On The Court: The Spanish Prospect

The highly anticipated Spanish point guard, Ricky Rubio, has not disappointed.  This intelligent playmaker has proved he can play since he was 14 years old, being  the youngest player ever to play in the Spanish ACB league.  At the age of 17, he was drafted for the Spanish National Team playing on the same stage as NBA All-Stars during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Rubio is known for his high basketball IQ decision making, his fundamental skills, his finesse passes, and his vast court vision.  After being drafted 5th overall in 2009, a family decision was made to keep Rubio in Spain for one more year before playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

After hearing about all the hype around this spanish prospect and seeing him play confidently on the international level, I was excited to see him in action in Minnesota.  In his debut game, he put up 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Although the numbers are not high due to limits in minutes played, what really caught my eye was how easy Rubio makes the game look.  He knows who to pass to, when to pass, and how to pass in various situations.  Not to mention, he makes it look natural, bringing some European flare to the Timberwolves.

Alongside with 2nd overall draft pick Derrick Williams and a rejuvenated Kevin Love, the Timberwolves' future is looking very bright.  In fact, I feel like I'm watching the OKC Thunder about three years ago.  With these additions to this team, Minnesota is definitely back on my radar.

Here's a video of highlights of Rubio playing Spain: