Delete/Lock...Draft talk over in JPZ's thread....

[scuse7]

We better not be making any trade up and lose Rondo. And especially if it involes Rondo....doesn't make much since going backwards after you have justdeveloped a guy to a near star. No need to lose Ray either. We can still win with this group.

Im hoping we go out and get a guard though. We need a 2 when Ray leaves and someone that can impact our team now. The bench behind PP,Rondo, and Ray needs toget better. Hopefully Walker or Giddens can develop.


McClinton to Knicks would be good, I can see him coming out like a JR Smith type of player

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by franchise3

From Boston's perspective, I doubt they include Rondo and Ray. I doubt they're even serious about the #2. Boston makes this trade, draft Rubio, and then what? They lose their SG in the process. Doesn't really make sense.

For Houston, I thought if it's true, T-Mac would be included. But thinking about it some more, Memphis already got grief for trading the #2 for an expiring in the Gasol trade. They'd probably get grief again trading the #2 for an expiring, basically. Probably a Ron Artest with a new deal in place since Memphis is under the cap + maybe Brooks to give Memphis PG depth. And Houston takes back Jaric and helps Memphis rid themselves of his contract.

...or Memphis wants back Battier

The funny thing is that most Memphis fans would love to have him back to go along with Scola for the no.2 pick. I would love to have some type of package withArtest for the 2nd pick. That would leave Memphis with the ability to trade Rudy before his extension is due for a PF (possibly Bosh). The team coulddefinitely win with Conley, Mayo, Artest, Bosh and Gasol.

Maybe Danny Ainge is so hesitant about giving Rajon Rondo a large extension, he figures he can trade him for more size and make a run at a PG in free agency. The Celtics can draft Hasheem Thabeet, giving them another defensive anchor then make a run at Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby or Andre Miller in free agency.

That's true. It wouldn't be too hard for Boston to put together another championship run by adding Kidd for the MLE and drafting Thabeet. It'sjust funny how Memphis made Conley work on his shot so he could become a consistent outside shooter and then bring in Rondo who can't shoot in the ocean.

 

[bigmike23]

Rondo is not going anywhere people

 

[manamazing55]

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

Originally Posted by cleansneaksonly21

^^^i would do that trade on both ends... who would the Grizz target @8

From what I've read, Memphis likes Gerald Henderson, Tyreke Evans (probably won't be there), maybe Derozan or Curry. I'm starting to really like Henderson. I see a little smaller Richardson Jefferson/Michael Finley in him. Either of these guys would be good fits since we would have covered the PF spot with Lee.

I'm just not too sold on Lee. Barely saw any NYK games this season so I couldn't say I would love to have him, but know he definitely put up numbers in D'Antoni's system.

I dont keep up with Memphis.......do they have someone that Henderson could play behind for a few years? He is a good athlete, but he has two major flaws. 1)his jumpshot is streaky. He improve this year, but he's not reliable at this point. 2) he only goes right. Ok, 99% of the time he goes right. Almost all ofhis drives in college were to his right.

 

[ny41101]

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

Originally Posted by JapanAir21

Originally Posted by I NaSmatic I

Hopefully Gortat doesn't turn into Dan Gadzuric 2.0

Can't believe this is ANOTHER player the Suns drafted and traded away though.

Marcin Gortat, Luol Deng, Rudy Fernandez, Nate Robinson and Rajon Rondo

...imagine those five in D'Antoni's offense along with Nash, Amare, etc.

How to ruin a franchise 101,

Even if they had kept some of their guys like Fernandez, or Rajon Rondo, or Luol Deng, it would have made them exponentially better, but instead they trade away their draft picks, trade away huge pieces of their team like Marion, Bell, and Diaw, and you get huge contracts and players past their prime in Jason Richardson and Shaq.

I just don't get it.

Who was the scout for the Suns during these drafts? The GM was stupid of course.

