll just have to trust me on that. He's no AI, but he's easily as quick as the likes of Deron Williams. Easily. People will just have to wait until he gets to the NBA to see it. He doesn't look all that fast because of the way he moves and his height, but he'll be more than able to hold his own in the NBA speed-wise.

Another thing, he's 17 and his body isn't even mature yet. I don't think he could even grow a beard yet. :D His body still has growing to do and with that will come more speed and strength - it's natural.

Watch this recent video - tell me if you think he looks slow (being genuine - not narky). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrLFdhEN2Oc
 
Rubio is quick, you'll just have to trust me on that. He's no AI, but he's easily as quick as the likes of Deron Williams. Easily. People will just have to wait until he gets to the NBA to see it. He doesn't look all that fast because of the way he moves and his height, but he'll be more than able to hold his own in the NBA speed-wise.

Another thing, he's 17 and his body isn't even mature yet. I don't think he could even grow a beard yet. :D His body still has growing to do and with that will come more speed and strength - it's natural.

Watch this recent video - tell me if you think he looks slow (being genuine - not narky). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrLFdhEN2Oc

Honestly I still think he looks slow. I want to see him in a full game situation, because I've never really seen a highlight where he takes a guy off the dribble. He's either in a fast break situation (where he's fast with the basketball because he's such a good dribbler) or they run him off a pick and roll, and apparently they never call moving screens in Europe. And his jump shot is still incredibly slow. Unless he fixes that he's not going to be anything more than a spot up, wide-open jump shooter, and that's going to seriously limit his effectiveness in the NBA because teams will just sag off.

And I seriously doubt he's quicker than Deron Williams. Williams isn't as fast as Paul or Parker, but he's still above average in the NBA. Rubio isn't going against guys like Paul or Parker or Barbosa, he's going against whoever in the heck is the PG for Portugal and Russia. I don't even think Rubio looks quicker than Beno, but without seeing him against some NBA comparisons it's tough to tell for sure.
 
Honestly I still think he looks slow. I want to see him in a full game situation, because I've never really seen a highlight where he takes a guy off the dribble. He's either in a fast break situation (where he's fast with the basketball because he's such a good dribbler) or they run him off a pick and roll, and apparently they never call moving screens in Europe. And his jump shot is still incredibly slow. Unless he fixes that he's not going to be anything more than a spot up, wide-open jump shooter, and that's going to seriously limit his effectiveness in the NBA because teams will just sag off.

And I seriously doubt he's quicker than Deron Williams. Williams isn't as fast as Paul or Parker, but he's still above average in the NBA. Rubio isn't going against guys like Paul or Parker or Barbosa, he's going against whoever in the heck is the PG for Portugal and Russia. I don't even think Rubio looks quicker than Beno, but without seeing him against some NBA comparisons it's tough to tell for sure.



His jump shot is slow, but if people like Marion can be effective shooters then so can Rubio. Anyway, Rubios game is never going to be about shooting and driving - he's a guy who will hit the open shot and completely dominate a game through his passing, vision and ability to steal the ball. Jason Kidd was never a great shooter or penetrator yet he's a HOF'er.

I'm confident Rubio is as quick as Deron (who is still pretty quick). And sorry, but Williams, Parker or Paul never faced the competition Rubio faces at 17. When Paul or Williams were 17 they were dominating kids, Rubio is dominating men who are better than college players (don't even argue against it).

Again, Rubio will gain a step in the next couple years when his body develops fully. I'm pretty sure Rubio is ahead of where even Paul was as a 17 y/o (No, I'm not saying he'll be better).
 
His jump shot is slow, but if people like Marion can be effective shooters then so can Rubio. Anyway, Rubios game is never going to be about shooting and driving - he's a guy who will hit the open shot and completely dominate a game through his passing, vision and ability to steal the ball. Jason Kidd was never a great shooter or penetrator yet he's a HOF'er.

I'm confident Rubio is as quick as Deron (who is still pretty quick). And sorry, but Williams, Parker or Paul never faced the competition Rubio faces at 17. When Paul or Williams were 17 they were dominating kids, Rubio is dominating men who are better than college players (don't even argue against it).

Again, Rubio will gain a step in the next couple years when his body develops fully. I'm pretty sure Rubio is ahead of where even Paul was as a 17 y/o (No, I'm not saying he'll be better).

I think the Jason Kidd comparison is good, because of his size, lack of shooting, etc. I could kind of see him in that role, but the NBA has changed a whole lot since Kidd was in his heyday -- PGs are way faster, and I'm not quite as sure someone who lacks serious speed can be as effective. Bibby isn't the same type of player as these guys, but look how his game has fallen off the planet because he can't penetrate anymore.

I certainly think it's impressive that Rubio is doing so well against real competition at that age, but I don't think it's unprecedented. Maravich scored 44 ppg as a college freshman, LeBron was hardly past 18 when he came into the NBA, etc. etc. Rubio's good, but not dominant, and while he's got a bright future I'm just not sold yet.
 
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