11/05/24
September 01, 2009
Rubio inks deal to stay in Europe until 2011: The Wolves are out of a high draft pick after Ricky shuns them to play basketball outside of the NBA for two more seasons.
posted by sgtcookzane to basketball at 12:42 PM - 9 comments
Him not being ready has nothing to do with him not playing in the NBA this year. If he didn't think he was ready he wouldn't of went through the entire draft process. If Ricky would of been picked 2 or 3, you better believe he would be over here. His buyout is too much for him being picked in the draft where he was picked. Besides how happy do you think the would have been playing for the Timberwolves? He knew it could have been a career killer going to the Timberwolves. Just too many things added up for him to make the trip. In my opinion he can stay over there.
posted by sgtcookzane at 03:00 PM on September 01, 2009
I don't know that I'd say the Wolves are "out of a high draft pick" just yet. They drafted Jonny Flynn as insurance for just this sort of thing, and barring injury, Rubio will only increase his trade value over the next couple of years. The Wolves are probably going to suck this year with or without Rubio...if he fits in during the next year or two, then great, and if not, then they trade him. In two years, he'll still be only 20.
What this boils down to is that Minnesota simply doesn't have the endorsement opportunities available to offset the massive buyout, so Rubio would have been playing for free, which didn't make sense for him. I believe that's the reason he wanted to be in a bigger market more than for basketball or climate reasons. But it doesn't necessarily mean that it was a bad move for the Wolves to draft him, because even if he's not playing for them, he is an asset that will likely grow in value.
posted by TheQatarian at 03:18 PM on September 01, 2009
I don't understand the idea that MN isn't a big enough of a market for him. How is Cleveland working out for LeBron James. Or how was Minnesota for KG. Seems like he had plenty of national exposure at his prime.
Minnesota wasn't big enough to Marbury, and we all know how that turned out.
posted by emoeby at 03:20 PM on September 01, 2009
Seriously, the Wolves just straight fucked this up. Drafting two points, not recognizing the reality of Rubio's contract, yadda, yadda. Rubio should be in the NBA. Did you see that Olympic final? He can play.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:43 PM on September 01, 2009
Weedy, the reason they drafted the second point guard is precisely because they understood the reality of Rubio's contract. Having him would be a bonus, but now they can get by without him and bide their time...either waiting for his arrival or eventually trading him for the right price.
posted by TheQatarian at 07:36 PM on September 01, 2009
If he didn't think he was ready he wouldn't of went through the entire draft process.
He's not the first to stay in Europe after being drafted. It's not as easy as him saying "so...I'm outta here" to his former team. He's got a contract to honor.
If Ricky would of been picked 2 or 3, you better believe he would be over here. His buyout is too much for him being picked in the draft where he was picked.
Right, so you think he ought to play for free for the next two years?
He knew it could have been a career killer going to the Timberwolves. Just too many things added up for him to make the trip. In my opinion he can stay over there.
I don't think that anyone involved in the Rubio camp can look at Minnesota after Kevin Garnett and say that it's a career killer. A young team in a medium market where he's only tied in to play for 3-4 years? Not exactly a career killer.
posted by dfleming at 07:49 PM on September 01, 2009
If Garnett wouldn't have went to boston and won a championship he would have been remembered as a legend on the court but stuck with a shit hole team that couldn't build around him...
posted by sgtcookzane at 09:48 PM on September 02, 2009
If Garnett wouldn't have went to boston and won a championship he would have been remembered as a legend on the court but stuck with a shit hole team that couldn't build around him...
But Garnett did go to Boston and won a championship and will be remembered as a legend who won it all.
posted by BornIcon at 09:03 AM on September 03, 2009
Realistically, Rubio's going to have a much better chance of making a name for himself at 20 than at 18; there are so few players who make the transition from teen star to superstar quickly. Kudos to him for believing he's not ready yet.