Minnesota Sports Forum

I see Rubio as being the key to how this season goes. He has shown flashes of brilliance his first three years, but injuries, poor shooting and Adelman's system have held him back. Because of an ability to finish at the rim and inconsistent jump shooting form, he has never shot 40% from the field. I like what I saw in pre-season with 43% shooting, an improved ability to get to the line, and scoring 11PPG in only 22 MPG. Combine this improved scoring with his continued elite distributing and defense, and you have the makings of a very good PG. But can he keep it up once the regular season starts?

I say yes, and am curious with what others think about Ricky this year. Let's project his PPG, APG, free throw attempts per game, and FG%, all areas where I'm projecting big improvement.

PPG: 14
APG: 10
FTA: 7
FG% 40

These numbers would be a huge improvement over previous stats, but easily in line with what he showed in preseason. And if he can put up these numbers, the Wolves could have a very nice season. What say you?

The opTIMistic view:

The only coach/system Ricky has known has been Adelman. Flip is much more PG-oriented, and much more demanding on his PGs. It's not difficult to imagine Ricky having a breakout year playing for Flip. With Love gone the burden/opportunity for Ricky to impact the game will only grow. And with the improved shooting coming in the form of Mo, a healthy Bud, and more fast-breaks/alley oops, Ricky could really explode this year.

Ricky played 32.5 MPG last year. I expect that will get closer to 35 this year. With a shooting coach on board, Ricky definitely shot the ball well this pre-season (but not from 3-point range). Flip will demand that Ricky look to score a lot, and that will only increase his confidence.

PPG: 18
APG: 11
FTA: 6
FG%: 43

Ricky should once again be among the leaders in steals, and without Love, his rebounds will likely go up a bit, too. I sense it will be in Flip's best interest to extend Ricky this week, because he is probably looking at a MAX contract next year...

13.2 ppg
8.9 ast
4.7 reb
39.3% fg
2.0 stl

And, even more debate/discussion whether he really is a foundation piece or simply a guy at one of the deepest positions in the league who does some things really well and other things really poorly in the league.

Yeah, we were definitely down in alley-oops last year. My prediction is more of those and more free throws. I don't care about his FG%. As long as he's limiting turnovers and in the top 5 for assists and steals I'm happy.

60WinTim wrote:The opTIMistic view:

The only coach/system Ricky has known has been Adelman. Flip is much more PG-oriented, and much more demanding on his PGs. It's not difficult to imagine Ricky having a breakout year playing for Flip. With Love gone the burden/opportunity for Ricky to impact the game will only grow. And with the improved shooting coming in the form of Mo, a healthy Bud, and more fast-breaks/alley oops, Ricky could really explode this year.

Ricky played 32.5 MPG last year. I expect that will get closer to 35 this year. With a shooting coach on board, Ricky definitely shot the ball well this pre-season (but not from 3-point range). Flip will demand that Ricky look to score a lot, and that will only increase his confidence.

PPG: 18
APG: 11
FTA: 6
FG%: 43

Ricky should once again be among the leaders in steals, and without Love, his rebounds will likely go up a bit, too. I sense it will be in Flip's best interest to extend Ricky this week, because he is probably looking at a MAX contract next year...

Wanting Ricky taking around 16 shots a game seems like the dumbest coaching idea of all time

The few times I saw him play this pre-season, he looked like the best player on the floor for either team. I decided to check out his +/- numbers and they are pretty impressive.

His cumulative +/- in the six preseason games he played (he sat for one) was a whopping +62 in only 133 minutes of action. That's like +17 per 36 minutes. Even in our bad loss to Indiana in the opener, he had a +/- of 0, meaning we played them to a draw while he was on the floor.

I'm not sure if Rubio will ever become a good shooter, but there is no question he's a positive impact to a team. My biggest concern is him staying healthy, along with the other vets.

Q12543 wrote:The few times I saw him play this pre-season, he looked like the best player on the floor for either team. I decided to check out his +/- numbers and they are pretty impressive.

His cumulative +/- in the six preseason games he played (he sat for one) was a whopping +62 in only 133 minutes of action. That's like +17 per 36 minutes. Even in our bad loss to Indiana in the opener, he had a +/- of 0, meaning we played them to a draw while he was on the floor.

I'm not sure if Rubio will ever become a good shooter, but there is no question he's a positive impact to a team. My biggest concern is him staying healthy, along with the other vets.

ehh couple red flags. One it's preseason. Two, the Wolves played the worst teams in the league. Three, it's early in the season and Ricky is fresh, but Rubio is a totally different player fresh then he is tired

16.2 ppg
11.4 apg
3.2 rpg
2.1 spg

42 FG%
37% 3pt

Runner up for MIP.

13.4 ppg
9.4 apg
4.1 rbg
2.4 stg

40 fg%
35 3pt%

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HodNgD5YcPU

Here are highlights of Ricky's game against the Bulls. It's just one game, but does anyone else see a difference in Ricky's jump shot (other than the fact that it's going in)? I see more elevation on his jump and a shot that is much less flat. Impact of the new shooting coach?