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Post by kgooglog on Aug 2, 2009 11:02:43 GMT -5
Reading that Ricky Rubio wants to remain in Europe for 2 more years (see HoopsHype), I have to seriously question the sanity of Wolves GM David Kahn selecting two point guards back to back with as first round picks in Rubio and Jonny Flynn.
Both have stated that they do not wish to play together as point guards on the same team, Rubio, who made it no secret that he did not want to play in Minnesota, ends up being selected by the team, and whatever Kahn was thinking, certainly backfired. His first round, 6th overall selection, now publicly states that he will enter the NBA in two years and I am sure that Kahn will be fired for this gaffe.
My question is that many of us believe Rubio will be a Knick, including me. I distinctly recall the Knick situation with Maciej Lampe having a buy-out situation with Real Madrid and however it happened, NY was able to get the kid back to NY without so much as a NY Post headline. I think Lampe's buy-out was much less than Ricky's, but as the saying goes money talks and BS walks.
Is Rubio's intent to force a trade? Or is there a part of him that feels he is not quite ready to take on the NBA?
Some of my esteemed colleagues here believe that Donnie Walsh wants Ricky Rubio more than any other 2009-10 player, and there are days in which I feel that is true. Yet, today happens to be a cloudy day in Brooklyn and one of those moments that I truly think Ruby will sign on to a Euro team and play out his contract...
I need to be drawn back into the light, comrades. I want Ricky Rubio to be a Knick, now. Maybe this player is the reason why Walsh is going after J-Dubs rather than tendering what could be a cap-compromising deal to Ramon Sessions, who has the goods, the ability to start for a team, the young core thing is working here, and he would be a good PG. But is he Ricky Rubio? No.
Why can't freaking David Kahn get it through his thick head that Rubio wants to play in NY? I'd sign and trade David Lee tomorrow for Rubio's rights, and Ricky can then pay off his buy-out plus earn more than the rookie scale salary.
I view the PG situation in NY as more critical than even the pivot situation we currently have. I know that Donnie Walsh is a savvy GM who has already talked with the moron from Minnesota about Rubio.
Meanwhile, Hakim Warrick signed with the Bucks for $3,000,000, which I think was a steal. If NY did not have this PG problem and signed Warrick for the same money, mark my words. David Lee would have taken the initial qualifying offer of $2.7 million dollars since real competition at the 4 spot would have then existed. I think Warrick would have been a fantastic addition to NY, in all honesty..
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Post by irish2u2 on Aug 2, 2009 11:16:20 GMT -5
Ken
What we have to remember is that Rubio just turned 18 and he has some growing to do. I know he has a family/advisor based support group around him to guide the next few years of his career. I also know this kid is supremely confident he can be an elite NBA/International basketball player and he won't take that next step up the ladder till he is ready.
If Rubio stays in Europe another 2 years then so be it. It's not a bad move to get more experience while adding bulk and strength.
As for David Kahn's decision it was a gamble. A smart, well played gamble. The gamble may not pay off this year but in 2 years what do you think a bigger, stronger, more experienced Rubio might be worth? In the meantime Kahn saw a chance to help the present while positioning himself for the future in a PG rich draft. I think when all is said and done he might have pulled a fast one on everybody including his old boss and mentor Donnie Walsh.
