Ricky Rubio is finally with a new team after being traded to the Utah Jazz. The change in scenery is a big sigh of relief and the budding Spaniard plans to give management their money’s worth. Things have not exactly been smooth for Rubio since invading the league back in 2009. He was selected fifth overall by the Jazz and was touted as one of the more promising guards in the league. The only problem with the 26-year-old is his ability to score. Known more as a passer, Rubio has received criticism for his lack of outside shooting.
Reset in Utah
The thing with Rubio is that he is a great passer.
He knows how to make his teammates look good, meaning big guys like Rudy Gobert should benefit from his on-court leadership. Things would have been more interesting had Gordon Hayward stayed on. As most know, the All-Star forward has taken his act to the Boston Celtics. Hence, Rubio finds himself with a team technically rebuilding. Gobert is seen as the new rising star of the franchise with the Spaniard expected to play an important role, mostly on the offensive end. The Jazz are a strong defensive team so Rubio will need to find ways to facilitate and push the ball. With plenty of young players to run the floor with, the Jazz should be a joy to watch next season.
The only thing missing for Rubio
There is no question that Rubio is one of the best playmakers in the NBA – assuming he stays healthy. Injuries hampered the 26-year-old early in his career. Add up the fact that the Minnesota Timberwolves were under new management, things changed with Rubio watching helplessly. Rubio failed to get on the same page with Tom Thibodeau, and despite being groomed as a pillar with the T-Wolves, his stock slowly declined and it was the reason why his name suddenly made headlines.
In an article for Deseret News, Rubio could not help but share his excitement. He explained how being traded is not fun and how it was weird considering the fact that he spent six years in Minnesota. Regardless, Rubio is out to prove detractors wrong, including the T-Wolves who lost faith in his abilities.
Rubio is slowly settling down and seems pretty comfortable in Utah already.
He has two years left on his contract worth $29 million, more than enough time to prove that he is worth every penny. If his stint turns out well, Utah could be home for him for years to come. However, that depends on how well he is able to develop his outside shooting – something that he still needs to work on.
