On OKC drafting Ricky Rubio: “It wouldn’t be a bad situation for me, but I’ll just leave it up to Oklahoma City and hopefully they make they right decisions.”

On being a point guard: “I feel like I’m a true 1. I’ve been playing point guard all my life and I’ve been trying to get better at it and learning different things especially in the NBA, point guard is a tough position.”

On what he wants to see the team do: “Whatever’s good for the team, I’m going to try my best to contribute to the team any way I can.”

On the “You trippin’” quote: “I don’t recall saying that. I don’t remember saying that at all.” (Though I will note, Westbrook had a huge smile and was laughing. Take that for what it’s worth.)

So, either someone grabbed Westbrook’s collar and told him he better speak right on Rome, or all those reports were hooey. It didn’t seem like he wasn’t speaking freely, but it’s unfair to speculate about what he may or may not have really been thinking.

Again, I’m sure he’s not super-psyched about the situation, but I get the feeling he’d get used to it. Especially when he can free-range and just roam the court and doesn’t have to worry about setting up teammates and running an offense. We’ll see. Just two hours left party people.

But one thing’s holding some people back on Rubio, potentially one of those people even being Russell Westbrook. The Thunder’s already got a point guard and he may not want to move over.

When Westbrook was asked about Rubio getting picked by OKC, which would mean he’d slide to the 2 he replied, “You trippin’.” Doesn’t sound like he’s thrilled about the idea. But you never know how he said it. He may have said it with a huge grin on his face and maybe followed up with, “Of course I’m down with doing whatever’s best for the team though.” Westbrook has said repeatedly that he wants to be a point guard and I don’t doubt him. I wanted to be an astronaut but at some point I had to realize maybe that wasn’t happening. (Not to say Russ isn’t a point guard by any means. I’m just saying that if he has to slide over, I’m sure he’d rather play than sit.)

I know the report today is that Westbrook wouldn’t be happy about Rubio stepping in. And that’s fine, I’d understand that. But I don’t think it should be taken as a “You’re not a point guard, move over” type of thing. And I don’t think Westbrook would take it that way. Sure, maybe he’d be a little bothered by the fact he was getting pushed over for the new guy, but the game of basketball is a free flowing thing. It’s not like the Colts drafting Sam Bradford and telling Peyton Manning he has to be a tight end. The ball will still be in Westbrook’s hands plenty and he’ll probably stay every bit the point guard he is right now. Because if we’re honest with ourselves, and Russ is honest with himself, it’s not like he’s going to be a player like Steve Nash that racks up 15 or 16 assists. He’s a scoring point guard and that’s what he wants to be.

I worry a little about offending Russ. He seems intent on being a point guard and I’d hate to hurt his confidence by bringing in Rubio. If that report is accurate, then that’s a little bothersome. It doesn’t sound like the Westbrook I’ve watched and listened to for a year though. He never struck me as a prima-donna, I-get-what-I-want-and-I’ll-ask-out-if-I-don’t-get-it kind of player. He seems like a do-what’s-best-for-the-team kind of guy. But I could be wrong.

And I’d understand Westbrook being a little bothered by it.  That’s natural. You don’t want to feel like what you did last year wasn’t good enough. But hopefully any animosity and chemistry issues could be put aside for the sake of a good team. But if that’s not possible, hear me now – don’t mess with a good thing. Take Harden, take Curry, God-forbid take Thabeet. If Westbrook is truly serious, I’d rather have a guy that just finished a rookie season 15-5-5 and has the whole league buzzing over an 18-year-old that nobody really knows anything about outside of a few Internet videos. But that’s just me.But I think the two can play together as a combo point. Just like some baseball teams have a closer by committee, OKC could have point guard by committee. But this would have them both pitching at the same time. Sure there’s questions about them both being “below-average” jumpshooters. But it’s not like their not going to get better. Westbrook is 19. Rubio is 18. Umm, I think they’ll improve their shots.

