Ricky Rubio

[TR21]

Most of the studs that are 18 years old are playing against the pros in summer leagues, not some sub par talent in Europe. You want excitement? Go to a Globe Trotters game, you want talent draft a NBA ready player like Flynn and not waste your top pick on someone who obviously didn't want to nor was he ready to play in the NBA. You just don't waste that high a pick on a player with"potential" which everybody has in pro sports.

[Scott K]

All of the 1st round picks are players with potential! No rookies are proven talent in the NBA! Rubio may not be a super star, but he should be a good NBA player that will bring in fans, and that is what this team needs, even more then a couple more wins. If the Wolves don't start selling tickets, they wont be here any more. Have you been to any of their games recently? This team needs excitement!

[fishin58]

Like was said many times, this is a 2 man draft. When Ricky slid to us, it was a no-brainer. We picked up Flynn as a back-up plan, if everything went wrong and it did. Mac would have drafted some center from S. Africa instead of Flynn and then we would have nothing for sure So I guess we got that goin for us ......which is nice.

[PierBridge]

From a marketing or excitement angle it's a nightmare for the Wolves that's why Kahn tried so hard to get him. In the end like RR said the Wolves just couldn't pay his buy it. Nike and Addidas just wouldn't put up the money to appease Rubio!

[TR21]

I agree with the marketing angle, but winning brings fans to a game. Do all the behind the back passes and no look passes you want but a few ohs and ahs only goes so far, then you are still left with a losing team and the wolves have so far to go just to catch up with the top eight playoff teams. It would seem the Wolves should have done their homework before drafting Rubio.

[UdeLakeTom]

Kahn said...we didn't expect Rubio to be there...what would of the fans reaction been if they passed him up and drafted somebody else???

[ozzie]

from an article on ESPN by Chris Sheridan he thinks it won't be until the 2011-2012 season that we see Rubio for the fact that at that point he won't be stuck in a rookie scale contract and could sign for a minimum or more exceptance and he would make considerably more money!!

[koonie]

Like was said many times, this is a 2 man draft. When Ricky slid to us, it was a no-brainer. We picked up Flynn as a back-up plan, if everything went wrong and it did. Mac would have drafted some center from S. Africa instead of Flynn and then we would have nothing for sure So I guess we got that goin for us ......which is nice.

OMG! I completely agree with you! That's just scary.

[Scott M]

I think you'll see Kahn/Taylor pushing hard to close the 3 year loophole on rookie contracts to get Rubio here in 2 year rather than 3 when the next CBA is rewritten in two years (lots of talk about another lockout as the players and owners seem far apart right now). It's better for the T-wolves and the league to have Rubio here sooner rather than later.

They had to take Rubio and Flynn looks dynamite. I still would have rather seen them address their need at SG by drafting Curry with the 6th pick.

[Scott M]

Rubio's team won the Euroleague, his game is getting work much like players work on one aspect of their game in minor league baseball (in this case his shooting), he has gotten stronger...overall his value is increasing. I hope we only have to wait one more year.

[hamrej23]

Yeah I agree- I hope that it wasnt a waste of a pick, we already have the wrong guard in flynn rather than picking curry.

[Scott K]

So what if Rubio decides to play out his 6 year contract in Europe, do we get some sort of pick back since the player refused to play for us? Or do we just loose the pick? I believe we only have 4 years to sign him, then he can be re drafted, or something like that.

[mrklean]

i dont think he we snooze we lose i think pretty much. We need to trades the rights to him and get some value now before the fans really give up on the wolves

[Juan Grande]

I wanted a Flynn/Curry combo in the draft. I know his stats are inflated in GS, but Curry looks like a star in the making. I know he's undersized to play the two, but at least he can shoot. Taking Flynn and Rubio made no sense at all since they both want to run the point and neither can shoot from the outside. The only way two guys like that can play together is if they have complimenting skills.

My prediction is that the Wolves will stay put this year and then trade the rights to Rubio next year to the Clippers since we owe them a pick that will be unprotected from the Jaric trade. Wow, McHale's mistakes are still haunting us.