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Post by kgooglog on Aug 2, 2009 13:21:59 GMT -5
Ken What we have to remember is that Rubio just turned 18 and he has some growing to do. I know he has a family/advisor based support group around him to guide the next few years of his career. I also know this kid is supremely confident he can be an elite NBA/International basketball player and he won't take that next step up the ladder till he is ready. If Rubio stays in Europe another 2 years then so be it. It's not a bad move to get more experience while adding bulk and strength. As for David Kahn's decision it was a gamble. A smart, well played gamble. The gamble may not pay off this year but in 2 years what do you think a bigger, stronger, more experienced Rubio might be worth? In the meantime Kahn saw a chance to help the present while positioning himself for the future in a PG rich draft. I think when all is said and done he might have pulled a fast one on everybody including his old boss and mentor Donnie Walsh. Bill... Thank you for shedding much needed light on this situation. In the HoopsHype article, it does seem as Rick Rubio has a very close family connection, one which is refreshing to have read, for so many NBA players' families have exploited their children. Rubio's family seems very strong in their convictions regarding their son's career, and the fact that he is only 18, makes that support all the more crucial. I don't think it is a bad thing at all for Ricky to remain in Europe for another couple of years. When his contract expires, he will still only be 20 years old and will have even more experience. IMHO, I agree with you that a 20 year old Rubio, one who is bigger, stronger, more experienced, will be worth 10 times what he is probably worth now. However, if Rubio wants to be a Knick, said so numerous times, was shattered when the T'Wolves drafted him, and I thought that had Donnie succeeded in persuading David Kahn into making a trade for Rick, would he have simply left the United States? I know that drafting Ruby was a coup, had it been Donnie Walsh, Bill. Ricky's family were quite vocal about their disappointment in terms of where their son would play. They wanted him in NY, which is why I question Kahn's decision. In two years, Ricky can opt to resign with another Euro team. During this two year period, his family can collect enough attorneys whose sole mission is to extricate Ruby from Kahn and the Wolves. I am unsure if Kahn is just putting on a poker face, pretending that "it's okay if Ricky wants to stay in Europe for another year or two." Had Rubio not wanted to be a Knick and Walsh drafted him anyway, we would be calling for his head, just as we all called for Ed Tapscott's head when he drafted Fred Weiss, who ended up eating garlic fries with one Edward Curry. Tapscott lost his job over that ridiculous decision, and I wonder if Kahn made a similar error with Rubio? Conversely, maybe this was Minny's plan all along, as they did draft Jonny Flynn with the very next draft pick. Just the notion of drafting two players who play the same position with two back to back high first rounders, seems unusual. Yet, I think you may be right that Kahn was looking ahead, even in terms of trying to trade Flynn when Rubes comes back to the USA... Interesting move, to be sure. |
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Post by irish2u2 on Aug 2, 2009 15:12:08 GMT -5
Ken
I forget who we traded with but just this year we made a trade and part of the deal were the rights to Fredric Weiss. ; ) Ricky Rubio and Kin can hire all the lawyers in Europe but they won't get his NBA rights unless Minnesota gets what they want in the deal. That's why it was a smart pick. Kahn got a very good PG in Flynn who helps now and he got a potential future chip that may be worth a lot more down the road in Rubio. Maybe Rubio doesn't play in Minnesota but as a result of drafting him somebody else good will play in the Frozen North. ; ) Ricky can sign deals with all the European teams he wants but his NBA rights belong to the Timberwolves and if Ricky has dreams of NBA glory he and his people make a deal with Minnesota.
Walsh doesn't have the chips to make a deal with Minnesota now but he might in the near future. This whole saga may be years in the telling which is not what you wanted to hear. ; )
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Post by kgooglog on Aug 2, 2009 17:47:34 GMT -5
Ken I forget who we traded with but just this year we made a trade and part of the deal were the rights to Fredric Weiss. ; ) Ricky Rubio and Kin can hire all the lawyers in Europe but they won't get his NBA rights unless Minnesota gets what they want in the deal. That's why it was a smart pick. Kahn got a very good PG in Flynn who helps now and he got a potential future chip that may be worth a lot more down the road in Rubio. Maybe Rubio doesn't play in Minnesota but as a result of drafting him somebody else good will play in the Frozen North. ; ) Ricky can sign deals with all the European teams he wants but his NBA rights belong to the Timberwolves and if Ricky has dreams of NBA glory he and his people make a deal with Minnesota. Walsh doesn't have the chips to make a deal with Minnesota now but he might in the near future. This whole saga may be years in the telling which is not what you wanted to hear. ; ) Bill... You know me all too well ; ) You're right. I don't like to hear the realities that this PG who I believe was destined to be a Knick, may be, but in the years to come. I also don't want to acknowledge that David Kahn may actually have had a plan, and yeah, we do not have the chips to deal with acquiring Ricky now. As you have often said over the years, we need to look at the other's team perspective and say, "Would we do this deal?" Minnesota, IMO, may have done this unusual, unorthodox move, but in a supposedly weak draft, they snagged two of the best PGs, and, at the very least, they have extraordinary chips in both Flynn and Ruby. The state of available NBA PGs is slim pickings, at best, and NY is one of those teams who needs a starting caliber PG. Ramon Sessions may fit the bill, but his salary requirements can possibly affect NY's ability to sign the 2010 free agent(s) who remain paramount to the master plan. I'm not very good at the "wait and see" philosophy, but I will try to be a little more patient and to understand that we finally have a GM/team president who has the best interests of the team in his mind, which is, of course a radical departure from the litany of incompetence which we have grown used to. I would guess that the rights to Freddy must have been part of the Darko/Q-Tip trade? Q has been traded more times in one summer than many players have in their entire career... |
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