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A good read
Abbot’s got Rubio down. It’s why I don’t think Memphis or OKC will take a gamble on him, when they already have point guards. I’ve been reading lately that Memphis thinks OJ Mayo is their point guard of the future, since he has the ball in his hand so much, and you just can’t select Rubio when his major skill relies on him having the ball.
In Sacramento though, Thompson and Hawes make way better targets (to me at least) than Jerome Moiso.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement.
Great news!
We already have a PG who commits lots of turnovers but without the lots of assists. So no one here will boo him when he throws a crazy pass. Abbot talked about putting him behind a good PG, but putting him behind a crappy PG makes him look even better.
"Shut up and Coach!"
Vfettke
Great stuff by Henry Abbott (not a shock there)
If you were expecting an all-NBA PG next year, you were very much fooling yourself. This is yet another reason why Rubio’s handlers don’t want him in Memphis. I think people in LA, and Memphis, would expect Rubio to be greater than he really is now.
Henry hits another one out of the park. All hail the blogfather!
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
And to further expand on my point
What he will be this year might not justify the hype and his high draft position. What he might be in a few years could make him look like a steal.
We can only hope he lands on a team that embraces with the pace, and potential, of his evolution.
Amen Henry. Yet another reason I would like to see Rubio come to the Kings. The rest of the team is a work in progress as well, as Rubio definitely would be.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Agreed....
While its no secret the the rest of the team is a work in progress, itll at least be an exciting type of progress. Not only were the Kings horrible last year, but we were a disturbingly boring team to watch as well. If we pick Rubio, at least he’ll be able to put some butts in the seats at Arco. Much like a former electrifying PG did….Music to the Maloofs ears-
Yeah but you have to bring him off the bench to start his career
He isn’t a full time starter right away. He’s going to have to be brought along very slowly if he’s going to become the player he has the potential to be.
Fans, I suspect, when they see him shoot a low %, which he will, and commit turnover’s that he shouldn’t, which he will, will not necessarily be as enamored with him.
Me? It’s just one of his great selling points about his future, and his youth.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I disagree...
I think that IF the Kings get Rubio, he’ll have to be a starter from day 1… The Maloofs simply wont stand for another “lost” season with a complete lack of interest / excitment (aside from STR) from the community…
High turnover rates, low % etc. aside he’ll still be a fan favorite from Day 1.. He definently won’t get the Oden treatment because simply put, there is no chance the Kings will be noticably better with Beno than Rubio at the 1.
If the Maloof's want a winning team
Deferring to their basketball people with regards tor Rubio would be wise. It’s always best to let a young PG develop at a slow speed.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Agree with Pookey
Even if Rubio doesn’t start from day 1 (which he shouldn’t), he’ll still get plenty of minutes a game.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement.
Not sure I believe this
If a young PG makes some flashy passes and turns the ball over 5 times again on a 17 win team, I don’t think that it’s really going to put butts in the seats. JWill wasn’t the only reason people started paying attention to the Kings again. He helped change the tone, but he couldn’t have done it without CWebb and Divac. The only way Rubio will start filling ARCO is if he’s not just a flashy player but someone who can help turn the team around and win some games. This article makes it sound like even in the best case scenario that’s going to take a while.
Absolutely (on the taking the time point)
Anyone who expects otherwise is foolish.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
The most balanced portrait of Rubio I have read
The good, the bad, the things that need work show why Sacramento would be a perfect fit here.
Just a thought: Beno had a very finish to the season. Off the top of my head in the last 6 games I think he was averaging 12 points and 6.2 dimes per game. There is nothing like a shiny new rookie to light a fire under a vet’s ass. Based on the way he finished and the fact that he is going to real competition for minutes for the first time it’s real possible that Beno comes in and has the type of season we were expecting from him in the prior season. Actually I wouldn’t be surprised to see both Kevin and Beno come in to camp looking better than they ever have.
I sure hope Petrie can find a way to snag him. With Ricky coming off the bench, wow, what can I say. I like the way this team could come together.
"We are in the business of kicking butt and business is very, very good." - Charles Barkley
Especially with Donte coming off the bench every night
I love a bench of Donte, Ricky, Cisco and whomever else is out there. (Derrick Brown would be the guy I want the Kings taking with the 23rd overall pick.)
