Via Ball in Europe, Ricky Rubio gets his pass on vs his old squad.
over 2 years ago
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Ricky's Game and European Play in General
Here is the thing about Ricky’s game at first blush: he knows how to feed his teammates the ball. He gets in to them in just the right position. Damn, it’s beautiful. But whereas this gets a Spanish team cheap alley-oops and easy layups in transition, it ain’t gonna get the same results in the NBA, where the athleticism and general caliber of defense are several notches higher. I keep hearing all of this great talk about the high quality of European play, but from highlights clips, European ball does not appear to be even remotely as physical as the NBA of 2009. Rather, it reminds me of the wide-open NBA of the early and mid 1980s (easily my favorite era, of any I have witnessed.)
Here's the thing about that, though
Every good European has played in leagues of similar quality before coming to the NBA. Obviously it’ll be more difficult, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to make accurate and flashy passes in the NBA.
by pagingstanleyroberts on Oct 26, 2009 7:59 PM CDT up reply actions
And just because NBA defenders might be a bit more athletic/explosive doesn’t mean Ricky won’t be able to recognize openings and deliver passes. Doesn’t a good point speed up or slow down play as it’s appropriate? I think court vision trumps all that, assuming you have the requisite point abilities to create openings. Nash has never been a freak athlete and he’s never had a problem creating for teammates. Why? Because he’s smart and his handle is great, two things that very true about Ricky. I think he’ll be fine.
When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story.
Right
If he’s as good as we hope, he not only adjusts to the speed and athleticism of the NBA, but eventually HE is the one setting the pace on the floor. I didn’t mean to express doubt as to whether Rubio makes the jump. My observation was meant to be that finishing seems to be much easier over there (guys being able to drive the lane “with impunity” and whatnot.)
it might not be as physical in europe, but the game is so much harder for a single player to really make a massive impact due to the zone defenses over there. if anything, being freed up from the restrictive offensive styles and john cheaney, temple era defenses he sees in europe should help a free flowing passing virtuouso like ricky.
heart of a champion, will of the warrior.
It doesn't completely translate, but some of it does
Ricky’s former teammate Rudy Fernandez isn’t as effective from mid-range as he was there. He could get open with one (mediocre) crossover dribble and then pull up for a shot. That doesn’t work anymore. Still, he was able to translate his good 3 point shooting (new rookie records for total and most consecutive games with 1 three), and his great moving around off the ball often leading to backdoor alley-oops.
If the players stand still, Rubio won’t be able to do the same things he does in Europe (and Euro stat trackers are very stingy when it comes to awarding an assist). Everyone needs to be running hard and expecting a pass even if they aren’t really open. That will take some time, and some passes will fly into the third row. But eventually guys will love playing with him. He has never played with a big man the same quality as Love or Jefferson so far. His wings were pretty iffy, in Badalona he made some very mediocre SFs look great. He is really only used to a great shooting guard by his side, first Rudy and now Navarro.
But slowly things happen that they cannot help and the Blazers Fellowship of the Ring begins to break apart
hype
the hype will only grow. If he ends up not playing for the T-Wolves in 2-3 years, how much would a New York/LA/Miami … give up to get him?
Is Henk Norel the one that's just standing there on defense and just standing?
Seriously, if that’s him, he needs to improve his defense.
Can’t help but drooling .. Ricky’d make Hollins look like an offensive powerhouse. The defense in the NBA might be quite a bit more physical but the players that dunk the alley oop are too ..
I would even argue that for alley oop’s it’s not the fysicality of the D that stops the alley oop from happening but rather if the defense sees the play through and just stands in the right position so the players can’t take run on the right moment..
Official Kahn/Rambis band-wagon rider since 2009
This "He won't be able to do that in the NBA" meme is getting old
Remind me: Which defenders was Stephen Curry making passes like that against last year? What? You mean Curry didn’t make those passes? And yet he’s still considered a possible point guard prospect?
The simple fact is that Rubio’s playing against tougher defenses that stifle individual accomplishments more in those European zones, compared with almost any U.S. college prospect. No, they’re not NBA bigs. Neither are the vast, vast majority of U.S. college bigs. In terms of size, the Spanish League post players are bigger and more skilled than the ones playing against, say, Syracuse.
If we were seeing a prospect make dishes like that in college here, we’d freak out. Rightly so. Rubio’s doing it against better competition.
His ability to shoot...
…still worries me but it’s hard to look at the passing skills and not think how he would be fantastic in an up tempo system with guys like Brewer, Hollins, and…wait for it…Rudy Gay running up and down the court. This is the ultimate part of my Rudy Gay plan: Outlet from Love to Rubio who then lofts it to the rafters only to have Gay bring it all on home.
Forever splitting the Cheechakos from the Sourdoughs
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Also...
Spanish League post players are more skilled in terms of ballhandling, general ball movement and outside shooting. No doubt. Talk about your overwrought memes. My question (and I stress the word question) is whether or not the level of Euro defense is really as good as people say. Going on nothing more than highlight clips, it just looks like guys are somewhat more able to get to the rim and work the passing lanes, than in, say the ACC, the Big East and other elite programs (I’m not going to try to talk about Davidson’s opponents…)
The best part:
I’m coming around to the notion that, unless Flynn and Brewer are all-stars in two years, Kahn will NOT trade him.
Flynn + Rubio
I’m starting to see Rubio as Brewer’s replacement after next year, or Brewer as a placeholder for Rubio
well I will say
that Flynn seems to have no problem getting penetration and finishing or getting to the line. I get images of sick passes through the D to a slashing Flynn that just seems pretty unstoppable. Rubio and Flynn work much better as a two PG combo than Sessions and Flynn because Rubio doesn’t look to be a huge slasher. Not sure if Flynn can play off the ball, but it would be fun to watch…and probably also painful at times.
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 27, 2009 1:59 PM CDT reply actions
Arrrgh yutube copyright infringement took it down xP
Here’s the original link to the vd (it has better music anywayz)
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