No, not at all. Chris Paul has the foot speed and lateral quickness to stay in front of other NBA point guards. Does Rubio? Not that I've seen. P.S. Chris Paul is 1st team all-defense. Do you honestly see Ricky Rubio as a future defensive star in the NBA - one of the two best best defending guards in the entire league? BNM
Really??????????? Gee, sure makes me wonder why four members of the Nuggets, including two of their guards, got votes for the NBA all-defensive teams. You must be confusing the current Nuggets with the old Allen Iverson Nuggets. As soon as the Nuggets jettisoned the offensive minded Iverson for the much better defending Billups, their season turned around and they became contenders. See what a difference a good perimeter defender at the PG position can make. Denver seems to be doing pretty damn well in the post season, too. Offense is overrated. Defense is underrated. BNM
You know, it's absolutely hilarious to see so many comments on so many different forums about Rubio, all from either a)stereotypes, b)draft profiles, c)youtube clips or d)some combination of a, b and c. Have you ever actually seen him play in the ACB? Have you even seen him in the Euroleague? How can you judge his defense if you've barely (or never) seen him play? Ridiculous.
Have you ever seen him play in the NBA? How can you be so sure he will be able to guard NBA point guards? Ridiculous. BNM
I never said that I'm sure he will be able to. You're the one who immediately dismissed that option, for some twisted, stereotypical reason. That's also an extremely weak argument. Have you ever seen ANY of the draftees play in the NBA? No. You judge them by their performance in college. Just like you should judge Rubio's performance by his play in Spain and the Euroleague.
Yes. He has the right body, determination and skills. He won't be a lockdown defender right off the bat, but defense is certainly not something the team that drafts him will have to worry about.
I don't understand the poll; if ACPEB3 is any player besides the big three, how can there be a choice like Rudy PLUS ACPEB3? It seems he (and Batum) would already be included. Perhaps if the choices were "ACPEB3 without Rudy" or "ACPEB3 without Batum", I would understand it better. I would be willing to include any players besides the big three and Przbilla and Batum, those are the big 5 for me.
That threw me, too, at first. Then I realized that the "+" was adding the additional player(s) to the "Any combination of players except..." So "ACBEB3 + Rudy" means "Any combination of players except the Big 3 and Rudy"...i.e. Rudy is off the table also.
I'm going with you on this one. I know a lot of people are high on Rubio here, but with such a premium on having a great PG nowadays like Rose last year, I don't think there's even an argument that Griffin is the consensus No. 1. There's no doubt that Rubio is talented, but he seems like another anti-Nate PG who'll be broken down considerably to be built back up. I think we're ready to challenge for the WCF next season, and I don't know if another 18-year-old prospect to develop is the best way to go. We need to bring in guys who are ready to go, and help us.
It's not that I think Rubio sucks or will be a bust. I just think he's currently overvalued (over hyped) and it will cost too much to get him. Also, as you say, we need some veteran leadership on this team. Not more young guys. If the price wasn't so steep, Rubio would be a huge upgrade at back-up PG and could take over as the starter after a year or two of backing up Blake - but that wouldn't do much to help this team win now. Ideally, I'd prefer an upgrade at PG with an experienced, proven veteran (like Andre Miller). Or, if we're going to move up in the draft to grab a young PG, I'd rather go for someone like Tyreke Evans or Ty Lawson who both should be available in the 7 - 12 range. We'd have to give up a lot less to grab one of these guys than it would take to move up into the top 3 to land Rubio. My dream scenario... Between our cap space, the trade exception we got in the Diogu/Ruffin trade and the MLE we should be able to land a vet like Miller and possibly even work a sign-and-trade with Milwaukee for Ramon Sessions. That would give us immediate vet help and a year or two down the road when age catches up with Miller, him and Sessions could swap roles. Miller is a smart enough player (and has been healthy enough throughout his career) that I think he'd still make a great backup PG for 15 minutes a game into his mid to late 30s. And while I'm fantasizing, we could then move up 10 or 12 spots (perhaps get the 14th pick from Phoenix) in the draft and grab DeJuan Blair as out back-up banger power forward. The guy's a fearless rebounding animal and would give us the bulk and toughness we currently lack at the back-up 4 spot. He would be our Paul Millsap. BNM
Couldn't agree more-the last thing we need on this team is another project at a critical position like SF or PG. Besides, any guy that wears his first name on the back of his jersey (if you aren't Chinese) is borderline douche to me lol. Just think-we could have Chris Paul right now if only KP had ascended to the throne a year earlier May you rot in hell Nash and Patterson.
How much HAVE you seen? From your statements you've seen other Spanish guards and made a generalization. Speed isn't everything. Lots of nippy guards are very mediocre, and Eric Snow was one of the best without being particularly fast. Rubio's problem will be bigger, stronger guards, but he's already a better defender than Steve Blake. And a better athlete. As John Hollinger complains, the "All-Defense" teams this year were a complete joke: voted on for celebrity power. Chris Paul over Rajon Rondo? Please. I would bet you a lot that Rubio's defense is BETTER than Chris Paul's. (Not that that makes Rubio's defense all-NBA, just that Paul's isn't that great.)
Difference between Rubio and every college PG? Rubio has played against grown men. In fact, he's played (and played well) against the US National team. (Of course, Brandon Jennings has played against grown men, in a slightly inferior league, and put up PATHETIC stats. Strangely enough, he's still ranked very highly. If he'd put up those stats in College he wouldn't be drafted.) Assuming that he won't be able to defend because he's Spanish is just laughable. That would mean that in fact Dirk Nowitzki can't be a good player because no other German is. Or that nobody in the NBA plays defense because the majority aren't great at it. Or that Yao Ming doesn't actually shoot FTs well because no other center does. Find me a draft board that has Rubio ranked lower than #2. Then show me why that one's better than all the others that have him ranked #2. It bemuses me that you (BNM) can have such strong opinions about a player you've seen play such a tiny amount, if at all. You're not actually Kenny Smith, are you? Or Steve Blake?