When a pick is involved in a draft day trade the team acquiring the pick for example the Knicks from the Suns Isiah gives the Suns Gm a list of names thatmight be available at that pick who they like, the Suns werent drafting Nate Robinson for themselves they were drafting Nate because that was the player theKnicks had rated highest at that pick. Chances are most of those players traded away werent even highly rated by the Suns. If a team could predict how playerspan out when they draft them do you think the Bucks would have made one of the dumbest Draft Day trades in the history of basketball they traded Dirk Nowitzkiwho they drafted 9th to Dallas for Robert Tractor Traylor who was drafted 6th overall. Dallas could have drated Nowitzki at 6 but they knew that the only otherteam interested in him was the Celtics who held the 10th pick they also knew that the Bucks were in love with Traylor so they worked out the trade with theBucks were the Mavs would draft Taylor at 6 for the Bucks and the Bucks would Draft Nowitzki #9 and Pat Garrity #19 (The Mavs knew that the Suns wanted Garrityreally Bad). The Mavs later traded Garrity to the Suns for Nash straight up.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by manamazing55

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

Originally Posted by cleansneaksonly21

^^^i would do that trade on both ends... who would the Grizz target @8

From what I've read, Memphis likes Gerald Henderson, Tyreke Evans (probably won't be there), maybe Derozan or Curry. I'm starting to really like Henderson. I see a little smaller Richardson Jefferson/Michael Finley in him. Either of these guys would be good fits since we would have covered the PF spot with Lee.

I'm just not too sold on Lee. Barely saw any NYK games this season so I couldn't say I would love to have him, but know he definitely put up numbers in D'Antoni's system.

I dont keep up with Memphis.......do they have someone that Henderson could play behind for a few years? He is a good athlete, but he has two major flaws. 1) his jumpshot is streaky. He improve this year, but he's not reliable at this point. 2) he only goes right. Ok, 99% of the time he goes right. Almost all of his drives in college were to his right.

Yea, OJ Mayo

.

But, there really is no reason for a S&T to help another team when Memphis can just outright sign the person to enough money where the team doesn'twant to match ala David Lee in NY.

 

[bigmike23]

TREVISO, Italy -- Two weeks ago, Brandon Jennings' grand European experiment ended with a whimper and then, a demand.
His team, Lottomotica Roma, had just been upset in the quarterfinals of the Italian League playoffs. Jennings, who many NBA scouts predict will be a lotterypick in this month's NBA draft, hadn't played a minute in the entire playoff series.

Frustrated, and a little bit angry, Jennings had had enough. Before his team had even left the court he was on the phone with his agent.

"Get me out of here."

Within 48 hours Jennings was on a plane back home to Los Angeles. His one-year European adventure was over.

***​

Last Friday, a number of top NBA GMs headed in the opposite direction, to Italy, to watch Jennings play in the 2009 Reebok Eurocamp.

Their flights were booked weeks in advance on the promise that Jennings would attend. The buzz about seeing Jennings unleashed drew an unusually high amountof GMs to the event. But by the time they arrived on Friday, they already knew the bad news. While the Eurocamp had a number of interestinginternational prospects, the main attraction wasn't coming.

"We all came to see whether this kid can really play," one veteran GM told ESPN.com. "I'd heard the hype, watched the video and heardvarious opinions from my scouts. I wanted to see how he stacked up against other top kids his age. Then he doesn't show. He sure isn't making this easyon us. You want to like the kid, but he ain't giving you a lot to go on."

Other GMs around the league have expressed similar opinions all week. A few didn't even make the trip to Italy after they got word he backed out. Theones who are there are asking the same question: Is Jennings worthy of the hype?

The answer to that question varies widely here at the camp. I spent the weekend talking to dozens of people in Italy. Some were Italian coaches. Others wererival Italian GMs. I talked to veteran NBA international scouts, coaches and executives who have followed him closely this year.

Their descriptions of Jennings -- the player and the man -- were all virtually identical. To a man, nearly every person I spoke with described the samestrengths and weaknesses. But when it comes to making conclusions about his future in the NBA, there is no consensus.

Jennings remains the biggest enigma in this year's draft.

* * *​

Jennings shocked the college basketball world last year when he decided to skip his freshman season at Arizona and leave the NCAA behind for a professionalcontract in Rome. Some say he was motivated by low SAT scores. Others by money. A few whispered that Jennings was being controlled by basketball mogul SonnyVaccaro -- a man on a mission to buck the NCAA and all of its eligibility rules.

Jennings has been equally vilified and revered in America for his groundbreaking move. The college basketball powers that be mocked the decision. Why wouldthe NBA take seriously anyone who skipped the chance to play at a blue-chip school in one of the best conferences in the nation?