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Beno and Rubio?
Again with all due respect . I know were not winning any championships anytime soon , but those two would be going against BIGGER , STRONGER , FASTER PG’s night in and night out .
Do we really have that kind of time?
Not being a smart ass . Just thinking about relocation possibilities , Maloofs bank account , Petries job status , and Martin’s age . if and when that happens
Ok
I appreciate you coming back a little more respectful that you were before so I’m interested in reading what you have to say. The Kings are short on time because of the arena situation, true. I believe that’s probably the only reason why you may ask the question about time.
Maloofs bank account will still be big, time will not affect that. Petrie’s job status will not be judged next year whether he picks Rubio or not. Martin is 26 and just about to hit his prime; we still have a good 5 to 6 years of him being the 2nd or 3rd option on this team.
If we don’t have time to wait for Rubio (reminder: he’s 18) to develop what would be your plan??
I understand
the rebuilding process and it’s realistic time frame . However given the complete franchise situation , i don’t think Petrie is going to be given that luxury . I think theres a sense of urgency . Petrie waiting to see if Rubio pans out is a gamble i dont think he’ll take..could be wrong though
No secret we have the least talented and athletic team in the NBA . We have alot of team needs to fill .
My plan would be to draft players that could fill the most needs . Keep our assetts and keep grinding away .
IMO Jennings is the perfect fit , and fill more needs . The scouting report on Jennings says he has excellent handles , hops , speed , can score from anywhere , can break down defenses , beat his man at will . will be instantly know as one of the quickest PG’s and one of the best crossovers in the league . As with Rubio the reports also say he has great court vision and passing ability
I think the first thing is that
Petrie doesn’t work like that. As much as he needs to nail this pick and have a good offseason, he doesn’t have a sense of urgency. None of the players available for the 4th pick, hell, anyone after Griffin will help right away, including Jennings.
I have no problem with Petrie drafting Jennings if he thinks he’s the best player. That doesn’t mean he’s going to come right away and run this team though. Funny, but Jennings is actually a Euro PG at the moment. He played overseas professionally, just like Rubio did, and just like the Spaniard he also needs to get use to the NBA. It won’t be an easy transition for either of them. Being American may help Jennings, but he will still be a rookie that needs to work on his game a lot to become a succesful PG in the league. To me, you’ll have to wait on him too so it’s gonna come down to who’s better down the road because I doubt they are going to make this team THAT much better next year.
hectic
I know you like Jennings, but he won’t be an instant fix for a couple years either.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement.
Could be true
But who knows , mayby Rubio or Jennings could develope quicky . All are going to be a gamble . I just feel Jennings could help right away in some areas that Rubio cant
Great read
And cagey enough that his supporters and detractors can read the post in different ways. But I at least hope it’s a little sobering for all the people who think Rubio’s going to come in and be some sort of franchise savior from day one.
I'll agree with you there nbrans
I love the idea of Rubio as a King, but he’s not going to be showing signs of stardom for a year or two at least.
Father of the "Natt this!" movement.
Which is fine really
If Beno elevates his game just a bit and if he and the team works towards getting the ball to our young bigs in the paint/post we’ll be scoring more consistently down low and can afford to bring Ricky along. Every day that comes off Beno’s contract makes it a little more tradeable and about the time Ricky is ready to take over beno might be close to a tradeable asset.
"We are in the business of kicking butt and business is very, very good." - Charles Barkley
Does anyone really think that?
I don’t think there is a player in this year’s draft or available as a free agent this year who is a “franchise savior.” I don’t care if you are Griffen fan, a Rubio fan, a Thebeeeeeeet! fan, or a fan of someone else. We are still going to suck next year with any of them.
"Shut up and Coach!"
Vfettke
by SavageBeast on May 25, 2009 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Yep SB
Well said, senor.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
With
30 wins for this team is the high water mark for next year – which would still make us the 7th worst team in the league by this year’s standards.
Anyone who does not have the stomach for another year of suckitude should get off the bus right now and save themselves the aggravation. This is going to be a slow process, and you’re going to have to search for the positives (the growth of JT and Hawes and maybe é, a healthy Martin, developing draft picks).
