You are not alone. I believe the team needs to make moves to become a contender now. I don't like whole idea of waiting another two years while the latest project comes of age. If Portland can make a move or two to seriously push the Lakers, Denver and San Antonio they need to get it done. Drafting RR in no way helps them next year, or even the year after. All we really get with picking RR in this draft is Blake as a starter for at least the next two years and a logjam at the backup spot (unless Bayless and Sergio are both not with the team). How can this be something anyone would want? The only way I am cool with giving up proven NBA assets for a draft pick in this lottery is if that player is part of another deal that brings in a quality NBA proven vet. Anything else would be a waste of resources.
Good point, and fair enough. I guess I just don't see that his holes in the game/negatives (and even having horrible stats in the Olympics) hurt his team much, while his positives kept him on the floor against 12 of the best players in the world.
These threads are always funny to me, to see how many people are riding Rubio's jock like a pogo stick when the kid is essentially a high school senior and has hardly any experience playing against NBA-level guys. Honestly, how many of you get boners when you see a grainy youtube highlight video with the trapezoid key with a hip-hop soundtrack behind it? Be honest. OMG draft him! DRAFT HIM! Honestly, whatever team drafts him should print up his jersey with "OMG Rubio" on the back insted of just "Rubio." -Pop
He has more experience playing against NBA-level guys than any players coming out of college. And if you think that playing for several years at high levels of basketball in Europe is like a kid playing in high school... hmm. I guess we'll just have to disagree. Ed O.
Rubio in Europe last season. EuroLeague G - 5 MinPG - 13.2 PPG - 2.4 RPG - 2.4 APG - 2.8 TOPG - 2.4 SPG - 1.8 FG - 30% 3PT - 33% FT - 72% ACB G - 22 MinPG - 23 PPG - 10 RPG - 1.9 APG - 6.1 TOPG - 3.0 SPG - 2.2 FG - 39% 3PT - 42% FT - 80% Again, I see some obvious holes in his offensive game while playing against players with a fraction of the athleticism that is found every night in the NBA. I am also concerned at how well his body will hold up over an 82 game season.
I don't get erections based off of YouTube. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong ones. I'm sorry...right now he's the only player projected in the first round of the draft that has played a game against K*be, CP3, Deron Williams, Jason Kidd and LBJ. It happened to be the olympic final. Does Blake Griffin have more experience? JOnny Flynn? Harden? Please, tell me when to stop. I pray for the chance to get an OMG Rubio Jersey in Blazer colors.
Agree with the bolded part, and somewhat with the "obvious holes". Of course he could get a better J, but (and we talked about this in other threads) I would've loved (like the BlazersEdge guys) to see Oden and LMA get every shot Blake took last year. Now that's really extreme, but I think this team's efficiency goes UP with a PG that lives to facilitate his bigs getting the ball in scoring position, rather than a 3-pt specialist.
To say you shouldn't draft a guy because he doesn't fit your offense (as if this isn't a fluid thing anyway) is short sighted IMO... So the positives (their talent) outweighs the negatives (doesn't fit our half court style) by a large margin (as was the attempt to make the point clearer)...So if Pritchard & company feel that Rubio's talent (be it right now! next year or in 2-3 years) outweighs the negatives (half court vs run or the fact that he only a rookie) then why would you not trade for him? I don't know how good he is going to be, but a lot of pretty astute talent evaluators seem to think he is the real deal, and if POR mgmt concur, I certainly don't think Nate's "offensive philosophy" is going to be a factor...at all... I mean if you knew what Paul, Deron Williams or even Derrick Rose were going to be before you drafted them, wouldn't you make just about any deal to get them? Of course you would....I would surmise then that if POR did trade up for Rubio, it would be because they felt that he projected to be a very good NBA caliber talent...and after thier past few drafts I certainly can't see any reason to doubt them... Can you?
Really? I beg to differ. I think a guy playing in one of the top conferences in the NCAA, through his AAU and college days (and some of them dating back to their prep days) has played against more guys with NBA talent. There are some top-level guys in the Euro leagues, but most of them are akin to D-League guys at best. No. For the most part, the high levels in Europe are much more advanced. But I'm talking about a physical maturity. In most cases, I'd much rather have a guy who has gone through the rigors of American ball up until he's 21 or 22. Who knows ... maybe Rubio would be fantastic. I just don't see his game translating as well as most of you do. The Euro game allows for a more up-and-down pace, especially since you play about 1/3 as many games with significantly less travel. Does anyone really think an 18-year-old body, playing that style, is going to hold up for 5 summer league games, 5-10 international team games, 8 preseason games, 82 regular season games, and X number of playoff games? -Pop
I don't get it. Are the scouts, coaches, players and managers also wrongly sweating him? Maybe it's you that's not recognizing the special talent right in front of you.
That kind of speaks to my concern of how he will hold up playing 4x the games, doesn't it? Also, he shot 42% from 3PT in 22 ACB games, so I have to assume the wrist was OK at that point.
Nope. But neither did Blake's. Or Deron Williams'. Or Gilbert Arenas'. etc So, just so I'm understanding, are you saying that Jonny Flynn's or Jrue Holiday's or Stephen Curry's body is going to make it through that schedule? Or that no rookie's will, so we may as well get a horse like Baron Davis or Gil Arenas or Andre Miller or Mike Bibby instead and eschew getting rookies anymore?
Most experts wonder if Blake Griffin will be a consistent All-Star level player, yet he is the consensus #1 pick. How does that automatically mean Rubio is going to be an elite NBA PG when he isn't even the consensus #1 player in this draft?
I think that, in scouts' and GM's eyes, bigs are always more valuable. Weren't Rose and Iverson the only PGs taken #1 since Magic? Rubio's been pretty consistently the #2, though, iirc.
So do you feel he's going to bust, PapG, or just you don't think he makes us better NEXT year. I don't think too many disagree with you on that. I think most that want him want him to be a backup for us for a year or two, to get acclimated to the NBA, and then have him hopefully be our starter, while bringing in, hopefully, a vet to start the next couple years.
Why are so many of you posting results without acknowledging his age and injuries. Pretty hard to debate rubio if people continue to look the other way to prove their case.
One of my points in the first post is his age and how it impacts the Blazers over next year and perhaps the next 2-3 years. Did you even read the thread? The injuries have also been addressed by me and another poster wondering about Rubio's ability to stay healthy over a much longer schedule and playing many more minutes (and man-to-man defense as opposed to cherry-picking in a zone).
