Minnesota Sports Forum

Brooklyn_Wolves wrote:commitment to strategy of sagging off is maybe the only thing that can be applied here. And even then it can back fire if he hit a stretch of good shooting and confidence goes up.

Huh?

You don't think teams play with more intensity in the playoffs with their seasons on the line vs. a late February game vs. a 50-loss team? You don't think NBA defense consists of more than sagging on/off PGs?

Instead, you're running with confidence being the deciding factor?

I would consider dribble penetration a weakness of Rubio's game.

Duke13 wrote:I would consider dribble penetration a weakness of Rubio's game.

dribble penetration is his strength, finishing at the rim is not, but he doesn't drive to the rim to score, his intent is to pass the ball after penetrating the defense. He's quite adept at getting deep in the paint using creative tight dribble despite routine sagging off and not so impressive first step.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

Brooklyn_Wolves wrote:commitment to strategy of sagging off is maybe the only thing that can be applied here. And even then it can back fire if he hit a stretch of good shooting and confidence goes up.

Huh?

You don't think teams play with more intensity in the playoffs with their seasons on the line vs. a late February game vs. a 50-loss team? You don't think NBA defense consists of more than sagging on/off PGs?

Instead, you're running with confidence being the deciding factor?

so what does intensity has to do with Rubio? Does he play with no intensity and opponents will "out-tensify" him? Will they sag off of him with furious intensity? LOL. Or will they defend him with crazy intensity and is it good or bad in his case?

INTENSITY!!!!

I didn't see today's game, but it sounds like Ricky was as unimpressive as he was in Game 1...very disappointing. And posters here are correct...the sagging off was absurd in Game 1, and made it impossible for him to create anything.

I would take a different argument than the defensive 3-second argument though (although I think that is valid too). Maybe I have my rose-colored glasses on, but I think Rubio will usually burn any team that leaves him open at the 3-point line. I was actually surprised when he missed 3 wide-open threes in the Croatia game. Here's why I think it's a poor defensive strategy against Ricky.

1) While Ricky is a poor jump shooter and below average finisher, he is an excellent free thrower...and his form on threes is a set shot similar to his form on free throws.

2) I have watched Ricky at halftime and pregame, and he makes 75% of his threes while unguarded. It's not a pretty shot but any means (neither is his free throw, for that matter), but it consistently goes in.

3) While Ricky has been a slightly below average 3-point shooter for his career (33%), he showed improvement toward the end of last year. He was above the league average in hitting 37% of his threes after the all-star break, and he made almost 40% of his threes on increased attempts the last full month of the year. Those aren't the kind of numbers that encourage a defense to ignore you.

4) Ricky has proven that he likes taking pressure threes, and is successful on them. Off the top of my head I remember the big three he hit in regulation to tie the game against the Clippers to allow Love to win it with a three in overtime, and last year's game-winning three in OkC. I can't remember any misses at the buzzer though. Some guys play better in pressure situations, and some play worse. Ricky seems to fit better in the former category, and I can't wait to watch him in the playoffs.

So, Croatia's defense worked against Ricky in game 1 because he had a terrible shooting game, but I think it is all-advised long-term. Whether it's playoffs or not, I think defenses aren't going to let Ricky take wide-open threes.

Oh yay another Rubio thread..yawn

So we can all agree that completely ignoring Rubio could likely be a good defensive strategy? I guess we haven't seen it so extreme because the Wolves have yet to play in a game that matters.

longstrangetrip wrote:I didn't see today's game, but it sounds like Ricky was as unimpressive as he was in Game 1...very disappointing. And posters here are correct...the sagging off was absurd in Game 1, and made it impossible for him to create anything.

I would take a different argument than the defensive 3-second argument though (although I think that is valid too). Maybe I have my rose-colored glasses on, but I think Rubio will usually burn any team that leaves him open at the 3-point line. I was actually surprised when he missed 3 wide-open threes in the Croatia game. Here's why I think it's a poor defensive strategy against Ricky.

1) While Ricky is a poor jump shooter and below average finisher, he is an excellent free thrower...and his form on threes is a set shot similar to his form on free throws.

2) I have watched Ricky at halftime and pregame, and he makes 75% of his threes while unguarded. It's not a pretty shot but any means (neither is his free throw, for that matter), but it consistently goes in.

3) While Ricky has been a slightly below average 3-point shooter for his career (33%), he showed improvement toward the end of last year. He was above the league average in hitting 37% of his threes after the all-star break, and he made almost 40% of his threes on increased attempts the last full month of the year. Those aren't the kind of numbers that encourage a defense to ignore you.

