SameOldDrew wrote:If you're talking about a player who can be a superstar, you have to talk about handling and playmaking. Yes, we have Rubio, but how many superstar wings out there are just straight line drivers and aren't really playmakers? A superstar, especially on the wing, can't depend on a passer to get him the ball, and you have to be able to trust running the offense through them down the stretch. If Wiggins was a 7' C like Dwight or even a 6'10" PF like Stoudemire, then yes, he can be a superstar as a finisher if he's got a good set-up man like Rubio. But on the wing? Offhand, I can't think of another wing who came into the league with Wiggins-level handles and playmaking and became a star. Some star wings have had the handles but not the playmaking, but they were also prolific, smooth scorers. And to truly be a star who makes the team better, you really need to have some playmaking in there.
I like that guys are thinking about how prospective players would fit with Rubio, but I think we shouldn't overstate the importance of that if you're claiming that Wiggins could be a star. If Wiggins is going to be a star, he'll be better than Rubio, and we should be asking how would Rubio fit with Wiggins, not the other way around. In terms of athleticism and how it would fit with Rubio, we already have Brewer and LaVine, and I see Wiggins athleticism (while eye-popping) a bit redundant there, especially given how good Brewer has been there for us. Plus, that's mostly important in transition. What about the half-court, which is a much larger percentage of the game?
If we're honest, what we really need around Rubio are shooters, because Ricky's such a horrible shooter.
Rubio's a great defender, a creative passer, and I love his tenacity, but Rubio isn't the player many here thought he was going to be. His particular strengths and weaknesses mean you want players who fit with him, but to me, we should be careful not to assume Rubio is necessarily the long-term cornerstone as we talk about building a post-Love team. People turned out to have been way too optimistic about Rubio, and we shouldn't hang on to that illusion just like we should be careful not to repeat it by assuming Wiggins will be the next superstar.
Again, let me reiterate, I think Wiggins will be a very good player. But I think he's got some key hurdles to get over if he will ever be the #1 option on a contending team, a top 10-15 kind of player in the league. He could get there. And I hope he does because he's so much fun to watch. But those are some key questions he'll need to address if he's going to make it.
Are we really goin to point to Brewer as evidence that having athletic players around Rubio doesnt help? Brewer is a terribly flawed player who only showed his athleticism while cherry picking. How many truely athletic/skilled players has Ricky played with? If u point to Derick Williams and Wes ur going off their college scouting reports. It never really translated to the NBA. How bout instead of having one "athletic" player and a bunch of plodders we surround Ricky with a bunch of athletes. I mean having Love , Pek, Brewer and Martin on the floor isnt proof positive that having athletes doesnt help Ricky. If u point to needing shooters , I see more of them than I do athletes in that lineup. Thats not even mentioning Bud, Cunningham and whatever other net touchers were on the squad last year.
