Rubio declares

[BoogieFan]

http://www.marca.com/2009/04/20/balo...240233918.html

(Article is in Spanish)

Oh Well, that just changed a lot of mock drafts, Rubio entering the draft gives more talent to the lottery in an average one, good news for NBA GMs...

[Melo_Man]

He's going to be a bust.

Book it.

[AltitudeV]

He plays like an developed 15 year old. Slow, odd form, limited ball handle, and he looks like a *****. (I've only seen clips of him on Youtube, I must say why is he hyped?)

[arlubas]

Originally Posted by AltitudeV

He plays like an developed 15 year old. Slow, odd form, limited ball handle, and he looks like a *****. (I've only seen clips of him on Youtube, I must say why is he hyped?)

Because he was the main PG for Spain in the final last summer against the american team and was getting wherever he wanted to on the floor, that's why.

[Melo_Man]

Originally Posted by AltitudeV

He plays like an developed 15 year old. Slow, odd form, limited ball handle, and he looks like a *****. (I've only seen clips of him on Youtube, I must say why is he hyped?)

When he was 16 he had a monster Eurobasket Championship.

He was averaging like 40 points a game,8 assists and 12 boards.

He also hit lots of buzzer-beaters and game-winners,icluding the game-winning shot in the Final.

So that's why he's so hyped.

But since then,he hasn't developped anything.

[MR. CLUTCH]

I dunno if I would go as far as labeling Ricky Rubio a bust. I believe that his services can be used in the NBA. He is a great on/off the ball defender, is a great ballhandler ( I remember watching Ricky playing against Team USA, and on a number of plays Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Jason Kidd had some trouble guarding this kid ) has great vision/passing ability, a good scorer and can put the ball in the basket, has great anticipation/intelligence, is a leader and he knows how to win. From the /games videos I seen of him, he plays like a warrior as he goes hard on every play and that is a plus. He is also a very smart rebounder, and he is great at positioning himself under the basket to grab rebounds. He has the potential to be a really good PG in the league. I mean he has his weaknesses, like his shooting and strength, but those things can improve in time. He has a solid shooting form, but I think that he needs to improve his leg strength so that he can get more lift and become more consistent with his jumpshot if he's gonna compete in the NBA. Also, he has great size at 6'5 playing the PG position, and his body will fill out in time as he hits the weight room because he has a good, long frame. Overall I think that Ricky Rubio will be a player that a lot of teams will their eyes open for.

[BoogieFan]

I don't think he'll be a bust, but some people do hype him up too much, his offensive game is extremely limited, but his overall defense is stellar, his foot speed, anticipation, awareness, everything that relates to defense is top notch. Writers have been saying this all season long, if you could have Rubio's defense with Jennings' offense, you'd have the perfect PG.

[scottmcgrady]

Ricky Rubio is a traditional point guard. He is quick, good around the basket, really good at passing and a good defender. However, he certainly needs to work on his jumpshot. Calling him a bust is going to far imo, his states certainly won't jump out at you for a few years, but he'll control the game and do what he does. Watching him in the Olympics and in some Spanish league games, he just controls the game, get's the team sorted, and get's them playing the best basketball their capable of, and hopefully after several years, he can make that transition into an NBA team.

[MR. CLUTCH]

Agent confident Rubio to stay in draft

Ricky Rubio, the Spanish point guard sensation that has been compared to everyone from Pete Maravich to Steve Nash will declare for the 2009 NBA draft, his agent, Dan Fegan, told ESPN.com from Barcelona Monday afternoon.

Rubio will have until June 15 to withdraw his name from the draft. However, his agent sounded confident that he's staying in.

"Ricky will be in the 2009 draft," Fegan said. Fegan has been in Barcelona this week meeting with Rubio and his family trying to come to a decision.

Rubio is the starting point guard for DKV Joventut in Spain and is widely considered the best young international player in the world.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound point guard from Barcelona has been a starter in the best basketball league in Europe since the age of 16. He made himself into an international phenomenon with his strong performance for Spain in the Olympics. Rubio more than held his own playing against NBA point guards like Chris Paul and Jason Kidd. This season he's averaging 10 points per game and six assists per game in the Spanish League in about 22 minutes per game.

Rubio has been the consensus No. 2 pick on the ESPN.com Top 100 for the entire year. While scouts say that he needs to get stronger and work on his jump shot, the consensus is that he's got the talent to be a star.

"He's special," one NBA GM told ESPN.com. "There aren't many kids you'll find at his age with such a terrific feel for the game. He just knows how to play. When he gets out there with players 10 years older than him, he just looks like he belongs. He'll have some adjusting to do in the NBA, but the truth is, he's as NBA ready as most of the college kids that are coming out. He's playing on a very big world stage."

Rubio's decision to enter the draft comes after months of speculation that he might return to his DKV Joventut for one more year. For Rubio to leave for the NBA, he's going to have to pay Joventut a huge buyout to be released from his contract there. NBA teams are limited to paying just $500,000 toward an international player's buyout by the collective bargaining agreement. That means if Rubio wants to play in the NBA, he's going to have to pay some of the buyout out of his own pocket.

Most likely, Rubio and Joventut come to some sort of compromise. If Joventut doesn't make it to the Spanish League Finals this year, most likely they won't be in the Euroleague next year. That puts more financial pressure on Joventut to come up with some sort of compromise that gives them financial relief from a buyout and allows Rubio to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2...ory?id=4084579

A lot of people have high hopes for this kid. I really want to see how his game translates to the NBA. BTW, for those who haven't seen much of his game, here is a 9 minute mix that basically displays all of his great skills:

[manudona]

end Rubio signed by Real Madrid, but Barcelona has a good deal.