5. Minnesota Timberwolves - Ricky Rubio 6-5 190 PG Spain Intl. # Birthday: 10/21/90 # NBA Position: Point Guard # Class: International # Ht: 6-5 # Wt: 190 # Team: DKV Joventut # Hometown: El Masnou, Spain NBA Comparison: Jose Calderon/Steve Nash Strengths: One of the purest point guards to come around in a while His vision and ability to deliver precise passes make him the ultimate distributor Has good size for the position, allowing him to survey the court over top of defenses A great and natural feel for the game allows him to see plays before they materialize, keeping him one step ahead of the opposition He is extremely good at maintaining his composure when operating in the pick and roll, he does not panic when the defense converges, but rather shows patience and waits to make his reads Loves to split the hedge on a high ball screen to get into the paint Has a wide repertoire of moves off the dribble Knows how to incorporate head, pass and shot fakes to get defenders off balance and to keep them guessing Uses change of speed and direction extremely well, always mixing up the moves and staying unpredictable His shot has come a long way in the last year or so, even to the point where he has become a serious threat from the outside Defesively, he plays with a lot of energy and puts in a great effort to put pressure on the opposing ball handlers Quick hands and terrific anticipation allow him to get his hands on a lot of balls His game is mature beyond his years due to the fact that he has played on the top senior level for a long time He has been on the draft radar for some years and has been able to maintain a fairly high level of play Has shown that he can perform on a big stage by being a key member of the Spanish National team in the Olympics Weaknesses: Has good speed but lacks the great explosiveness that top tier point guards in the league possses He is forced to shoot high amount of attempts in the paint because his marginal leaping ability makes it difficult for him to finish around the basket Heavily depends on the pick and roll to create his opportunities and does not show a great ability to break down defenders in ISO situations Has gotten better at taking whats open, but his pass first mentality still gets him into trouble as he passes up open shots His jumper is still not a finished product by any means Because it takes him a bit to get his feet set, and his release point is fairly low he still looks like a set shooter Has battled some injuries over the last year, which raises the question of durability and whether he will be able to handle the rigors of an 82 game season His game has been up and down this season after coming back from his injury (Had a better overall season last year) His performance on the international scene does not guarantee his game will translate well to the NBA Is also a bit of a risk because of his high buyout and because he has hinted at staying overseas if he doesnt go to the right team Borko Popic - 6/15/2009

• published: 15 Jul 2010
• views: 70244