After A Strong Showing At FIBA, Ricky Rubio Will Help Lead The Phoenix Suns
When Ricky Rubio signed with the Phoenix Suns, there wasn’t too much of a positive reaction from fans. Many have/had counted the veteran PG out after some pedestrian seasons in Utah. It wasn’t until the FIBA World Cup that the NBA and Suns fans have started to take notice once again.
Rubio was the MVP of the FIBA World Cup. He was one of the leaders of a Spain team that won the entire tournament. He averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6 assists during the 8 game run. Rubio only had one single digit scoring game.
The Phoenix Suns have been looking for a starting PG for quite awhile. The teams franchise player, Devin Booker, is currently the best 1 guard on the roster. He’s best suited for a SG role. There have been numerous players that have tried to seize the role, none have grasped it.
Rubio isn’t going to lead the Suns to the playoffs. That’s nothing to do with him, rather the strength of the Western Conference. There are too many teams better than Phoenix. What Rubio will do is move the Suns to a respectable record.
The Phoenix Suns ranked 20th in assists last season. Rubio’s previous team, Utah Jazz, ranked 8th. He’ll help in that category. And Rubio will enable Booker to play his natural position. That’s incredibly important for the team.
Booker is at his best when he pulls up to the basket. With Rubio, he’ll be guaranteed to be one of the leaders in catch and shoot points. This will create more opportunities for him, as Booker will have a legit passing threat getting him the ball. We’ll see a scoring increase for sure, especially if Booker sets up at the three-point line more often.
The World Cup showed us that Rubio can be an effective player. While his numbers weren’t that much different from the NBA stats, the big stage he did it on proves that Ricky Rubio can deliver. The Phoenix Suns made the right call by signing Ricky Rubio, despite what some may say.
Image Source: David Goldman/Associated Press
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
