PorkChop wrote:My problem is that so many fans have shown way more patience for him and made more excuses for his failings than any player in the recent history of Minnesota sports. Why is that? How has he shown himself to be a franchise player? 2 of 4 years he's dealing with injuries and no one would dare call him injury prone . 3 years he's been a terrible shooter but fans just say give him time he'll figure that out. He's played with a top 5 player in the league and still couldn't lead this team to a .500 record. Why does he get so much rope?
I agree with your point that Rubio gets much more slack from the fan base than most Minnesota players. but your question of why he gets so much rope is easily answered...because he deserves it. Most fans recognize attitude and effort on the court, and are willing to overlook flaws for a longer time if they see that a guy is giving 100% and is a good teammate. That's why guys like Rubio, Brewer and Young are universally loved by the fans and get more rope, while guys like Love and Derrick Williams are lightening rods for controversy.
And your take that Ricky has had four years to perform as the face of the franchise is faulty. Love has been "the man" here throughout Ricky's career, and Ricky always deferred to him. Ricky has only had four games, not years, as the franchise guy, and his stats in those four games have been extraordinary.
And I don't think he deserves the injury prone label. That label should only be used for players that miss a lot of games for a variety of reasons, like Pek (feet, calf, now wrist). Rubio blew out a knee and severely rolled an ankle, two common events in basketball that would have benched any player for a long time. He's had two bad things happen to him, but I don't consider him injury-prone like Pek, who seems to miss time for a variety of unusual reasons.
