khandor’s sports blog

Rubio’s fourth quarter poise gets noticed

On the merits of the T-Wolves’ increased use of the Pick-and-Roll:

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After Monday’s morning shootaround Popovich talked at some length about his impressions of Rubio and the retooled Wolves lineup.

“There are a lot of changes, not just Ricky Rubio,” Popovich said. “But you can see a lot of good.”

Especially when it comes to the relatively pared-down Wolves offense late in games.

“It’s basketball,” he said. “We all run the pick-and-roll. John [Stockton] and Karl [Malone] ran the pick-and-roll [in Utah] for a gazillion years. It was pretty simple, but it depends on who’s doing it. And [Rubio] is very good at it. No reason to make something complicated if someone is great at doing something simple.”

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On the improvement of Kevin Love:

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“He’s more confident than ever. In the past he wondered, ‘Should I shoot this shot or not?’ Now he knows. He knows he’s a stud. He’s out there to win and to kick … ”

Well, you can finish the rest.

“He’s a complete pro at this point who knows he’s one of the best players in the league,” Popovich said.

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On the coaching ability of Rick Adelman:

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“Rick has, in many ways, been under the radar for a long time,” Popovich said. “He’s always one of the first people owners want to hire, but he always manages to stay in the background, because he’s that kind of guy. But he probably did a better job than anybody in the league for two, three, four years in Houston with all the injuries they had. I’m not sure anybody figured that out.”

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On the recent direction of so-called ‘American culture’:

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“These guys, they travel around the world,” Popovich said of international players such as Rubio and Ginobili. “They’re more cultured than we are. Everyone acts like Americans are the ones … we have sort of an arrogance about us. Like we’re the cultured ones? Are you serious?

”Have you watched TV lately? Have you seen what Americans do? How many languages do you speak? And you wonder how they’re going to adjust to our culture? I hope they avoid it and keep their own!“

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Classic stuff, on several fronts, from one of the very best coaches in the history of the NBA.

For the benefit of Raptors fans …

who can’t seem to get enough of Jonas Valanciunas [i.e. Selection No. 5, 2011 NBA Draft].

BTW … The quality of these 2 youtube videos is absolutely terrific!

If you watch the following video clip of Ricky Rubio’s play this season with Barcelona:

then, one thing should be perfectly clear.

This young man … 

Signed, Sealed, and Soon to be Delivered: Ricky Rubio

if he’s GMed and coached properly …

is destined to eventually become a “star” player in the NBA, given his level of relative quickness, size, strength, vision and overall skill-set at the PG position.

According to an old saying, “There are many [different] ways to skin a cat.”

However truthful this may be … doubtless … each distinct method actually starts with thinking of that cat in the proper way, in the first place, i.e. “skin-less”.

Four plus years into the tenure of current President/GM, Bryan Colangelo, and there is still a significant segment of the team’s fanbase which is thinking about the continued development of the franchise in a way which is not going to result in major on-court success.

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The key to Raptor’s success still lies overseas

How can we ever win?

Star US players leaving in a hurry. Big name free agents looking elsewhere. It’s a never-ending cycle of American players disliking something different. Like different is a bad thing.

Four years ago, when Bryan Colangelo came to town, he went European. Today as we collectively lament over the loss of Chris Bosh, I understand why.

Going European may in fact be this team’s only chance to win.

Take the Blue Jays. Throughout the late 80s they cornered the Dominican and Puerto Rican markets. Built a roster full of international talent and then filled holes with key American players.

On the streets of the Dominican you wouldn’t see a Yankees hat or a Boston Red Sox hat. You’d see a Blue Jays hat. Or Tony Fernandez uniform.

Maybe the same can be done for the Raptors.

If the Raptors can continue to build relationships internationally it could reap rewards. Scout heavily overseas. Hold basketball camps in Europe. Promote Bargnani in Italy. Bring in a coach like Ettore Messina.

Bring in non-American players who are more akin to different cultures. Players who don’t care what anthem is played before every game. Who don’t scoff at seeing kilometers written on speed signs. Who are more cultured than your average American athlete.

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This is the specific comment which was left by yours truly, just a few minutes ago, at this otherwise first-rate Raptors blog:

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When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
1 Corinthians 13:11

What you see here …

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Kahn: Rubio not ready to jump to NBA 
“This morning I met with Ricky and his parents and told them that I understood Ricky’s decision,” Kahn said in a statement issued by the Wolves. “It was clear to me yesterday and in this morning’s meeting that the pressure surrounding Ricky and his family to remain in Spain for at least two more years had only intensified as the summer wore on and was weighing heavily on them.

“The NBA is the best basketball league in the world, by far. As an 18-year-old man, Ricky would have been challenged on a nightly basis to a degree he has never experienced. In order for Ricky to meet this challenge fully, I believe it is important that his family and other people important to him were comfortable with the move to the NBA and fully supportive.

“I also agreed with Ricky’s position that two more years of competition in Spain and the Euroleague will only aid his development and that he will be much more ready for the NBA when he joins us” at age 20.

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is the best possible outcome for the T-wolves, in a sticky situation.

At-present, Minnesota is entrenched at the bottom of the NBA.

Ricky Rubio … given his age [18], the state of his physique [skinny], and his present skill-set [can't really shoot it consistently] … simply isn’t ready to make a significant contribution to an NBA team, over the course of an 82 game season.

Minnesota:

- Just hired an entirely new coaching staff
- Has its star Big Man in the process of recovery from ACL surgery
- Has its best SF in the process of recovery from ACL surgery
- Has a current roster which looks like this … and,
- As of right now, has a fairly high probability of landing the No. 1 [overall] Selection in the 2010 NBA Draft, and at least one other high 1st Round Draftee from the 2011 NBA Lottery, given their prospects for success in the Western Conference these next 2 seasons.

