Pork-O-Meter

[Monster]

Doesn't his unpredictability health wise and shooting wise hold this team (and fans) ransom? We have a young team now full of potential, do we hold fast to Ricky being the future when there's so many doubts about his health and or ability to truly improve or do we start looking at other avenues? We've been banking on Ricky and the proof lies in the back ups. Miller, Moe, Luke. Serviceable old guys that were meant to play spot minutes while Ricky rests . But then theyre thrown into starter minutes and rotations are thrown into Flux and everything falls apart. Now some argue that's to Ricky credit, I'm just not sure how. He shows his lack of value by always putting this team in shitty situations depth wise and that to me far out weighs his positives

Sure the Wolves are likely stuck with Rubio for better or worse but that doesn't mean you can't be looking at other options. Guess what the Wolves are doing just that. Sam has been playing Lavine at the point likely for more of a development angle but it wouldn't hurt if he could slide over to be a PG if Rubio can't get it done. Flip also drafted Tyus who is a developmental guy at this point which seems perfect actually.

I know what 100% pork chop really is all about (will the real Pork Chop please stand up) is the frustration and wanting to shake people to reality when people give Rubio a pass or have possible high hope for the the guy that is likely not realistic. I think I have been pretty solid and realistic in my concerns and expectations for Rubio all along the journey even since he was drafted. I hold out hope for Rubio. I like the kid. I like what he can do how he plays the game. He wanted to be here and took a smaller deal than what his agents wanted him to to stay here and has continued to say he wants to be here. All that kind of stuff can change but the way Flip set up his vision you don't trade a guy like Rubio at this point (not sure what you would get back anyway that would make it worth it) when he wants to be here and fits the culture you want to have. It's probably better or worse for another season after this one. That's not me giving him a free pass just being realistic.

At this point I would probably have to consider more the percentages of likeliness of not just Rubio but also Lavine or Tyus being the long term answer at PG are. Rubio's percentages are going down while Lavine's have been going up and Tyus is intruiging to me still. At least there are some other options which is something I said should be a priority last offseason and they got Tyus and also added Miller to help the young guys out even including Rubio who just turned 25. Maybe the professor can teach Rubio how not to miss games. Lol

If Rubio continues to struggle to stay healthy this year they will need to start getting a look at what they have in Tyus although I think he will get some looks anyway because there is no way Miller is gonna keep playing as well as he has the whole season. He will still be solid but he has been so good it would be tough to go to a rookie especially when this team is actually being competitive. Sam has a tough job managing all the options he has on the roster.

[MikkeMan]

Side note: What is happening over there in Milwaukee? They seem to be struggling and Mayo is starting and so is the guy my friend who is a Bucks fan calls Blahless.

I'm not sure but here is one theory.
http://www.sbnation.com/2015/12/2/9837458/zaza-pachulia-mavericks-bucks-breakdown-statszaza-pachulia-mavericks-bucks-breakdown-stat

Maybe this article gives too much credit for Zaza but I think it might have still some valid point.

[MikkeMan]

Great data, mikkeman. I said before my pork rating would be volatile, and your post moves the needle from 50% to 45% Pork. The improved data on the 2-point jumper (while still not good enough) matches my eye test too. Ricky looks very smooth moving to his left off a pick and stroking the 15-footer...I'm guessing he's more like 70% on that shot. I also sense that he has improved slightly his ability to finish. But my eye test and the data show that his 3-point shot is broken. His excellent percentage on free throws tells me that he can make the open 3-point set shot...he needs to keep shooting it.

Ricky can move me closer to 0% if he does the following:

1) stays reasonably healthy
2) limits his scoring offense to drives to the basket, free throws, open 15 footers (focusing on going to his left) and wide open threes.
3) continue his good defense and assist:turnover ratio.

That's his ticket to success. My 45% pork number reflects my doubt that he can do it.

Based on stats Ricky has not been finishing as badly at rim than last year but it hasn't returned yet even same level than it used to be before last year's injury. Last year it was in historically bad level and the main reason for his overall bad shooting numbers.

Ricky's at rim finishing stats:

2010-11: 48.5%
2011-12: 44.8%
2012-13: 49.1%
2013-14: 33.3%
2014-15: 43.5%

Couple of other positive remarks about Rickys play this year. He has started to draw fouls at same rate than prior last years injury. Last year his free throw rate was just 32.4% and this year it has been 49.1% which is quite close to his career high. He has also had more attempts at rim than last year, but those numbers are still below numbers prior injury.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Thanks for the finishing data, mikkeman. I guess my positive thoughts about ricky's finishing so far this year was due to the 10% improvement over last year. But it's interesting to see he hasn't returned to his prior years' numbers.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Abe, Insofar as Rubio was one of the 8 or 9 guys Adelman played in the 4th quarter, then yes, he deserves some apportionment of the blame. But Lady Luck also deserves some blame, so when you boil it all down, how much blame does Rubio deserve? 5%? 10%? 15%? Seems like a flimsy argument in light of all the other data we have on Rubio's impact on team performance.

By the way, since '13-14, we have gone 5-6 in close games that Rubio has played in. We were 2-3 last year and 2-2 this year in games decided by 4 points or less where he's been our starting PG.