4) Ricky has proven that he likes taking pressure threes, and is successful on them. Off the top of my head I remember the big three he hit in regulation to tie the game against the Clippers to allow Love to win it with a three in overtime, and last year's game-winning three in OkC. I can't remember any misses at the buzzer though. Some guys play better in pressure situations, and some play worse. Ricky seems to fit better in the former category, and I can't wait to watch him in the playoffs.

So, Croatia's defense worked against Ricky in game 1 because he had a terrible shooting game, but I think it is all-advised long-term. Whether it's playoffs or not, I think defenses aren't going to let Ricky take wide-open threes.

Wide open threes in the NBA isn't similar to hitting free throws in the NBA simply be cuz wide open does really exist . Any shot where you have time to set your feet and get square up towards the basket should be considered open at this level . Rubio's issue is his form breaks down when there's any kind of defense being played on him . Which tells me he gets easily distracted and loses focus on his shot and form. NBA athletes are far to quick to think Ricky will ever get wide open left alone threes with any regularity. Guys are to long and recover to fast for the speed at which Rubio shoots his shot. I just don't see room for consistency with it.

PorkChop wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:I didn't see today's game, but it sounds like Ricky was as unimpressive as he was in Game 1...very disappointing. And posters here are correct...the sagging off was absurd in Game 1, and made it impossible for him to create anything.

I would take a different argument than the defensive 3-second argument though (although I think that is valid too). Maybe I have my rose-colored glasses on, but I think Rubio will usually burn any team that leaves him open at the 3-point line. I was actually surprised when he missed 3 wide-open threes in the Croatia game. Here's why I think it's a poor defensive strategy against Ricky.

1) While Ricky is a poor jump shooter and below average finisher, he is an excellent free thrower...and his form on threes is a set shot similar to his form on free throws.

2) I have watched Ricky at halftime and pregame, and he makes 75% of his threes while unguarded. It's not a pretty shot but any means (neither is his free throw, for that matter), but it consistently goes in.

3) While Ricky has been a slightly below average 3-point shooter for his career (33%), he showed improvement toward the end of last year. He was above the league average in hitting 37% of his threes after the all-star break, and he made almost 40% of his threes on increased attempts the last full month of the year. Those aren't the kind of numbers that encourage a defense to ignore you.

4) Ricky has proven that he likes taking pressure threes, and is successful on them. Off the top of my head I remember the big three he hit in regulation to tie the game against the Clippers to allow Love to win it with a three in overtime, and last year's game-winning three in OkC. I can't remember any misses at the buzzer though. Some guys play better in pressure situations, and some play worse. Ricky seems to fit better in the former category, and I can't wait to watch him in the playoffs.

So, Croatia's defense worked against Ricky in game 1 because he had a terrible shooting game, but I think it is all-advised long-term. Whether it's playoffs or not, I think defenses aren't going to let Ricky take wide-open threes.

Wide open threes in the NBA isn't similar to hitting free throws in the NBA simply be cuz wide open does really exist . Any shot where you have time to set your feet and get square up towards the basket should be considered open at this level . Rubio's issue is his form breaks down when there's any kind of defense being played on him . Which tells me he gets easily distracted and loses focus on his shot and form. NBA athletes are far to quick to think Ricky will ever get wide open left alone threes with any regularity. Guys are to long and recover to fast for the speed at which Rubio shoots his shot. I just don't see room for consistency with it.

I don't disagree with your statement that Ricky's form breaks down when he's defended...I think that's why he is not likely to ever be a big-time scorer. But the discussion here was whether leaving Ricky wide-open (I don't know is you saw the first game, but that's what they did) is a viable strategy. Ricky missed three shots in Game 1 where his feet were set and he was squared up, and my argument is there is substantial evidence that was an aberration.

No, Ricky will never be a big-time scorer because of the deficiency in his game that you cite. But most of us here think he doesn't have to be a scorer...if he defends, rebounds and assists like he does, he can be very successful with this team.

BizarroJerry wrote:Oh yay another Rubio thread..yawn

Ha, I hear you Jerry. But this time I think it's legit. I'm a Ricky supporter, but he just came off two terrible games on the big stage, and that makes this a suitable topic. If he had scored 10 PPG in the first 2 games with 7-8 assists, I would be yawning too. But he has played 2 games with one assist total and horrible shooting and scoring, and his team has been upset twice. (BTW, if he was scoring 25PPG and playing brilliantly, I would think he'd be a topic of discussion too). Britt Robson is a Rubio supporter and has been very quiet on Twitter this summer, but he had two critical tweets today. It's a legitimate talker in my opinion.