I HEART RICKY!

by NoceOne on May 4, 2009 1:02 AM PDT

This is a commentary on Ricky Rubio and Ricky Rubio alone. This is not meant to belittle Blake Griffin or his abilities in any way. The following are the reasons why I am finally jumping onto the Ricky Rubio bandwagon.

1) We don’t need to think up of a nickname for him. He’s already known as "La Pistola" or "The Pistol" like a certain HOF-er we know. He looks like "The Pistol", answers to "The Pistol", and has a basketball IQ as high as "The Pistol" (supposedly). How can we lose with this kid?

2) He held his own against Team USA’s All Star point guards Jason Kidd, Chris Paul and Deron Williams. If he can stand toe-to-toe with them, it’s safe to say he can get it done against the 25 or so other point guards in the NBA.

3) Ricky Rubio has starred on the big stage. In 2006, when he was just 15 years old, he led Spain to the U16 Euro Gold medal with 51pts, 24rebounds, 12 assists and 7 steals. He also logged 3 triple doubles and a quadruple double during the tournament. Which means we won’t get a normal rookie (rookie walls, jitters etc…) He’ll be like Luis Scola or Manu Ginobili, used to the pressure, wise to the game and a hell of a lot younger.

4) He has won everywhere. He has won championships in the Spanish League and in the EuroLeague as a vital cog of the team, not just a complimentary player. Which means his winning attitude can help influence our young (but definitely older than him) players as well.

5) He is known to be a good on-the-ball defender and led the Spanish League and EuroLeague in steals, (this, of course, addresses on of the most pressing needs of the Kings)

True, he needs to work on his shooting. But we’ve got shooters galore (Kmart. Garcia, Nocioni, Hawes) What we don’t have are passers to get the ball to those shooters.

(This is a FanPost from a member of the Sactown Royalty community. The views expressed come from the member, and not Sactown Royalty staff.)

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Comments

I don't wish to be a naysayer here because I like how you presented a few points here

One, he didn’t lead the Spanish League (ACB) or EuroLeague in steals. He wasn’t close in EuroLeague, but that’s not too big of a deal. I wouldn’t base a whole lot of observation on his stats, but there are some stats that stick out. He was tied for first in the ACB in assists at 6 a game (in 22 mins). The other guy with 6 dimes had 27 mins of play on average. You do the math.

I will not comment whether the ACB scorekeepers are more willing to give out assists. (For instance, the top 2 guys in the Italian league have 5.4 and 5.3 assist apiece.)

Technically, Rubio has 2 steals on the season. That ties him for 2nd. The guy with 2.1 (leading the ACB) has 30 mins, and the guy tied with Rubio at 2.0, has 33 mins.

I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said as a rule Noce, it’s just not quite true in the format you’ve chosen to say it. It doesn’t mean that Rubio hasn’t impressed given the circumstances (weak team, bad wrist to start out the year, hype galore) this season.

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.....

by pookeyguru on May 4, 2009 5:22 AM PDT reply actions

Almost right

He actually led the Euroleague in steals (as far as I can remember) in the 2006/7 season with 3.2 in 19 minutes of play (as 16/17 years old). I think the margin from the second best was really huge that year…

On the other hand, he never won the Spanish title (Joventut won the ‘Copa del Rey’ in 2008, which is a play-off style, four-days lasting competition for the best eight teams in Spain) and he neither won the Euroleague (Joventut won the ULEB Cup in 2008, the second-tier European transnational competition).

Otherwise (and this included), I agree with what you write about Noce’s arguments.

by KingsFanfromCentralEurope on May 4, 2009 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions

I was talking about this year only (in terms of stats)

But, I believe you. I especially have no reason to doubt you and I will check DX to see how he did that year. So, thanks.

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.....

by pookeyguru on May 4, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Whoops, sorry for the errors. Im not too familiar with the tourneys in Europe.

Which is why I thought the ULEB Cup is the Euroleague Championships.

Still, the basic thought behind #4 is that he helps teams become champions. He helped the Spain U16 to be champions, and I guess winning the Copa del Rey and the ULEB Cup means their champions of that tournament as well…

There can only be one Noce!

by NoceOne on May 4, 2009 6:50 PM PDT up reply actions

...they're champions... stupid, stupid....

There can only be one Noce!

by NoceOne on May 4, 2009 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions

No critique of either you or pookey from me

And as you say, the point (having been a winner and a defensive mayhem) is right

by KingsFanfromCentralEurope on May 5, 2009 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions

i think

we just draft him, we need a PG, we need Defense, we need ball movement, we need to get the ball into K-Mart’s or Shock and Hawes hands to score…He is everything we need, young, flashy, unselfish, smart, high energy, How do we say no to this kid?

by shadowchicken on May 4, 2009 6:02 PM PDT reply actions

I just watched all those games/highlights again

(some of both)
and I just don’t see ‘once in a generation’ talent

very skilled yes, but

So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii

by lietothegirls on May 4, 2009 6:33 PM PDT reply actions

I actually see him as an Andre Miller rather than a Derrick Rose.

Which is still better than Beno Udrih?

There can only be one Noce!

by NoceOne on May 4, 2009 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Better, absolutely... but is 'Andre Miller' worth the 1st or 2nd pick?

by cabz on May 4, 2009 10:46 PM PDT up reply actions

Blake Griffin

does not seem like a ‘once in a generation’ talent. He is like a mix of Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer. He is not definitively better than Al Jefferson or Dwight Howard.

Ricky has a huge ceiling as a PG. He is supremely talented and is going to be a great player.

by mayfieldcol on May 5, 2009 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions