There were high hopes when Ricky Rubio landed in Minnesota back in 2009. The Timberwolves made the Spanish point guard fifth overall pick that year and with good reason.
Rubio was a sensation in the 2008 Olympics and was certainly a player that made good promise. But some technical issues ensued and it was only in June 17, 2011 when the Spanish guard made it official that he was donning the T-Wolves uniform.
And as expected, Rubio came out good as advertised. However, an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury the next year sidelined him for the rest of that season.
Rubio would bounce back emphatically in the next season and the Wolves looked pretty good once more. So good that he got a new pact, a $56 million, four-year one signed on Oct. 31, 2014. But once again, tragedy struck.
Rubio suffered a severe sprained left ankle, causing a big dip in his performance; and the Wolves were hurting at the guard position. So was this the reason behind the drafting of Tyus Jones?
Rubio is a good player; but one man cannot put a team on his shoulders. He need backup and hopefully that will happen soon.
Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns are promising but still young. So one has to wonder why the Wolves would give up so easily on Rubio who could be a big asset for any team if he is properly utilized.
Rubio will be only 25 years old by October, so trade rumors popping up right now seem to be a bit premature. Then again, that may all depend on how Jones shapes up. If he does a better job, then the Wolves may be justified in case they do push through with rumored plans of trading him.
In short, it may all boil down to which point guard serves the T-Wolves best. Take your pick, Rubio or Jones?