But for those who have been looking for alternative routes to the NBA outside of the indentured servitude that is big-time college basketball -- Jenningswas a trailblazer. If Jennings could do it, they argued, maybe the NCAA, now faced with real competition for the top high school prospects -- would loosen itsdraconian amateur rules. Maybe it would even think about paying its star athletes.

Despite the hopes and fears on both sides, Jennings' one-year stint in Rome wasn't everything either side had hoped for. Much to the chagrin of theanti-Jennings, pro-college contingent, virtually every NBA scout and GM who saw him play reported that he matured, both as a player and a person, in Italy. Hegot more practice time than he would ever have received in college. He was schooled in the fundamentals by one of the best developmental coaches in Europe,Serbia's Nenad Trajkovic. Most importantly, he learned how to play like a man and act like a pro on and off the court.

However, the experience itself was a mixed bag. For the pro-Jennings, anti-college crowd, Jennings' experience in Europe reads as a cautionary tale. Henever got consistent minutes. He struggled with his shot and confidence. Team politics were a major factor in whether he was playing or not. And, as Jenningstold The New York Times in January, being a 19-year-old pro in Europe wasn't everything he thought it would be.

"I've gotten paid one time this year," Jennings told the Times. "They treat me like a little kid. They don't see me as a man. If youget on a good team, you don't play a lot. Some nights you play a lot. Some nights you don't play at all. That's just the way it is."

The "way it is" posed a number of problems for NBA teams trying to scout Jennings this season. Scouting a teenager in the Italian League is alittle different from scouting him in the Pac-10.

Show up at one game, like the Euroleague contest against Tau Ceramica earlier this year, and you might see Jennings shine. Show up in March, and he mightbarely get onto the floor against weak competition.

Drop in on a practice in December, and you'd see Jennings getting picked apart by the coaching staff and veteran European and American players. See himin March, and watch him dominate those same teammates.

See Jennings make a spectacular pass worthy of the "SportsCenter" highlight reel one minute. Watch him take a bad shot and make an even uglierturnover a few minutes later.

Jennings was, to put it mildly, all over the place this season and many of the opinions from the people I spoke with varied based on when, and where, theyhad seen him.

A number of Italian coaches and GMs weren't big fans. They felt his game was too American. They said he struggled to rein in his instincts to startplaying one-on-one when a teammate missed a shot or two. They lauded his athleticism and acknowledged his abilities to do things on the floor few Europeanscould ever dream of. But when pressed, they saw an athlete, not a basketball player.

"Jennings' game is all about his athleticism," one prominent European GM told me. "Like many of the Americans we see come to Europe, hejust doesn't have a great feel for the game. No one ever taught him how or when to pass. Speed and athleticism are fine. But I want a point guard who putsthe team above their own individual game. I don't blame the young man for this. He is just the product of a corrupt development system that is ruiningAmerican basketball."

[+] Enlarge
Luca Sgamellotti/Getty ImagesBrandon Jennings made 45.7 percent of his field goals in Euroleague play.
To say that many of the Italian opinions I heard on Jennings also conformed to stereotypes that many European scouts and coaches have about virtually allAmerican players, white or black, is regrettable, but true. Much of the world doesn't hold American hoops in the same high regard as it did a decade ago. Afew dysfunctional Team USA performances and some young international prospects who were ruined when they went to the NBA play a large part in how the worldsees the American game.
But their opinions were also backed up by a number of veteran NBA scouts who questioned whether Jennings was the second coming of Allen Iverson, not Chris Paul.

"I see a lot more of Iverson to Jennings' game than I do CP3's," one veteran American scout who has watched Jennings play in both Americaand Italy said. "Iverson can dish out assists too, but he controls the tempo of a game with his own game, not by making others better. I see a lot of thatin Jennings. He makes the pass if he can make a spectacular one. If he can't, he shoots the shot. Either way his mentality is what makes him look the best,not necessarily the team."

I've seen some of what those experts describe in the 10 or so games I've watched of Jennings this season via video. More scouts say they see moreevidence of the flashy, selfish Jennings in the practices than in the games. However, I've also seen Jennings make the right decisions for his team when itmatters. He may have more work to do in that area, but so do RajonRondo and Derrick Rose.