So the data that has come in since that crazy 0-11 streak has gradually debunked the Rubio-is-a-drag in clutch situations narrative. 6-2 in the second half of that season, 2-3 last season (on a 16 win squad!), and 2-2 this season. So he's gone 10-7 since then with sub-optimal or rookie talent surrounding him for a large portion of those games.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Abe, Insofar as Rubio was one of the 8 or 9 guys Adelman played in the 4th quarter, then yes, he deserves some apportionment of the blame. But Lady Luck also deserves some blame, so when you boil it all down, how much blame does Rubio deserve? 5%? 10%? 15%? Seems like a flimsy argument in light of all the other data we have on Rubio's impact on team performance.

By the way, since '13-14, we have gone 5-6 in close games that Rubio has played in. We were 2-3 last year and 2-2 this year in games decided by 4 points or less where he's been our starting PG.

So the data that has come in since that crazy 0-11 streak has gradually debunked the Rubio-is-a-drag in clutch situations narrative. 6-2 in the second half of that season, 2-3 last season (on a 16 win squad!), and 2-2 this season. So he's gone 10-7 since then with sub-optimal or rookie talent surrounding him for a large portion of those games.

Sure... let's give Love 25%. Barea 20%. Adelman 25%. Martin 10%. Add 5% for everybody else who played. And give Lady Luck the rest. But god forbid a guy can say that Rubio was PART of the problem without multiple posters trying to justify the guy's performance.

Rubio went 16 games without making a shot in the 4th quarter in the middle of that terrible stretch. I'm not saying anything about anything since then. I'm talking about that season. And as I've noted multiple times now... Rubio wasn't THE problem but I think it's extremely disingenuous and inaccurate to give him a pass for that level of abject futility.

I can't imagine a quality NBA starter ever going through that type of stretch again. (The craziest thing is that Barea was even worse in those 4th quarters.) That was really just a strange, strange season.

[Carlos Danger]

Abe, Insofar as Rubio was one of the 8 or 9 guys Adelman played in the 4th quarter, then yes, he deserves some apportionment of the blame. But Lady Luck also deserves some blame, so when you boil it all down, how much blame does Rubio deserve? 5%? 10%? 15%? Seems like a flimsy argument in light of all the other data we have on Rubio's impact on team performance.

By the way, since '13-14, we have gone 5-6 in close games that Rubio has played in. We were 2-3 last year and 2-2 this year in games decided by 4 points or less where he's been our starting PG.

So the data that has come in since that crazy 0-11 streak has gradually debunked the Rubio-is-a-drag in clutch situations narrative. 6-2 in the second half of that season, 2-3 last season (on a 16 win squad!), and 2-2 this season. So he's gone 10-7 since then with sub-optimal or rookie talent surrounding him for a large portion of those games.

Well stated. I was in the process of looking that up but you save me the time. Rubio's health continues to be a concern. Nobody can dispute that. But this other stuff i.e. "clutch stats" from 2 or 3 years ago? Time to move on. It's almost 2016.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Abe, Insofar as Rubio was one of the 8 or 9 guys Adelman played in the 4th quarter, then yes, he deserves some apportionment of the blame. But Lady Luck also deserves some blame, so when you boil it all down, how much blame does Rubio deserve? 5%? 10%? 15%? Seems like a flimsy argument in light of all the other data we have on Rubio's impact on team performance.

By the way, since '13-14, we have gone 5-6 in close games that Rubio has played in. We were 2-3 last year and 2-2 this year in games decided by 4 points or less where he's been our starting PG.

So the data that has come in since that crazy 0-11 streak has gradually debunked the Rubio-is-a-drag in clutch situations narrative. 6-2 in the second half of that season, 2-3 last season (on a 16 win squad!), and 2-2 this season. So he's gone 10-7 since then with sub-optimal or rookie talent surrounding him for a large portion of those games.

Well stated. I was in the process of looking that up but you save me the time. Rubio's health continues to be a concern. Nobody can dispute that. But this other stuff i.e. "clutch stats" from 2 or 3 years ago? Time to move on. It's almost 2016.

To be fair, just yesterday you were using stats from 3, 4 and 5 years ago to make your point, while completely dismissing more recent stats.


[Note: Rubio is polarizing, which is why the "Pork-O-Meter" is relevant. I think the 2014 season is a great case study in the phenomenon. Case in point: 3 or 4 people took exception to me simply pointing out Rubio went 16 games without scoring a basket in the 4th quarter. How could anybody try to sugarcoat that? NewsFlash: Rubio is one of my favorite players. But that doesn't mean I'm going to be his apologist.]

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

If you take out game one where he shot 10-18 what does his true shooting look like?

It's not considered shooting at that percentage. More like bricking percentage

[The Rage Monster [enjin:8010341]]

I still like Rubio, despite the things he can't do he still helps this team win games. If I'm looking at this right Rubio has played in 214 games so far and of those games he's played in the Wolves have won 93. That's a winning percentage of .434, during that same stretch the team's winning percentage is only .336. That's 10 percentage points higher and nearly a 30% increase.

I will take all his flaws, injuries aside, if he's making that kind of difference.