Now I know what all the fuss has been about. Now I know why NBA executives and European talent scouts were so enchanted all these years. Now I understand why Donnie Walsh offered to give up smoking to make Ricky Rubio a Knick.
All it took was one probe and penetration Friday night against the Heat for me to realize I was beholding a visionary. From then on, each time the Timberwolves’ rookie fondled the fleece, I couldn’t help but notice myself staring at the sleight-of-hand, slight-of-body Spaniard.
I almost passed out.
Man, is this 21-year-old entertaining. Oh, yeah, and effective; in his third NBA concert, he accumulated 12 assists, 12 points (2-2 from the outskirts, scope his one-handed set shot isn’t supposed to have) and six rebounds.
Even Rubio’s five turnovers created more thrills than chills.
Exempting the Knicks’ maestros, any point guard who makes it all worthwhile, can locate a spot-up shooter and a cutter … a moving target Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni apparently no longer has any use for, coaching isolationists.
Conversely, Rubio owns the capacity to find players who aren’t open … until the ball arrives point blank in picture perfect position to score and/or be fouled.
Ole! Ole!
What can you possibly do for an encore to top that?
Internationally experienced since the sandbox, Rubio unhesitatingly and effortlessly split a daunting double team sprung by LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the final minute of Miami’s two-point road victory. He drew a foul.
Moments later, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra — whose outstanding in-bounds play-call caught Wolves coach Rick Adelman off-guard and provided the margin of victory — paid Rubio the ultimate respect; he sicced fundamentally superior Shane Battier, 3 inches taller, on the 6-foot-4 Rubio for the last two pivotal possessions.
Walsh should’ve thought to give up butter as well to get Rubio.
* If LeBron and Dwyane Wade are intent to operate below the 3-point line, opponents might want to make a Heated rush to filter the impurities from their zone. The best chance to beat Miami is no different than last season; force LeBron and Wade to become long distance shooters (James hoisted his first in four games late in fourth quarter vs. T’Wolves; Dwyane still not a one).
No longer in danger of going 0-66 after beating the Eric Gordon-less Hornets, the Suns nonetheless should start shopping Steve Nash and Grant Hill without delay to see if they can get an asset or two down the line. Fans already are vacating by the sections and it’s no wonder, notes Larry Simon, long-time horse race handicapper for Cotton Fitzsimmons. “The Gorilla is easily the team’s most athletic presence, and the training staff has the best hands.”
The 0-3 AAU Wizards of odds, on the other hand, are nearly a living lock to lose all 66. God help us if Ernie Grunfeld’s explosive chemistry secrets are leaked to Iran. By the All-Star break, look for owner Ted Leonsis either to fire his team president and coach Flip Saunders, or make Grunfeld play for him.
I know I’m really saying something here, but Jazz TV analyst Matt Harpring and his loopy partner, Craig Bolerjack, may confidently be the league’s worst.
After Utah’s first exhibition, they talked about how wonderful the team played except for a five-minute stretch when they were outscored by something like 21-5. At the tail end of Friday night’s home always-in-doubt 3-point win over the 76ers, the third game of the season, the duo declared the Jazz had “found their identity.”
In between, Harpring went to “extremes” five different times, pronouncing how much he truly believed small forward Gordon Haywood is better suited to play off guard.
Granted, those are all ticky-tack fouls. Harpring, who retired a couple years ago and, obviously, stopped communicating with people in the league at the same time, committed a flagrant faux pas when he said, “I don’t understand why Andre Iguodala is always in trade talk every year. I just can’t figure it out.”
Maybe Harpring would have gotten a hint had he spoken beforehand to 76ers coach Doug Collins or other members of the organization, a teammate perhaps.
Who knows, after catching A.I’s vanishing act in the fourth quarter — one shot and three aborted free throws, a pair with a chance to take the lead at the two-minute mark — maybe (the operative word) Harpring now has a clue.
Rick Welts, once No. 3 at the league office and the Suns’ marketing maestro for nine years before signing on to run the Warriors’ business side, says he hears expressions now from Joe Lacob and Peter Guber he hadn’t heard in Phoenix working for Robert Sarver. Like, “What do you think we should do?” And, “OK, let’s do it.”
Think how good the 4-0 Thunder (prior to last night’s game against Phoenix) will be once Russell Westbrook records more assists (22) than turnovers (25).
Sources say the Lakers offered Pau Gasol to the T’Wolves for Kevin Love after the league canceled the Chris Paul trade. Wouldn’t you?
“Watching Mike Bibby play is a lot like going to the gym and paying to see a guy work out on a stationary bike,” column contributor Phillip Marmanillo undercuts. “It’s Dick Bavetta challenging Bibby to a foot race.”