"He's a smart kid," said one NBA coach who saw him later in the season. "You look at him in high school and now and it's clear to mehe's started to pick up the rhythm of the European game. He's never going to be a European-type of player. But neither is Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant. No matter how many Europeans you talk to, he'snever going to measure up that way. But he's trying and is showing he can be effective in the half-court game. Watch a practice and you see what he can dowhen that game starts going up and down. I think it's really important that a player learns to play both ways. Jennings has learned that thisyear."

Several veteran NBA scouts, who have been scouting both college ball and the international game for years, rolled their eyes at the criticism Jennings wasgetting.

One scout, who claimed to have watched Jennings in person during "at least a dozen games" and "tons of practices" (the most of anyperson I spoke with), was particularly adamant. He felt strongly that Jennings was one of the two or three best prospects in the draft.

"I ask two questions about every prospect. First, do they have the talent to play in the NBA? Second, have they gotten better? I think Jennings getstwo huge check marks on both accounts.

"First, Jennings is a crazy athlete. He's as quick as anyone in the draft. No one is going to be able to stay in front of him. He explodes aroundthe basket and he's a clever passer when he wants to be. We saw all of that in high school and if you watched him enough in Europe, you saw it there too.Yeah, he needs to get stronger and work on some stuff. But the raw talent is totally there."

OK, that's talent. Now here's the thing. What did he need to work on?

"Defense. He's become a much better and more committed defender this year. Everyone who has watched him play would acknowledge that.

"Basketball IQ. The European game is a thinking game. He's had to learn all sorts of things that most college kids aren't confronted with.There's no way you can argue his IQ hasn't increased.

"Understanding the team concept. That's what Europe is all about and Jennings has made great strides there. He's not perfect, but he's muchbetter than when he came.

"Shooting. You can't just look at his shooting numbers for the year. His shot is getting better. I don't think it's broken and he'sbeen taking a lot of shots.

"Maturity. Many four-year college players come overseas and can't handle the dramatic change in lifestyle. They are home before Christmas. This kidstuck it out. He left his friends and his life behind. Things didn't go his way with the team he chose. He wasn't pampered. He felt disrespected. Hedidn't complain. He showed up every day and worked his tail off. He kept getting better. What else do you want?

"In every area he's gotten better. You can't say the same thing about Jrue Holiday or Jonny Flynn or whoever you wantto put up there. This kid's learning curve has been dramatic. The numbers are just a part of the story."

That opinion was more typically shared by scouts who had seen Jennings a lot, less so by GMs who may have seen him play only once or twice.

"I'm not sure how you take a kid without a real body of work that high," one NBA GM in Treviso said. "I know this is a weak draft, butare we really taking kids who have struggled to produce in college or Europe in the lottery? I'm all for upside, but it's ridiculous. If Jenningscan't get on the floor in Italy, how does he help my team in the next couple of years? How do you take him over some really talented college kids who haveproven they can play? Jonny Flynn, Ty Lawson, Steph Curry. Those guys are talented too and they have track records."

***​

As the opinions continued to pour in over the weekend -- some pro, some con -- I caught a break Sunday night when word came to me that Jennings'development coach for the past year, Nenad Trajkovic, was in the gym scouting prospects.

Trajkovic is sort of a legend in Europe when it comes to developing young players. He spent years in Serbia preparing guys all the way back to the Vlade Divac years. He's been hired by teams around the worldto work with some of the top young talent in the world. He was hired by Jennings' team midseason as a lead assistant and spent every day with Jenningsworking on his game.

Jennings would practice up to four hours a day, sometimes longer with Trajkovic. A few hours were spent each day learning the offensive and defensiveschemes. The rest was focused on fundamental development -- ballhandling, shooting, basketball philosophy.

No one, I would submit, knows Jennings better.

"For sure, Brandon matured as a person and a player this year," Trajkovic said. "From the beginning I was concerned when I saw tape of him inthe U.S. and watched him in Italy. He was a special athlete. But he didn't know how to play the game. He liked to play one-on-one or one-on-five, notfive-on-five. He dribbled too much. He took bad shots. He made incorrect reads.

"The coach didn't trust him. This team was a veteran team. Winning was important and Brandon didn't know how to help his team win. We workedevery day on his decision-making. We worked on the pick-and-roll. We taught him defense. The plan was to bring him along slowly and then, by the middle [of theseason] he could be more trusted."

Trajkovic said that Jennings was a hard worker. He said Jennings was a quick study and that the improvement he made in the first few months was dramatic,albeit mostly in practice. However, disaster struck for Jennings when his head coach was fired and replaced with a veteran coach who felt a lot of pressure towin immediately.

