No. But wait, don’t exit out of this article yet, let’s talk guards. Point guards, the engines of every team.
As an article on NBA.com talked about how Lowry and Parker in a battle for the last spot on the West for the 2012 All-Star game, I’m going to add a third guard in the mix because I want to address a problem. We’re starting to overrate Ricky Rubio. Yes he is amazing (for a rookie) and yes he is top 5 in the league in assists in his rookie year. But he stayed in Spain remember? To gain more experience and a better feel for the game of basketball.
A lot of people forget that he didn’t go to play in Spain just to fart around and try to avoid the Timberwolves and the awesome Minnesota weather, he went there to escape and get better in the process. Okay I’m not saying that if every player goes to Europe and plays for a couple of years he will have the success Rubio has had, but when he was drafted he was already a rookie sensation without even playing in a game. So can we really say we didn’t see this coming?
Ricky Rubio is an amazing talent and I’m glad he is helping rebuild this forsaken franchise known as the Timberwolves following the KG aftermath. But he is just performing on par to what we expect. Now Rubio is averaging 11 PPG which is a good rookie average and his 8.7 APG is fifth in the league, but what’s more remarkable is his 2.6 SPG. The critics were right about his shooting though, even though his 3 point shooting is .350, his overall field goal is barely above that at only .373. He is still limited on the offensive side of the ball. What makes Rubio so deadly is the transition game and his trump card, the pick and roll. This is how Rubio either gets his assist or his layup, maybe a spot up 3 pointer.
Watching Rubio run the pick and roll with either Love, Beasley, or Williams is nostalgic of the old Suns with Stoudemire. But in Texas there are two guards running the show even better, but are less hyped. Tony Parker, who has been on fire since Ginobili went down and Kyle Lowry who is leading a misfit Houston team to hopefully its first playoff berth since the Ming dynasty. Between the two it’s a toss up as to who deserves the All-Star nod, but statistically Lowry dominates all guards in the west with the exception of Bryant and Westbrook. You can also argue that he is surrounded with less talent than both Rubio and Parker and as a Rockets fan I’m siding with Lowry. If you side with Parker then it’s understandable. If you side with Rubio, you need to actually watch a Timberwolves game instead of SportsCenter’s top 10. Rubio is a fantastic talent and has a promising future, but let’s not overhype his skills and impact on his team just yet. Which is what they’ve already done to poor Eli, brace for Brady impact Giants.
