For people who have reeding komprehenshun issues, I said, "Rajon Rondo mold" i.e. "assist machine." I doubt he'll ever shoot over 40% from the field and he'll never be much of a threat to finish and I think his ability to play defense against the quickest guards in the league will always be subpar, but if he can heal fully I think there's a place for him in the league.
Rondo mold includes triple doubles with 18-19 rebounds. Don't insult Rondo. You can't be "decent" and in the Rondo mold. Rondo is way better than decent. If you wanted to say Rubio will just get a lot of assists, say that. Rondo is more than that. Learn the game then post. My Nik impression: Sasha Pavlovic's game is in the mold of Kobe Bryant without the scoring or unmatched desire to win.
I'm with you Nik. Rubio has a place in this league. Not only the assist thing, both Rondo and Rubio can be leaders on the court controlling (to some degree) the pace of the game. Rubio proved at a young age he can play at this level, now it is a matter of how much he reaches his potential. His big drawback is his shooting and finishing around the rim. If he ever does develop a reliable shot and learns to finish . . . watch out.
I too am having trouble with the "Rondo mold". Both have the potential for high assist numbers and poor shooting percentages. Then the comparisons cease.
I have an idea, why don't we go back to what this thread is REALLY about, and make fun of the Minnesota fans who came here and posted pictures of Greg Oden nude, instead of infighting?
How is Rubio not in the Rondo mold? A) Each get ridiculously high ast%...Rubio at 37% and Rondo averaging above 40% for the last four years. B) Rubio's rebounding % is 6.8%, Rondo's has been between 7.2% and 8.3% the last four years. Rondo has a higher R/36min than Rubio, but at 4.9 to 4.4 is still well within the same ballpark. C) Both aren't great at jump shooting, but Rondo's 24% is 10% worse than Rubio's 34%. D) 2/3 of Rondo's win shares come from defense. 3/4 of Rubio's are from defense. Rondo's steal% 2.6%, Rubio's 3.3%. Differences: Obviously, Rondo gets more minutes than Rubio did last year as a rookie. He's better at getting to the rim, and better at finishing. His per36's and percentages are all better than Rubio, but way more correlative than many of you are giving him credit for. Is he a poor man's Rondo? Time will tell after his injury, but based on last year's stats, style of play, impact on the game and just the basic eye test the answer is yes. He's not a poor-man's Lillard, or Deron, or Collison, or Irving, or Wall, or Rose, or Curry (or Stockton, or Magic, or Isiah)--all of whom play way different styles of PG with way different skillsets and stats. And if that's what Nik was saying, then I wholeheartedly agree.
I dunno, I agree with Nik, personally. Had all of this crap with Minnesota not gone down this past year, nobody would think twice of him, and he'd go from someone everyone coveted, to someone nobody wants, and then a year from now, people would be clamoring for him again. I still think he's going to be a good PG in the league, good to very good. But I suppose we should judge him after an injury instead. Of course, some of the same judging him were quick to mock James Harden as well, as just someone skating by with good teammates.
Harden WAS just skating by with good teammates. Harden is garbage. Leading his team to a 6 game losing streak and off to the lottery.
Because Rondo is an All-Star NBA champion and Rubio is a bench player shooting 22% from the field? You cherry-picked statistics to fit your argument. Anybody who watches Rondo and Rubio play don't say "gee, they are really similar". It's a garbage argument, and frankly an insult to Rondo. People will do anything to cover for what was clearly a ridiculous comparison.
Having doubts about James Harden being a franchise player who can lead a team to an NBA title, in a thread about Ricky Rubio being a guy with a 7 PER, is not the same thing at all and is totally disingenuous. What a hilarious straw man. It was a stupid comparison, and I have to laugh at those trying to justify it. Rubio in the "Rondo mold" is just a dumb thought. Can Rubio become a decent NBA player? Maybe. Does he have Rajon Rondo's skillset? Not even fucking close. Just stop.