"The coach didn't want to take the risk with Brandon," Trajkovic said. "He knew Brandon was improving but he felt more comfortable withveterans. You have to understand. Brandon was leaving, so why risk something for a player who will leave your team anyway?"

Trajkovic said Jennings kept working hard. They often would simulate game conditions in practice and Jennings would dominate, especially later in theseason.

"
Brandon is so much better than the talent here [pointing to the players in the Eurocamp]. He is far and away in front of them in skills and athletic ability. He needs to be competing against your best.
" -- Nenad Trajkovic, Jennings' development coach in Italy

"He kept his focus. Playing was important. But so was development. Sometimes you can't control how much you play. But you can keep working and staypositive. Brandon did this."

As the regular season ended, Jennings came down with a mild case of tendinitis in his knees. The doctors suggested he rest for a game or two. He quicklyrecovered, but by then, he was totally out of the rotation. His coach didn't want to mess with the chemistry of the team and Jennings watched, helpless onthe sidelines, as his team fell in the quarterfinals to Biella -- a team that he had played his best game in the Italian league against just a few monthsearlier. Trajkovic, for one, didn't blame Jennings for wanting to get out.

"He's a competitor. He was frustrated. He had worked every single day. There were no days off. He hadn't been home. He would have to wait morethan a week for the camp. I think he felt it was enough. I agree with this. Brandon is so much better than the talent here [Trajkovic pointing to the playersin the Eurocamp]. He is far and away in front of them in skills and athletic ability. He needs to be competing against your best."

Trajkovic wasn't always glowing in his praise. He said Jennings still had more to learn. He needed to totally buy into the team game. He needed to keeptaking jump shots (he said Jennings put up more than 30,000 while he was in Europe) and he would need to get stronger in the NBA. But he cautioned not to readtoo much into Jennings' struggles in Europe.

"I promise you. If you brought LeBron James overfrom high school straight to Europe, we would have messed him up," Trajkovic said. "We demand different things. It is not enough to do something. Youmust do it correctly. Everyone who comes, young or old, from America, has to adjust. He was able to do it better than most I have seen. One more year inEurope, and he would be a star. I don't know if the NBA feels the same way."

Jennings should find out soon. His agent, Bill Duffy, said Jennings will begin team workouts this week. He's targeting four teams at the moment: theKings (No. 4), Wizards (No. 5), Wolves (No. 6), Warriors (No. 7) and Knicks (No.

. If Jennings doesn't get the positive feedback he's looking for,he'll backfill with a few more later lottery teams like the Bucks, Pacers and Suns.

If just one GM in the top 10 falls in love, Jennings will look like a genius. He skipped the college basketball factory, earned millions of dollars andstill found his way into the lottery. If he falls, he may close the door to other prospects searching to do the same thing.

That's a lot of pressure and responsibility for a 19-year-old. But if Jennings handles things as well as he did in Europe, he may be more prophet thanfool.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com

 

[japanair21]

Franchise, I'm interested in the #1 pick, if that means anything.

 

[im not you]

Interesting article. I told dudes from Day One that dude was going to over there and struggle...but in turn would become a better player because of it.

 

[franchise3]

 

[franchise3]

 

[long beach vincey]

Good post Im Not You

People need to research Jennings' situation.

His people led him to a veteran team that had no use for Brandon. The team has two veteran primary ball handlers already. The team didn't need a player ofBrandon's skill set.

Terrible foresight by Jennings' management.

However bad it was for him over there, IMO it was better than going to college for one year and not learning nearly as much about the game and the prolifestyle.

Great article BigMike23

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

BJ

 

[eyes of hazel]

It wouldn't be a shock to me if the Wizards drafted Jennings at #5 if they can't pull off the trade with Butler to get Amare.

In fact, I encourage all of you to throw those mock drafts in the garbage.

The 25th will be a crap shoot, like the NFL draft in the 2nd round.

With such a "weak" draft, who really knows where GMs are really gonna go.

 

[philthyfill]

Originally Posted by Im Not You

Interesting article. I told dudes from Day One that dude was going to over there and struggle...but in turn would become a better player because of it.

 

[clutchshooter]

Originally Posted by dreClark

BJ

they are great.

