What are realistic #'s for Rubio this coming season?

[Tackle [enjin:6628750]]

Ricky only cares about wins. So I will say 52.

Bleed stole my answer!

[Eitan]

Ricky only cares about wins. So I will say 52.

I agree with you Bleed. I also agree with Camden that this year Ricky has more weapons like: Love, Martin, Pek, Brewer, Bud etc.

Ricky is a very smart player and this year when he would have a lot of great options on offense, I think Ricky will prefer to take less shots by himself and will have more assists every game (The same way as he played for Barcelona with Juan Carlos Navaro, Fran Vasquaz etc).

I think Ricky also will play some more minutes than last year and will increase his contribution in rebounds and steals per game.

I`ll say 8 pts per game (his percentage from the floor will be irrelevant), 15 assists, 5.2 rebounds 3.1 steals and of course a lot of SHOWTIME.

I think Ricky will have at least 7 triple doubles next year (and even more double doubles).

The most important thing is that we will have a lot more W next year.

[shahidi124 [enjin:6591729]]

Ricky only cares about wins. So I will say 52.

I agree with you Bleed. I also agree with Camden that this year Ricky has more weapons like: Love, Martin, Pek, Brewer, Bud etc.

Ricky is a very smart player and this year when he would have a lot of great options on offense, I think Ricky will prefer to take less shots by himself and will have more assists every game (The same way as he played for Barcelona with Juan Carlos Navaro, Fran Vasquaz etc).

I think Ricky also will play some more minutes than last year and will increase his contribution in rebounds and steals per game.

I`ll say 8 pts per game (his percentage from the floor will be irrelevant), 15 assists, 5.2 rebounds 3.1 steals and of course a lot of SHOWTIME.

I think Ricky will have at least 7 triple doubles next year (and even more double doubles).

The most important thing is that we will have a lot more W next year.

I don't know if you're being facetious, but the most assists/game for a season EVER is 14.5 by Stockton. If Rubio did that, he would be a legit MVP candidate

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Am I the only one who thinks his shooting is completely relevant and a real cause for concern?

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Drew, Late to the party here but your earlier post breaking down Ricky's shooting numbers looks like something I would write :).

Your analysis bears itself out in Ricky's On/Off numbers. Despite his pass-first mentality and ability to find open guys, our team offense performs no differently whether he is on or off the court. That's largely because for every open man he finds for an easy bucket, he's clanking a layup or open jump shot. The badness of his poor shooting neutralizes the goodness from his passing.

I don't believe Ricky will ever be a great mid-range threat off the dribble or finisher at the rim. Those are skills developed while one is still a teenager. However, the one area I hold out hope for is his 3-point shooting. He shot 34% as a rookie, which is respectable, and his percentages went up every month last season, culminating with 42% from beyond the arc in April. If he can eventually hit 35%+ of his 3-pointers and continue to get to the line at a decent rate, that might be enough to make him a net positive offensive contributor. As for defense, we already know that he is a major difference maker.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Agreed. Only 20% of Ricky's shots have been three pointers in his career. That should be 50% at least, and ideally closer to 75%. That would minimize the damage his poor shooting causes because he's not as bad at three point shooting as he is inside the three point line. I have no idea why the coaching staff hasn't fixed this. It doesn't take a sabermetrics genius to realize Ricky should reverse the percentage of shots he takes inside and outside the three point line. He should be shooting 80% outside the line if you as me.

Focusing on only shooting threes would also make it easier for Ricky to improve as a shooter, because it would also allow him to really practice nothing but that shot.

I also have doubts that Ricky will ever become a decent shooting inside the three point line. He doesn't have the quickness to create his own shot, he doesn't have the lift to get shots off over taller defenders, and surprisingly, he just has very little touch on close shots. So many of his shots clang off the backboard or rim with little chance of going in. For a guy with such precise passing, it's surprising he doesn't have softer touch on his shot. But I guess that's a reminder that passing and shooting are two different things.

[shahidi124 [enjin:6591729]]

Agreed. Only 20% of Ricky's shots have been three pointers in his career. That should be 50% at least, and ideally closer to 75%. That would minimize the damage his poor shooting causes because he's not as bad at three point shooting as he is inside the three point line. I have no idea why the coaching staff hasn't fixed this. It doesn't take a sabermetrics genius to realize Ricky should reverse the percentage of shots he takes inside and outside the three point line. He should be shooting 80% outside the line if you as me.

Focusing on only shooting threes would also make it easier for Ricky to improve as a shooter, because it would also allow him to really practice nothing but that shot.

I also have doubts that Ricky will ever become a decent shooting inside the three point line. He doesn't have the quickness to create his own shot, he doesn't have the lift to get shots off over taller defenders, and surprisingly, he just has very little touch on close shots. So many of his shots clang off the backboard or rim with little chance of going in. For a guy with such precise passing, it's surprising he doesn't have softer touch on his shot. But I guess that's a reminder that passing and shooting are two different things.

A lot of Ricky's assists come off drive and dish or kick outs. The shots he takes near the basket are a result of the defense taking away the other options and forcing him to take the shot near the rim. The mid-range jumper that he took a lot last year is probably the least efficient shot in the game so that facet of his game should be reduced, but to say that he should take 75% 3 pointers is nuts. He can get to the basket, he just needs to work on finishing easy lay-ups and close range shots.

[Porckchop]

Ricky has a very slow release on his shot by NBA standards, any kind of success he's had from the three point line has usually come from being completely left wide open. When he's being defended well he either cant get the shot off or his form completely breaks down. To expect him to do most of his scoring from there would be dependant on defensive breakdowns. You cant expect that. Ricky will have to make a living at the line, and finding clever ways to get his shot off while going to the basket. With the shooting assets around him he'll have alot of one on one opportunities to do that without the lane caving in on him.

[Coolbreeze44]

I don't expect Ricky to become a highly efficient mid-range shooter, but I'm betting he gets much better at finishing near the rim. He's too crafty not to. And I disagree on one thing with Drew, he's plenty quick to be able to get his own shot off. It's the actual execution of the shot that needs a lot of work.