Ricky Rubio is finally back on the basketball court but, as expected, is off sync.
The Spanish point guard was given some minutes in the Minnesota Timberwolves loss to the Memphis Grizzlies (90–86).
Rubio has been out of action since March after suffering an ankle injury and a recently strained right quad, and he seems to have a long way to go. The good thing is that he is starting to get the feel of basketball once again and hopefully he will be in the groove of things once the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season kicks off by the end of the month.
The Timberwolves are scheduled to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 27.
Anticipation of Rubio playing started out a couple of days ago when he was spotted attending practice sessions twice. Interim coach Sam Mitchell had planned to get Rubio on the court for as long as he could last, according to Star Tribune. In the end, he was unable to notch a single point but managed to chip three rebounds, four assists, two turnovers, and a steal. He played for a total of 23 minutes.
Rubio knows that he has his work cut out for him, especially since he hasn't played for seven months. Known to be a pass-first guy, it seems Rubio plans to take more shots this coming season to help out in the scoring department.
Rubio did get the chance to attempt some shots (four field goals) but apparently, he is still not in tip-top shape. And apparently, he is aware of the work he has to do with just about a week to go before the T-Wolves regular season officially opens.
Rubio plays an important role for the T-Wolves, someone expected to keep the team together and, of course, make others look good. That includes sophomore Andrew Wiggins and top rookie pick Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Timberwolves face an uphill climb in the competitive Western Conference but if Rubio can weave his magic and get Wiggins and Towns in sync, Minnesota could pull of some surprises.