I’m in.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on May 25, 2009 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'm in
The draft lottery has reinforced my belief that there are not enough bad words in the English language.
by LeaguePassAddict on May 25, 2009 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm in
As long as LPA starts beating up young whippersnappers into shape.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Agree
We are going to be a lottery pick again next season as well, so you might as well go young and see if you can get to the point where a key free agent signing can put you back in contention. Time to brush up on the 2010 class.
"The basis for winning an NBA title is having a superstar in his prime. Not an all-star, or a bunch of all-stars, but a superstar."
by coolcatreportdotcom on May 25, 2009 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions
We get a little fired up this time of year, especially after the worst season ever
In moments of reason we mostly acknowledge that there is no silver bullet and rebuilding,we realize, it’s a process.
I don’t expect the kings to be good next season but I do expect them to be better. So I expect a losing record, regardless who the Kings draft and who they hire as coach. So what if we suck, true fans know they are going to suck.
When it comes to suck, the Kings can suck with anybody, right now this team is a master of suck, a veritable 7th level black belt of world class suckitude. Suck, Suck, Suck…………..But next season we won’t suck quite as much and hopefully given a few years, our young core and this and next years draft class which hopefully includes Ricky Rubio will get us to the point where we no longer suck but are merely…….not bad.
So SavageBeast; the answer to your question is? ………….No……….. Nobody here really thinks that there is an immediate “franchise savior” on the horizon but as fans we can hope for better days. SavageBeast, when it comes to stating the obvious, you don’t suck at all.
"We are in the business of kicking butt and business is very, very good." - Charles Barkley
Lol, Henry always with the look to his Blazers :)
In this setting, Rubio’s five-plus turnover nights are unfortunate.
Under many NBA coaches — always fearing for their high-paying jobs — such nights would end ugly. One or two of those failed lobs could get Rubio to the bench faster than you can say “Sergio Rodriguez.”
Checkmarks?
The people around Ricky Rubio are eager for him to end up with an NBA team with a long-term plan in place. Stable ownership, good coaching staff, and opportunities to play without the pressure to produce immediately. The people around Ricky Rubio are smart — because bright though his star may shine, Rubio is like one of those wines that you purchase now, but wait a few years before enjoying.
Great article by Abbot
I thought it had a lot of great insight on all things Rubio, and he approached it with a very unbiased point of view. He made some great points about being patient and having to wait for Rubio to show his true potential. As a Rubio fan, I knew this and was perfectly fine with it. It’s not like we are a piece away from contending. We are building from the grown up and we are in the process of setting the foundation for years to come. I thought Abbot was also very realistic about what Rubio’s potential is.
To me, the article just reinfoces the idea that Sacramento is one of the ideal places for Rubio in this league. Not a lot of pressure from the very beginning but a chance to become a very important piece of the puzzle while also getting the fanbase excited about the future. The Kings offer a chance to work on his game and achieve his potential without having to force things because of this team’s being far away from true contention.
I think the difference in Sacramento is
That the fans here will be more patient with him than they will be in Memphis or LA. But, that’s my personal opinion.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Hey Henry,
I heard there was an opening at the Sacramento Bee. Apparently Sacramento Kings fans aren’t happy with the current columnist.
Use my name as a reference.
Speed isn't everything
What’s the point of being quick at PG if you can’t make magic happen with the ball? It’s probably the most overrated aspect of the PG position. There have been a few great, quick PG but there have been more who lacked good speed.
It’s no news flash that Rubio isn’t Derrick Rose. What PG has come out that had both great size and speed? The other two negatives mentioned where inconsistent shooting and he turns the ball over like a 18 year old. Neither of which would scare anyone away from 18 year old prospect.
Recent PGs who have had both great size and speed
Rose, Westbrook, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Lou Williams, Ramon Sessions, Devin Harris….. (I could go on)
I have to disagree
Chris Paul and Deron Williams do not have great speed (Chris Paul doesn’t even have the size). Both players could lose 2 steps and you wouldn’t notice a drop in play, simply they just know how to play.
Westbrook doesn’t even know how to play the PG yet. Click on the Thunder SB Nation link and read their fan’s comments.
Lou Williams, Ramon Sessions . . . ha ha ha!
Devin Harris does have good size and speed and he still isn’t a poor man’s Derrick Rose.
