Rubio gives Wolves ‘ganas’ at the point

There’s a new reason to watch the Minnesota Timberwolves in this era of the Miami Big Three, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, and of course, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
Six-foot-four Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio is restoring the thrill of the assist in the NBA game by literally threading the needle with nifty passes to teammates on the break.
He issues the neat pass, not the usual feed that whizzes by defenders but the unexpected one off the dribble. Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns also does it well but Rubio likes to do his version off the fastbreak.
Rubio began his professional career in Spain at 14 and was a member of the silver-medal team in the Beijing Olympics.
Experts have tried to compare him with the legendary Pistol Pete Maravich. The similarity ends when you spot that Rubio does not take too many chances and likes to weave his magic within some form of structure like a three-on-two break.
Maravich was more of a showman and took more risks with behind-the-back passes and impossible shots.
Rubio finally got to strut his wares in the NBA after his Spanish league contract was bought out. Fans have long wanted to see Rubio play in the NBA and his debut appearance versus Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder gave a sneak preview of good things at the point for Minnesota. He had six points but his five assists were more memorable.
The Timberwolves lost in the end, 100-104 when they couldn’t get a break from the referees’ calls and nail the big shots.
Add to this the fact that Rubio plays alongside JJ Barea, the former Dallas fireball from Puerto Rico who wreaked havoc on Miami last year in the Finals. They may provide match-up problems when the hefty guards body up against them but their spunk more than makes up for what they lack in size.
Filipino fans might even spot similarities between Rubio and Francis Arnaiz, the Toyota and Ginebra spitfire who teamed up with Robert Jaworski for a Dynamic Duo backcourt pair. The beard and the flying locks on the break help create the nostalgia. However, Arnaiz had floaters and a reliable outside shot while Rubio zips passes to places you don’t expect them to go.
The present NBA era is clearly the age of the guard. Rose and the Chicago Bulls went very deep into the playoffs last year anchored on the MVP Rose’s derring-do. His leadership is anchored on taking charge, on wanting the ball at crucial stretches of the game.
This year, the Bulls look determined to go all the way to the Finals. The addition of former Piston Richard Hamilton gives them versatility on the baseline and a strong one-two punch with Rose.
In any basketball game, the point guard gets the brunt of the coach’s screams and probably spends more time in the viewing room than any other player on the roster. The point is not only the extension of the coach on the floor but is a coach as well.
Like a musical conductor, the guard dictates how the team plays on both ends.
Rubio is a maestro apprentice at Minnesota but wait until he gets the orchestra to play more beautiful music with him.