Btw, I *like* Crittenton. He is showing real signs of productivity. Unproven player, you won’t disagree w/ that, but I’m happy we’ve got him.

Hell, this blog gets their panties mushy when Pech comes in during garbage time & knocks down a few uncontested threes, so I’m just trying to provide a little levity.

I’m just saying, don’t expect this kid to come to town & rearrange our line up any time soon as the next Steve Nash…

I don’t want him in DC…

& I don’t think he is anywhere near the 2nd pick in the 2009 draft…

No offense taken… I like you!

Where’s the argument? You’re just stating that you don’t believe a guy will succeed. It’s not like I can argue you don’t believe that. You believe it.

You just don’t back it up with much more than, uh, having been around a while. Okay, cool. You may have solid bonafides in draft analysis, I got no frame of reference for that. I just haven’t seen an argument beyond that. No evidence or actual facts.

Fill in the blank. Rubio won’t succeed, why: Because he’s from Europe? Because he’s 18? Because he’s hyped? Because JCNavarro is also Spanish? Because Toni Kukoc is also from Europe?

Okay, in order: Rudy Fernandez. Tony Parker at age 18. Hype = Kobe, scouts, GM’s, coaches, stats, awards. Rudy Fernandez and Jose Calderon. And Toni Kukoc was hyped?– he was the #29th pick in the 2nd round.

Here’s a few arguments you could use: Navarro jumped back up to ~21.5 pts per 40 when he could only score 16 pts per 40 in the NBA–and Ricky isn’t as good a scorer even in Europe.

True enough. Scoring ain’t why he’s attracted attention. The assists and floor leadership at both ends and at a young age are why he’s captured the imagination of scouts etc.

Though it’s interesting to note: at age 18 JCN averaged the same # of points per 40 minutes as does Rubio right now (17.6). Difference is JCN has alwaye had suspect defense even in the Euro/ACB leagues, where Ricky pulled the DPOY in the ACB.

Another argument: high assist totals don’t always translate to NBA game. Otherwise Jared Jordan would be on an NBA roster, not tearing up the D-League.

Fair enough. But Ricky has played against NBAers in international competition– not just the USA squad, all the international players as well. Did well and caught the attention of scouts, players. Still made dimes, steals, points.

Understood, I get resistant to hype as well, I been around awhile myself if that’s a qualification, and even though I have doubts, I keep seeing signs where this kid looks good. Even though I’m looking through a blurry lens, with gaps and pauses in signal drops…

If NBAers who have seen him and played him reference his name as a solid internat’l baller to look out for, well you’ll have to excuse me for taking their say-so over you. No offense intended.

Here’s a partial link (draftexpress) accessing his skills (not bad, but thinking he’s a future NBA stud is pure & unadulterated speculation at its highest):

Blogging through the Copa del Rey, Part Two
February 22, 2009
Lest we forget the amazing performance delivered by Ricky Rubio in the quarterfinals, which unfortunately wasn’t enough to avoid the upset by the local Madrid team Estudiantes. Rubio put together some of the most impressive moments of his career thus far in the second half, finishing the game with 16 points, 7 assists and 6 steals.

What was ironic is that he was quite awful in the first quarter, being burned repeatedly by the very experienced Corey L. Brewer (Arkansas), while turning the ball over on some very risky passes. He sat for that reason for most of the second quarter, only to emerge midway through the third to give his team a huge shot in the arm that got them right back in the game, immediately scoring two consecutive layups going coast to coast by himself.

Rubio’s perimeter shooting remains very much a concern, as highlighted by the 0-4 he shot in this particular game. He is shooting 42% from beyond the arc on the season thus far, but that’s on a very small sample size (8/19). His mechanics still look poor, and he’s especially dreadful shooting the ball off the dribble—which is a big reason why he was forced to pass the ball in the game’s decisive possession (resulting in two free throws for Eduardo Hernandez Sonseca, one of which he fatally missed) rather than try to score himself. Rubio has become fairly decent spotting up with his feet set, but NBA scouts will want to see more to be totally convinced.

A part of his game we’ve discussed time after time, but continue to take great delight in, is his uncanny knack for getting in the passing lanes. Needless to say, Rubio leads the ACB in this category at 3 steals per-40. One of the most fun parts of seeing Rubio perform is watching him off the ball defensively. As the opposition moves the ball around the court, you can see Rubio anticipating their next move, closing down angles just as a pass is about to be made, pouncing at just the right moment, getting his long arms on the ball to create the deflection, and taking the ball the other way. At one point he had three consecutive steals in three possessions, all of which finished with a basket for his team—highlighting the way he can change the complexion of a game in his own unique way.

Speaking of which, you’re going to find a lot of differing opinions about Rubio’s ability to translate his style of play to the NBA. Some scouts still question his athleticism and perimeter shooting.

According to David Carro, the Spanish partner of Rubio’s NBA agent, Dan Fegan, who we spoke with here at the Copa del Rey, there is “still a chance that Rubio could find his way into this year’s draft.” Negotiations are reportedly underway to lower his buyout to more manageable proportions, possibly 3-4 million Euro. A solution could come as early as “this month” Carro told us, and in that case, Rubio would be able to afford getting out of his contract if he were to be “a top-3 pick” (which he very likely is), as long as he could pay off the buyout over the course of his rookie deal. Asked why Joventut would have any reason to even negotiate considering the leverage they hold in this situation, Carro responded that Rubio is the “image of the team” and that they “would not want to have a mad player.”

M2 is a *big* Crittenton fan, so any suggestion that we have needs at the point will rile him.

As to being “stocked at guard” — that is a laughable idea! Gil is coming off an injury, James is a bum, Crittenton is untested, Young is one of the least productive players in the league whom we hope improves, Stevenson is a journeyman at best, and McGuire and Butler are better suited to play forward.

Nonetheless, if we can get the right deal for the pick (if it’s not #1=BG), sure.