All PG look fast during the game. They are the smallest guys on the floor and change directions quicker based on simple physics compared to the larger players at other positions. Still, 9 out of 10 times they get the ball at the top of the key, given a pick to beat their man . . . great speed isn’t required.
He doesn't have great size though
so, I don’t think he belongs on the:
Recent PGs who have had both great size and speed
list.
Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott
by Kfan in Korea on May 26, 2009 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Bignerd..I disagree
Speed is probably the most underrated aspect of any position . Anyone who has actually played b-ball or most sports for that matter would agree . Tell you what , the next time you sit down to watch a game or go out and actually play a game and pay attention..and you don’t think speed is a huge variable . You come back and tell me all about it
Speed is something you cant teach nor drill into a player . Day in and day out , many games , matches , plays , individual plays or whatever , have been decided by speed alone..if you pay attention
With that said , I understand your point of being able to couple speed with other talents . Thats when special happens
I know speed isn’t everything , but in an athletic game like b-ball , it’s a bigger variable than you think . So , to say it’s the most overrated aspect at the PG position or any position is not so smart
I think speed is a luxury
and I would rather have my wings be the speedy guys on the court. Because speed in the way that I think your describing it is only prevalent in the full court game in basketball, I think its more beneficial to the team to have fast finishers. Fast point guards are not always great finishers and more times then not when your on the break there is one or two guys back on defense, so I want my wings to be running the court so they can finish over the guys and get and 1s.
Quickness is really the more important attribute for a point guard. Changing direction in the lane or getting past someone when the shot clock is winding down is crucial to the game. I do indeed play and watch the game and you can adjust to a guy who can run the court easily, but its not easy when a guy can beat you with his first step whenever he wants too.
The just average athleticism is what’s worries me most at least as far as whether he can become an elite point guard. I admire fundamentals and basketball IQ and all that as much as anybody but aside from Nash, it’s hard to deny that all the other great points today are also great athletes. They’re all wonderfully skilled but they wouldn’t be what they are if they weren’t so quick and fast that they can get to wherever they want and finish against big men. That’s why I like Brandon Jennings more. He blew me away during the McDonald’s game. I know it’s just an exhibition but from what I saw, the instant he enters the league, he might become the fastest end to end guard in the nba. And not only is he fast but his recognition skills are incredible. He can move in a blur but he can still see openings and passing angles. Unlike a guy like Marcus Banks who is incredibly fast but has no vision and thus is never dangerous with his speed, Jennings might become a nightmare.
If I was just working off the current mold of elite points, I would bet on Jennings and John Wall becoming the next two.
The lack of athleticism does worry me a bit.
Not enough to pass on Rubio at 2 or 4, but enough that I wouldn’t give up anything significant to pick him over Jennings. I keep trying to think of great PG’s in recent history that haven’t had at least above average speed at the position…so far I have Steve Nash and Deron Williams….I’m sure I’m missing a few, but the point is that it’s not a very long list.
LOL
Wow. I can really imagine Rubio & Beno in the back court just EXPLODING with athleticism!!!! Rubio is good, Beno sucks but they have ONE thing in common:
THEY BOTH LACK NBA ATHLETICISM; PLAIN AND SIMPLE
by Napoloean's Tots on May 26, 2009 7:16 PM PDT reply actions
They may lack NBA athleticism
But they won’t lack NBA contracts.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
Whoops
To finish, all these questions about Rubio’s athleticism sounds suspiciously like the questions leveled at Spencer Hawes.
Hell, Rubio hasn’t even had knee surgery yet!
I think it's different when discussing bigs vs. smalls though
Bigs can get away with being slow. Guards, not as much.
Actually
My point was, Spencer was not as slow and unathletic as was made out prior to the draft. I suspect Rubio isn’t either, based on the games I’ve seen (the Euro final the other day and a tape of the Olympic game against the U.S.).
Besides, it’s not a prerequisite that all elite point guards have to be speed merchants. From Magic Johnson to Mike Bibby to Chauncey Billups, there have been many high level point guards who you can consider slow relative to others at the position.
This is not necessarily an endorsement for Rubio, your concerns could be well founded. I just think it’s one piece of the overall evaluation puzzle, and not a dealbreaker IMO.
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