If Rubio arrives in the NBA, from Europe, in time for the 2011-2012 season, the T-wolves franchise will be in a much better position to take full advantage of his unique package of skills, at the PG spot, when:

Kevin Love [PG] will be 22 years of age,
Jonny Flynn [PG] will be 22 years of age,
Wayne Ellington [OG] will be 23 years of age,
Corey Brewer [SF] will be 25 years of age,
Aleksiy Pecherov [C] will be 25 years of age,
Ryan Hollins [C] will be 26 years of age,
Al Jeferson [PF] will be 26 years of age,
Ryan Gomes [SF] will be 29 years of age, and,

Kurt Rambis [and Co.] will be in his 3rd season as their head coach.

If David Kahn is truly serious about building a championship basketball operation in Minnesota that’s the type of roster – with an eye towards the future - which can get the job done in the long run … provided the plan includes adding a high calibre 1st Round draft pick next summer, a 2nd high calibre 1st Round draft pick the summer after that, and a dominant, pass-first PG, with good size, and skill, and charisma, like Rubio, for the 2011-2012 season.

After rolling “craps” for quite some time, the T-Wolves may have finally been able to “make their point”.

FYI and reading pleasure …

An Open Letter to the Memphis Grizzlies
Hilarious Excerpt #1. I even tolerated the insane teasings toward the OJ-Mayo-As-A-Point-Guard fiasco, or as I like to call it, “The Turnover Manifesto.”

Hlarious Excerpt #2. I begged you,  pleaded with you. I used podcasts, blogposts, emails to people who know you, to try and steer you from this course of action. But you wouldn’t listen. And look what you have to show for it.

A seven foot pogo stick with a Twitter account [i.e. Hasheem Thabeet].

Hilarious Line #3. Lots of people question the 6′5” player [i.e. Tyreke Evans] with killer explosiveness with insane ability to get to the rim who also happened to come out of the same program as this year’s Rookie of the Year who was also a point guard and which happens to be located in the same city as your damn franchise ensuring that you would have at least had a player on the squad that someone would know.

Hilarious Line #4. I’d love to tell you that it’s not you, it’s me. But that’s a lie. It’s you.

Hilarious Excerpt #5. I’ll call you when I reach my mother’s.

Bye, Memphis.

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Matt Moore is one of the most prodigous writing talents in the literary basketball business today. Would only he be able to drop his penchant for excessively curse-laiden “flavourful” language, on occasion, when his blood pressure is on the rise, he should be a daily read for anyone who follows the NBA game.

Laugh, cry, or vilify, but … at all times … it’s done while bringing a smile to your face. Get to know his name, folks. It says here, he is someone who is going far, in this here game.

Related:

NBA Draft – Live Blogging

First and foremost.

David Kahn will not find a better coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves than Kevin McHale … regardless how long his actual search takes.

There’s a good reason certain NBA teams fail to make headway

Secondly.

When it comes to assessing accurately the skills and abilities and career of one Kenny Smith …

The Jet was 100%, on the money … in his observation that, had he [1987/No. 6, overall, Draft Pick] been in the same backcourt as, both, Ricky Rubio [18 years of age] and Jonny Flynn [20 years of age], at the beginning stage of all three of their NBA careers, he would, in fact, have been the best Point Guard on that team’s roster.

Only those who do not know the game nearly as well as they think do would the mistake of under-estimating just how good Kenny Smith actually was as a 1st rate Point Guard, in the NBA, with solid credentials.

If Toronto chooses to trade down [from No. 9, overall], on June 25, into the latter half of the 1st Round and/or the 2nd Round:

[continuing from what was started here last week]

Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest [unfortunately, unavailable]

Danny Green [6-6, 208, OG/SF, UNC]

Dante Cunningham [6-8, 227, PF/SF, Villanova]

Derrick Brown [6-8, 225, SF, Xavier]

Earl Clark [6-10, 226, PF, Louisville]

Marcus Thorton [6-4, 194, OG, LSU]

Nando De Colo [6-5, 190, OG, France]

Sam Young [6-6, 223, SF, Pittsburgh]

Taj Gibson [6-10, 214, PF, USC]

Terrence Williams [6-6, 213, OG, Louisville]

Tyler Hansbrough [6-9, 234, PF, UNC]

Tyler Smith [6-6, 212, OG, Tennessee]

Wayne Ellington [6-5, 202, OG, UNC]

* None of whom should be traded up for *

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In conjunction with:

I. Shifting Chris Bosh back to the Center position;

II. Trading Andrea Bargnani;

and,

III. Trading Shawn Marion.

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After Blake Griffin [PF], Ricky Rubio [PG] and Stephen Curry [PG] … there is quick-sand everywhere in this year’s draft which needs to be avoided, if possible.

This corner hates to say, “You were told what was going to happen”, in advance, but …

* USA vs Spain for Olympic Gold
* Upside and Motor: Team USA Blogger Roundtable

The USA will NEED to send its VERY best players in order to win Gold Medals in Olympic Games’ men’s basketball.

If not … the rest of the the world is quickly becoming good ‘enough’ to capture Gold or Silver should the USA slip up.

Top flight basketball … like soccer/football … is now truly an international game … with good players and coaches scattered everywhere around the globe.

Kudos to …

* Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernandez, Mark Gasol, Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, Carlos Jimenez, Felipe Reyes, Jorge Garbajosa, Berni Rodrigues, Raul Lopez, Alex Mumbru, Jose Calderon (injured), their coaches & support staff

* Kobe Bryant, Leron James, Dwyane Wade, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Michael Redd, their coaches and support staff …

Box Score & Game Summary

for giving such a good account of yourselves.

That, right there … ^^^ … my friends … was first-class basketball.