NYKBocker wrote:I would love a JR Smith for Ricky trade. Sadly, that might not be enough.

+1000000

fishmike wrote:Hmmm... dude hasnt cracked 40% shooting one year in his NBA career. You have to think someone with his skills will improve offensively.

He's very talented

Most definitely.

It's not like Felton is shooting the lights out - Felton FG% 39%; 3PFG% 28% to Rubio's FG% 35%; 3PFG% 36%

They wouldn't take JR, but I'd be willing to deal Felton and Hardaway JR. for him if that would be enough.

NYKBocker wrote:

sealy wrote:

fishmike wrote:Hmmm... dude hasnt cracked 40% shooting one year in his NBA career. You have to think someone with his skills will improve offensively.

He's very talented

Most definitely.

It's not like Felton is shooting the lights out - Felton FG% 39%; 3PFG% 28% to Rubio's FG% 35%; 3PFG% 36%

They wouldn't take JR, but I'd be willing to deal Felton and Hardaway JR. for him if that would be enough.

I don't know about Hardaway JR. That seems a little steep.

Of course, but I don't see Minny doing any deal w/ Knicks that doesn't at least involve he or Shump.

For me, it comes down to valuing a PG over a SG. Felton, while he has been better, never has his head up and plays consistently terrible D. These are 2 things Rubio does particularly well and he's still very young so I would expect the shooting to improve.

He would be great for getting guys the ball for easier shots, so, as much as it would sting, I'd be willing let go of nice talent like Hardaway to get him.

sealy wrote:

fishmike wrote:Hmmm... dude hasnt cracked 40% shootishootingne year in his NBA career. You have to think someone with his skills will improve offensively.

He's very talented

Most definitely.

It's not like Felton is shooting the lights out - Felton FG% 39%; 3PFG% 28% to Rubio's FG% 35%; 3PFG% 36%

They wouldn't take JR, but I'd be willing to deal Felton and Hardaway JR. for him if that would be enough.

Yeah but Felton is likely to improve his shooting.

NYKBocker wrote:Here is an article about the Wolves situation.
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/239528601.html

Souhan: Add Rubio to the list of Wolves draft mistakes
Article by: JIM SOUHAN , Star Tribune Updated: January 10, 2014 - 11:42 PM
Instead of turning out to be a star, the guard is making the 2009 draft looking even worse.

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The Timberwolves canceled their practice Thursday, allowing them to avoid answering questions such as ‘‘Why do you hate each other?’’ ‘‘Why do you misplace your fine motor skills in the fourth quarter?’’ and, in an existential query that gets to the heart of franchise history, ‘‘Why?’’

Wednesday night, Kevin Love ripped a couple of teammates after the Wolves choked away another winnable game, hinting that there are rifts in the locker room. It was the latest sign that the Wolves might be doomed to another in a long line of Wolves-like seasons.

It’s all very melodramatic, but Love’s unwillingness to bring J.J. Barea’s favorite scones to morning shootarounds isn’t what ails this team.

The Timberwolves’ problem, as always, is that they don’t have enough good players because of bad drafts and that nagging perpetual franchise curse.

By now the Wolves expected to have two fully developed stars, in Love and point guard Ricky Rubio.

Instead, they have one star and one major disappointment.

Rubio is killing the Timberwolves. They’re 0-10 in games decided by four points or fewer. Magic Johnson called the last few minutes of close games ‘‘winnin’ time.’’ For Rubio, it’s just as likely to be ‘‘sittin’ time,’’ because Rick Adelman has felt compelled to often bench the player that former Wolves GM David Kahn thought was more valuable than Love.

Love had a bad night Wednesday, but he has made himself a legitimate star by augmenting his game every offseason. One year he lost weight. One year he added a three-point shot. Through diligence, he has developed a baby hook, spin moves, low-post footwork and the strength to finish at the rim, one of his greatest weaknesses as a young player.

While Love has dedicated himself to his craft, Rubio has regressed. He remains a deft passer and a willing defender. He’s charismatic and unselfish. But just when he should be showing off a polished jumper that would make him and the Wolves’ offense dangerous, he’s launching flat shots that would get him laughed out of most YMCAs.

Because these are the Wolves, Rubio is not just disappointing, he’s endemic. He is another player the Wolves drafted at the wrong time for the wrong reason. He’s a bad decision who led to more bad decisions.

Remember, Rubio was supposed to be the lone salvation of Kahn’s first draft, when he passed over Steph Curry to take Jonny Flynn in 2009.

Because Kahn took Rubio, he traded Ty Lawson. Because the Wolves invested faith in Rubio, they traded down in the 2013 draft and took forward Shabazz Muhammad instead of selecting a promising guard such as Trey Burke, C.J. McCollum or Michael Carter-Williams. (Officially, they selected Burke and traded him to Utah, although they drafted Burke for the Jazz.)

This team would be better with Curry and Lawson. Or Curry and Burke. Or Burke and Lawson. Or Sam Cassell and Terrell Brandon on mobility scooters.

Playing in an offense that benefits anyone who can make an open shot, Rubio is averaging a career-low 8.8 points on a career-low 34.7 shooting percentage.

His inability to make open shots allows defenses to cut under screens and shade toward other shooters, gumming up the offense. For the Wolves to thrive in the fourth quarter, they need Rubio and Love to play two-man pick-and-roll games. Those games don’t work when the defense doesn’t respect the point guard’s shot.

Love can’t create his own shot, and Rubio can’t make one.

Some of the Wolves’ problems could evaporate. Locker room disagreements occur on good and bad teams. The return of Chase Budinger and Ronny Turiaf from injuries should dramatically improve the bench. Strip away current events, and the Wolves have an excellent coach, a productive star in his prime and a softening schedule.

Rubio is the key. If he becomes an offensive threat, the Wolves could make the playoffs. What’s sad is that he didn’t spend last summer improving his shot, leaving his franchise uncertain it can rely on someone who was supposed to become a franchise player.

Jim Souhan can be heard weekdays at noon and Sundays from 10 to noon on 1500 ESPN. His Twitter name is @SouhanStrib. • jsouhan@startribune.com

hack article lamenting every player the should have taken and some are just unproven rookies and some might not even pan out. Wolves have made a ton of mistakes but this writer is piling on. Im not high or low on Rubio and he should be shooting better but we don't know why and neither does the writer!

Time for Ricky to come to NY. Dolan should just buy the wolves. It would cost MSG less.

Moonangie wrote:I was so gung ho on Rubio pre-draft. But now that he has come NBA seasoning, he has lost his lustre. I wouldn't give away THjr OR Shump to get him. If that idiot Kahn takes JR and a pick, then I take a flyer on Rubio. If not, why would we need a flashy PG who can't shoot? Sort of defeats the P&R premise.

Kahn was fired last year.

I'd give them Felton and Shump for Rubio. Move Hardaway to the 2 and Jr off the bench. Rubio can still learn to shoot and he will need to do so to be effective, otherwise he goes back to Europe. Im not sure, but I 'd think Melo would approve. The kid is charasmatic and would be a star in NY. Can't with a straght face say "he is not happy in Minny and would be more motivated in NEw York", but if his upside is still there you grab the kid. He got starpower and understands how to play the game. But he got to get that shot.

If IM LA I bring him to MDA and study for a year under Nash.

dk7th wrote:his problem is he lacks a jump shot but he compounds that with not being able to take it to the rack and finish or at least draw fouls in the attempt to drive. the article or some post in this thread had a chart that showed how abysmal he is near the hoop and i see that he takes very few free throws. he has to improve in one of those two areas-- drawing fouls or jumpshooting or he is likely a flashy fool's gold player.