 

[tmukg21]

Originally Posted by Clutchshooter

Originally Posted by dreClark

BJ

they are great.

I C I C

 

[kiddin like jason]

I told you dudes Patty Mills was stupid overrated.

 

[N41D]

Originally Posted by Im Not You

Interesting article. I told dudes from Day One that dude was going to over there and struggle...but in turn would become a better player because of it.

That's pretty much where I was with him too...

I said when Jennings went over there it would only be a good move for him if he went over with the right mindset, knowing he was going to struggle, knowing hewould not be allowed to really play and mature through his mistakes, and in turn would be jerked around some in favor of veteran Euro players... If he wentover there and kept his head on right, fought through all that and just took the experience for the learning experience that it was, he would come back abetter player...

Whether or not he's done that seems to still be up in the air... There's scouts that love him and scouts that don't, though that seems true forthis entire class... I don't ever hope to see kids fail, so I'd love to see him prove me wrong, because I also said I wasn't sure he was the typekid that would go over there and understand what he was getting into and keep himself motivated through the struggles...

The talent is there. The only thing I've ever wondered about with him is the ability to keep his head on straight and understand basketball situations andmaking good decisions throughout the course of a game...

 

[foshizzle]

Originally Posted by Kiddin Like Jason

I told you dudes Patty Mills was stupid overrated.

LOL he just dropped 30 points in the All-Star game at the Euro camp, and is projected as a late first rounder. Wouldn't call that "stupidoverrated." Underrated if anything.

 

[N41D]

Underrated how? Because he's might be a late first-rounder in a stupidly weak draft class?

Patty Mills is not an NBA basketball player... He's really not even a great college player...

 

[kiddin like jason]

Patty Mills' draft stock falling, nearly every scout expects second round.

Nearly every scout I spoke with in Treviso said that if Mills remains in the draft this year he will be a second rounder. His performance in Treviso did nothing to change the nosedive that his stock has taken since workouts began. One scout mentioned the fact that guards were blocking his shots during the Oakland workout and that his size was becoming an apparent issue.

 

[foshizzle]

Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Underrated how? Because he's might be a late first-rounder in a stupidly weak draft class?

Patty Mills is not an NBA basketball player... He's really not even a great college player...

Hope you're not a Jrue Holiday fan then.

St. Mary's 18-1 before Mills injury, 10-6 after.

Mills vs. Chris Paul/Deron Williams/Jason Kidd: 20pts, 3 steals, 2 assists in 28 min. as a 19 year old on the big stage.

Some players are better when the lights turn on, some are better in workouts.

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by FoShizzle

Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Underrated how? Because he's might be a late first-rounder in a stupidly weak draft class?

Patty Mills is not an NBA basketball player... He's really not even a great college player...

Hope you're not a Jrue Holiday fan then.

St. Mary's 18-1 before Mills injury, 10-6 after.

Mills vs. Chris Paul/Deron Williams/Jason Kidd: 20pts, 3 steals, 2 assists in 28 min. as a 19 year old on the big stage.

Some players are better when the lights turn on, some are better in workouts.

thats what i was going to come in here and say, some of yall hyping up rubio because he held his own in the olympics then the same can be said for mills and hewas putting his college team on his back till he got hurt

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

Originally Posted by FoShizzle

Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Underrated how? Because he's might be a late first-rounder in a stupidly weak draft class?

Patty Mills is not an NBA basketball player... He's really not even a great college player...

Hope you're not a Jrue Holiday fan then.

St. Mary's 18-1 before Mills injury, 10-6 after.

Mills vs. Chris Paul/Deron Williams/Jason Kidd: 20pts, 3 steals, 2 assists in 28 min. as a 19 year old on the big stage.

Some players are better when the lights turn on, some are better in workouts.

thats what i was going to come in here and say, some of yall hyping up rubio because he held his own in the olympics then the same can be said for mills and he was putting his college team on his back till he got hurt

I still think Patty Mills is going to be a solid PG in the league. All because the guy isn't impressive in workouts, doesn't mean heisn't going to play well in the league. I'm pretty sure Rubio may have some bad workouts if/when he works out for a select few teams. I wouldn'tsolely go by those workouts to see how well he translate to the league.

Rubio also put his ACB league team on his back by taking them to the playoffs and the team was basically trash. They had Jerome Moiso as their starting center.

The guy is poised like a veteran for his age.