[Scott K]

I dont see us trading him this year, as we really dont need another 1st round pick. I would like to see him in a Wolves jersey in 2 years, but if he is against playing in MN, trade him so we dont loose out.

[ozzie]

I don't see them trading him this year unless it is for a decent player....but they might as well wait till next off season to do anything as he will be that much more developed and he will be that much more valuable and he will want to come to the NBA alot more....

[CJH]

From Charley Walters column:

Pioneer Press

Updated: 05/11/2010 10:07:04 PM CDT

Timberwolves President David Kahn is back from watching his top draft pick from last year, Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio, compete in the Euroleague Championship last weekend in Paris.

Don't expect Rubio, 19, to play for the Wolves next season. And don't expect the Wolves to trade him. Instead, look for him to be in training camp in Minnesota for the 2011-12 season.

Rubio started both games that his FB Barcelona team won to earn the Euroleague title.

"Ricky played really well in the first game; he arguably was the best player on the floor," Kahn said Tuesday. "In the second game, he played a solid first half, but in the second half he had problems with the other team's defensive pressure. He got a little loose with the ball and didn't play very much in the second half."

Rubio, who still has a five-week season in his Spanish league, has a $1.3 million buyout in his five-year Barcelona contract.

Kahn and Wolves coach Kurt Rambis will be in Spain later this month to watch Rubio and other European players, but word is Rubio is intent on playing next year with his current team, making the buyout issue — at least for next season in Minnesota — moot.

[TR21HP]

What a waste of a pick, with the Wolves needing immediate help this blunder is right up there with some of McHales decisions. Going to be a long time before the team is going to be competitive at best.

[mrklean]

that wasnt a McHale decision i am pretty sure it was a Kahn decision but either way it was a mistake i think

[Scott K]

I dont see it as a mistake. He is just 19, and a greenhorn, let him learn a little on someone elses dime. Look at it this way, we arent paying him anything, and he is getting some very much needed experience, and building some good confidence. Rubio will only be that much better in another year of playing there, and we dont need to pay him anything. He is a stud, and he will draw people in the way he plays. My only concern is if he decides to continue to play in Europe for several more years, then we loose are draft pick.

[ozzie]

I think him being a 20-21 year old and having one the top euro league championship and also having the ability to come to the NBA without so many contract issues he will be here and we will either benefit from his experience and skills on the court or his value in trade!! either way I don't mind him playing competitive b-ball in europe instead of being demoralized playing on a losing squad!!!

[TR21HP]

If Rubio had problems with Euro league defensive pressure, whats going to happen when or if he gets here? In the meantime you have players that are 20 years old like Evans, Jennings and Curry, all of which we could have had,getting NBA playing experience and doing very well this year. I sincerely hope he develops into a decent player but to hang your future on someone like this isn't very wise. Hopefully they will do better in this years draft as they have 5 picks in the first 45. Maybe Lindsey Whalen could pull double duty point guard for both teams.

[ozzie]

they didn't have a chance to pick Evans and it is hard to say how Jennings or Curry would have done in the triangle system that the T-Wolves run.....and Rubio had a tough part of the second half of the championship game in the best league in Europe and he is only 19!!! I am not going to dwell on that too much!!

[Getanet]

If Rubio had problems with Euro league defensive pressure, whats going to happen when or if he gets here? In the meantime you have players that are 20 years old like Evans, Jennings and Curry, all of which we could have had,getting NBA playing experience and doing very well this year.

Don't forget, Jennings struggled in Europe as well. His stat line was 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals in 17.0 minutes per game. Based on those numbers most people were surprised with how well he did in the NBA.

My only problem with picking Rubio is we can't wait a year or two for him to develop and/or decide he'd like to play for us. We need help now.

[Scott K]

I think are best help will come with a good draft, and some experience and age of our young players. This team wouldnt have won much more this past year if Rubio played for the Wolves last year. We will just end up with some more good draft picks, if we can build and develop the young talent, in about 3 years we should have a good team for many years.