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The Ringer: Ricky Rubio Will Try to Shed the Hype in Utah

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https://theringer.com/ricky-rubio-utah-jazz-new-beginnings-de7d91c11287

Ricky Rubio Will Try to Shed the Hype in Utah
On his second NBA team, maybe the guard will finally be able to reshape the way the world thinks about his abilities

Jul 21, Paolo Uggetti, Editorial Assistant, The Ringer

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Ricky Rubio was once the shiny, new toy. The promising point guard lit our eyes up with his magnetic play in Europe. The mystery of his talent preceded him, much like it does for most players not brought up through the American college system.

Due to the warp of the NBA’s suffocating news cycle, Rubio now feels like old news. Countless other promising point guard prospects have come and gone, many European players have entered the league, and Rubio has been merely a solid player on a sometimes middling, mostly struggling team in Minnesota. Average doesn’t typically register on the league’s barometer for excitement.

But it’s easy to forget that Rubio is just 26 years old. (Buddy Hield, entering his second year in the league, will turn 24 in December.) The Spaniard has been in the league for six full seasons, but has missed 123 games throughout his career. It’s not just injury issues that has dulled Rubio’s shine. The league’s point guard explosion has forced Rubio into the shadows, behind the likes of Steph Curry, John Wall, and even Jrue Holiday.

Rubio now has a new home after being traded from Minnesota to Utah for a first-round draft pick. He now has a fresh canvas on which to repaint his evolving career. Closer to the West Coast, the sun seems to shine longer and brighter, and Rubio might just be in the perfect spot to do the same.

[...read full article here...]
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The article serves as a good, non-homer point of view. Rubio definitely has some flaws and while I'm excited to see Gobert play with an honest-to-goodness facilitator for the first time, his shooting percentages are extremely worrisome.

Hopefully, if Rubio fulfills his potential in Utah, I hope he remembers that this organization wanted him bad enough to trade for him. After the Hayward debacle, I'm mildly worried that our M.O. is going to become a team that's constantly improving a player's stock, only to see some other team reap the long term benefits.
 
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I believe in our system of player development, and when necessary resurrection, so yeah I believe in Rubio. The truth of the matter is that he'd already turned the corner on improving his outside shooting but had lost the support of the franchise. He'll continue to improve in that area and give us the passing and defense we've been sorely lacking from that position. He came to the right place.
 
Stoked said:
I keep forgetting Rubio is on the team lol.
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People sleeping on him. I think he's gonna have a breakout season and surprise everyone. I've heard a couple interviews of him from the Spanish press and that man is Stoked about being here and ready to rock n' roll.
 
If, hypothetically, he shot 43/38/90, how good would he be?
 
Rubashov said:
I reckon he'll be good anyway but i suspect his assists will drop this year unless somebody emerges on the roster as a scorer.
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I am not so sure. Gobert shoots a very high % at the rim and he will finally have a pass first PG with great passing skills feeding him the ball.

Hood shot over 65% of his 3s via catch and shoot. Made them at a 38% pace.

Ingles is a dead eye 3 point shooter.

There are plenty of players that could thrive from playing with a player like Rubio. The chance for good assist numbers is there.
 
Stoked said:
I am not so sure. Gobert shoots a very high % at the rim and he will finally have a pass first PG with great passing skills feeding him the ball.

Hood shot over 65% of his 3s via catch and shoot. Made them at a 38% pace.

Ingles is a dead eye 3 point shooter.

There are plenty of players that could thrive from playing with a player like Rubio. The chance for good assist numbers is there.
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Obviously if he and Rudy can developed a strong two man game it could be deadly. I have faith in Quin to tweak the offence.
 
One of the great things about Ricky is he doesn't need too much talent around him to average his usual 13-14 assists per 100 possessions. He's just too good at creating open looks and easy baskets for others, and the slow pace has never hurt him.

As a rookie, he had Kevin Love by his side posting excellent scoring numbers, but other than that the next top scorers were second-year Nikola Pekovic, Luke Ridnour, Michael Beasley and JJ Barea, in that order. Hardly an All-Star roster. That year Ricky posted a tad over 12 assists per 100 poss. Again, as a rookie.

On his second year, he missed the start of the season as he was coming off the knee injury (damn Kobe's leg). He ended up playing 57 games but only 3 of those were with Kevin Love, as KL broke his hand while doing knuckle push-ups before the season started and it never healed fully. So Ricky had to work with a group that included Pekovic as the team's top scorer at 16PPG, followed by Kirilenko, sophomore Derrick Williams (yes, that Derrick Williams), Luke Ridnour and JJ Barea. His assists per 100, considering no Kevin Love and the fact he was coming off the ACL injury? Close to 13.

So fear not, even though the Jazz will lack scoring punch overall, you can bet his passing and assists won't suffer with Hood, Gobert, JJ, Ingles and Mitchell around. :D

Let's just hope he has the ball in his hands as much as possible, cause that usually leads to good things happening.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmdOQrE1Krs

I know the highlights are taken from the ACB (a strong league still) but this is who he's always been. Don't expect RR to be a great scorer but he's always going to make everyone around him better.
The Wolves didn't live up to Rubio's standards of basketball play you could say. But with a force at the center position like Gobert and sharp shooters like Hood and Ingles this is gonna be gravy.
I totally see where the Jazz were coming from when acquiring Rubio. What is known as the "Jazz brand" kind of play is coming back. And I can't wait to see it!
 
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