If Rubio

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Ricky played the game of his life and we beat the Lakers by 1 point. This wasn't a playoff opponent. This was the lottery bound Lakers. Most playoff teams would not let us back in the game and win it by both losing all offensive momentum and being terrible defensively. The Lakers scored 16 points in the 4th after scoring 95 in the first 3 quarters. Good teams have 1 guy alone who can give them that, let alone the whole team's scoring output. The Lakers regressed to who they are going to be this year. A defensive stuggle bus who will live and die offensively by Kobe's playing level because he doesn't let anyone else do anything offensively. He finished the game by going 0-everything I believe (got 3 FT's) in the 4th and sunk their offense.

Ricky had a phenomenal game. We still only beat the Lakers by 1 and they aren't a team competing for a playoff spot in the West. If we give up 95 points in 3 quarters to any playoff team, we are not winning that game. We can't be a playoff team if we give up 110+ points a night.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I think there is some good perspective here.

- Ricky deserves all the props he's getting for a phenomenal game.

- His shot also deserves skepticism based on 4 prior years of data. One game doesn't change that.

- Nevertheless, and the point I always make, is that Ricky is still super valuable to this team either way. Making shots catapults him from very good player to top 3 NBA point guard.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Averages 15 to 18 PPG, 10 Ast and controls the offense [finally]. . .Do you change your wins prediction?

It killed me when Adelman started taking the ball out of Ricky hands but I guess his lack of shooting confidence warranted it (for him). Fran Fraschilla said it best that a coach needs to give Ricky the ball and get out of his way. Ricky looked like a man who is going to make good on his declaration that he needs to get this team to the playoffs.

Lastly, I absolutely loved the way Clarkson tried to bully Ricky and Ricky went about his business like he wasn't there .

15 to 18 PPG? Come on now. What if Towns grows another arm out of his ass? Let's slow down a wee bit

This gave me a very good laugh today. Well done.

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

So for the record, Rubio is back under 40% shooting on the year after that Laker game and his jumpshot has looked as flat as it ever has. He's also stopped driving after that Laker game settling for long twos. But hey if he only averages 18 points a game though

[60WinTim]

But also for the record, Towns has learned to use that 3rd arm pretty well! :)

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

So for the record, Rubio is back under 40% shooting on the year after that Laker game and his jumpshot has looked as flat as it ever has. He's also stopped driving after that Laker game settling for long twos. But hey if he only averages 18 points a game though

Yeah, 2-10 yesterday put him under 40%...plus he's only 22% on threes after missing his last five. Still, he's carrying a PER of 22.61 and has averages of 13.6, 9.2 and 5, along with 2.2 SPG and 90% free throw shooting...we gotta be happy with that.

Although his shot isn't falling, I wonder if other's agree with Alex that his shot looks "as flat as it ever has", or if this is just another appearance of that "Alex Black Cloud". To me, his shot still lacks consistency in form at times, but for the most part has an arc not typical of what we have seen in the past. I know that for the first time in his career I actually feel kind of confident when he pops that 15 footer after coming off a pick. What do you guys think?

[AbeVigodaLive]

So for the record, Rubio is back under 40% shooting on the year after that Laker game and his jumpshot has looked as flat as it ever has. He's also stopped driving after that Laker game settling for long twos. But hey if he only averages 18 points a game though

Yeah, 2-10 yesterday put him under 40%...plus he's only 22% on threes after missing his last five. Still, he's carrying a PER of 22.61 and has averages of 13.6, 9.2 and 5, along with 2.2 SPG and 90% free throw shooting...we gotta be happy with that.

Although his shot isn't falling, I wonder if other's agree with Alex that his shot looks "as flat as it ever has", or if this is just another appearance of that "Alex Black Cloud". To me, his shot still lacks consistency in form at times, but for the most part has an arc not typical of what we have seen in the past. I know that for the first time in his career I actually feel kind of confident when he pops that 15 footer after coming off a pick. What do you guys think?

I think Rubio remains who he's always been on the court...

A gifted player who does several things well to really good to even close to great... but is one of the worst field goal shooters (statistically) in NBA history.

That will always keep him from being elite. But that doesn't mean he can't still be a decent or pretty good player overall.


[Note: Yes. His shot "looks" flat. Even on free throws.]

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

So for the record, Rubio is back under 40% shooting on the year after that Laker game and his jumpshot has looked as flat as it ever has. He's also stopped driving after that Laker game settling for long twos. But hey if he only averages 18 points a game though

Yeah, 2-10 yesterday put him under 40%...plus he's only 22% on threes after missing his last five. Still, he's carrying a PER of 22.61 and has averages of 13.6, 9.2 and 5, along with 2.2 SPG and 90% free throw shooting...we gotta be happy with that.

Although his shot isn't falling, I wonder if other's agree with Alex that his shot looks "as flat as it ever has", or if this is just another appearance of that "Alex Black Cloud". To me, his shot still lacks consistency in form at times, but for the most part has an arc not typical of what we have seen in the past. I know that for the first time in his career I actually feel kind of confident when he pops that 15 footer after coming off a pick. What do you guys think?

I think Rubio remains who he's always been on the court...

A gifted player who does several things well to really good to even close to great... but is one of the worst field goal shooters (statistically) in NBA history.

That will always keep him from being elite. But that doesn't mean he can't still be a decent or pretty good player overall.


[Note: Yes. His shot "looks" flat. Even on free throws.]

I definitely agree on the free throws, abe...they're really flat. But somehow he and Kevin Love have been successful from the line with no-arc shots. And I also think his 3-point set shot is flat and unchanged in form. and needs to go in more frequently when he is open ( I think it will...it's lower than his historical numbers now).

Where I see a difference, though, is in his mid-range jumper. It looks smooth to me...good elevation on his jump, and good arc on the shot. Maybe I'm wrong though...

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

So for the record, Rubio is back under 40% shooting on the year after that Laker game and his jumpshot has looked as flat as it ever has. He's also stopped driving after that Laker game settling for long twos. But hey if he only averages 18 points a game though

Yeah, 2-10 yesterday put him under 40%...plus he's only 22% on threes after missing his last five. Still, he's carrying a PER of 22.61 and has averages of 13.6, 9.2 and 5, along with 2.2 SPG and 90% free throw shooting...we gotta be happy with that.

Although his shot isn't falling, I wonder if other's agree with Alex that his shot looks "as flat as it ever has", or if this is just another appearance of that "Alex Black Cloud". To me, his shot still lacks consistency in form at times, but for the most part has an arc not typical of what we have seen in the past. I know that for the first time in his career I actually feel kind of confident when he pops that 15 footer after coming off a pick. What do you guys think?

I think the difference is right now that he's more aggressive and more confident now then in years past. That alone will probably look better then when he looked scared shitless to shoot combined with his bad form. But the form is still bad

[ahughes53 [enjin:6639223]]

He will probably always be a bad percentage shooter. I honestly can't think of an off-season where he's been able to work on his shot! He's either been injured or has had to play for his country, and playing for Spain isn't something he's probably ever going to give up. At this point it's probably set in stone, but I do offer this up, just because a shot isn't perfect form doesn't mean that over time it can't become consistent. I've seen dudes at the Y who hit almost every shot they take with goofy ass shots, but they play so damn much it almost always goes in. At some point if he just accepts his shot and stops trying to change the mechanics and just gets in the gym and shoots it will get better. Idk.