After those two all that remained were question marks, hype and potential. Is Johnny Flynn too small? Can Tyreke Evans run the point at the next level? Is Ricky Rubio too soft? Can Jordan Hill score and rebound in traffic? Will Hashem Thabeet ever learn to score? Is James Harden a jack of all trades and a master of none? Will Brandon Jennings show up on time for team functions, including games? The list goes on…
These questions all have answers. But they are answers teams might not get until they’ve given up a lottery pick and the money to find out. No one can really tell if a pick will work out or not, regardless of what the ESPN “experts” will have you believe. That’s why the first picks of the draft are known as the lottery – it really is a gamble, and I love me some gambling.
If I ran an NBA team, which I don’t for a litany of obvious reason, but if I did I would have gambled on one player picked in the lottery before any of the others. My money would have been on Ricky Rubio, the 18-year-old Spanish Pistol.I’m not going to pretend the first four teams to pick in 2009 missed out on a premier, team-changing talent, but damn is he exciting. He might not pan out to be the next Pistol, actually, he definitely won’t – there can only be one Pistol Pete - but that doesn’t mean this kid won’t be fun to watch.
It’s simple economics. Fun to watch = ticket sales = television exposure = more revenue = worthwhile gamble.
Out of the top ten picks in last week’s draft I can honestly say I would only go out of my way to see two of the selections play in person – Curry and Rubio.
What makes Rubio more appealing than the other selections is that he’s different. He’s different in almost every way imaginable. He’s from a foreign country. He’s more hyped than any other player of the ’09 draft class. He was the youngest player selected. He refers to himself in the third person.
But more than anything, fail or prosper, Rubio might be the most interesting character to emerge from this class. His journey will be one followed with suffocating media scrutiny from all over the world. Rubio, like Yao Ming, will be a global NBA star, and at such a young age with a myriad of offensive skills. He’s good looking, young, charismatic and talented. It’s a melodrama waiting to unfold. I couldn’t be more excited for the immigration of Ricky Rubio. I’m almost giddy. I’m smiling right now.
There’s just one more obstacle…the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have officially changed their name to the Minnesota PointGuards. (Avery Johnson has signed on to be their mascot.) After making the right pick with Rubio at No. 5 overall, the PointGuards went “Squintz” and jumped off the deep end with the selection of Johnny Flynn at No. 6 to complete the first ever “back-to-back-same-position-lottery-picks” in the history of the NBA draft. How are these people allowed to run teams? I hate the PointGuards for potentially ruining Ricky's start in the NBA.
Hopefully the PointGuards can move Rubio to a team not outside the United States. Side note: If/when Rubio signs with an NBA team, his agent, if he is worth his 10%, should most assuredly negotiate a “First-Name Clause” for Rubio’s jersey. His NBA jersey, like his jerseys in Spain, should read, RICKY. Not Rubio, RICKY.
I can’t wait to see Rubio in NBA arenas playing against the best in the world. Who knows, maybe Rubio too will one day be among the best in the world. I can’t wait to find out.
The lottery might be a gamble, but the smart money’s on Ricky Rubio because no matter what, it’s going to be fun.