My theory about Sam Presti’s strategy is that he prefers tweeners. He likes guys that can move over a spot and play shooting guard. Or maybe they can play big and step in at the 4. He likes the flexibility versatile players give him. That way in situations like this, he has breathing room. When Presti drafted Westbrook last year, I don’t think he had an idea of where he was going to play. He just knew Westbrook had the ability and the skill to get it done. A guy like Stephen Curry is the same way. He doesn’t fit a position perfectly, but he’s too good to keep off the court so you figure it out.

If the Thunder were to take Ricky Rubio tomorrow night, that flexibility would come in handy. Westbrook could just slide to the 2-guard, right? Potentially wrong. Because I think Presti may even want moreversatility on the court. As in two point guards. We saw it a ton last year. Westbrook and Earl Watson together for extended minutes. Shaun Livingston and Russ together. Chucky Atkins and Westbrook. Kyle Weaver running point with Westbrook off the ball. There’s nothing wrong with two ball-handlers on the court together. In fact, that could make the offense that much more dynamic.

Rubio is the distributor. The guy that wants to pass, wants to make teammates better. And Westbrook could continue to do what he likes doing – driving recklessly at the bucket and scoring and creating. Just because Russ would technically be penciled in at shooting guard in the box score doesn’t mean he would have the ball in his hands. They can feed off each other. If Presti took Curry I think the same thing would happen. Heck, if he took James Harden I think Westbrook and Harden would share a lot of the ball-handling duties. Even if OKC goes with Thabeet, you’ll see a lot of Livingston-Westbrook, Thabo-Westbrook, Weaver-Westbrook anyway. Scott Brooks said one time that he sees five point guards playing together in the NBA in 10 years. Maybe that’s the vision they have now.

But people don’t seem to necessarily get the idea of Westbrook and Rubio together. They don’t seem to understand that while Westbrook is a fantastic talent, he’s not necessarily a pure point guard. And he probably won’t ever be. But that’s a good thing. Westbrook wasn’t drafted to stand out front, take five shots, pass and cut through and have 14 assists. He’s a playmaker, a rover, a guy that just lets the flow of the game direct him. Westbrook is a hybrid player that can fit and flow in most any situation. And that’s what makes him such a dynamic talent. Coupling that with a player like Rubio could render fantastic results. And I’m sure if Westbrook doesn’t understand that today, that could be easily explained to him.
 
Like I said, this could be the best thing for Westbrook. Being in a backcourt with another guy that can distribute and set him up so that he can roam the floor and fly around like he loves to. Just because Ricky Rubio’s name is called tomorrow night with the third pick doesn’t mean the Russell Westbrook point guard experience is over. It’s still just beginning. You could make a case that Dwyane Wade plays as much point as Mario Chalmers. Or that Brandon Roy is as much a point guard as Steve Blake. In this league players aren’t type-cast for a position anymore. You better be able to move over or move around or we’ll find someone that can. It’s OK for a guy to be versatile. Heck, like I said, I think that’s Presti’s intent.

Honestly, I’m not sure it’s going to matter a whole lot who Presti picks. Much of what shapes a draft pick is the situation they find themselves in. And either Harden or Rubio will walk into a place with a ton of talent, a hungry coach and a management plan that’s as good as you’ll find. This team will attempt to execute the vision Presti and Scott Brooks have regardless of who is wearing the jerseys.

Of course this is all irrelevant if someone else’s name is called tomorrow night. But I just don’t want anyone to freak out about the idea of a Rubio-Westbrook backcourt. Especially someone named Russell Westbrook. I actually get pretty excited thinking about it. And I would hope everyone else would too.

If I had to guess right now, I think OKC takes Rubio. I would have said Harden two days ago, but I think Presti wants Rubio. Ask me again in 10 minutes and I’ll be back to Harden. Another five and maybe I’ll think Curry. Another 15 and maybe I’ll say Thabeet. To which I’ll plunge myself into a bed of hot coals.

But we’ll all know tomorrow night and I think we’ll be alright with whatever happens. Say it with me, I Believe In Sam Presti.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have hired a prestigious Barcelona law firm to assist them should they draft Spanish guard Ricky Rubio.

Rubio has a large buyout with Spanish team DKV Joventut Badalona, and Thunder officials are using the firm to brief them on the country’s contract law and procedures. Thunder GM Sam Presti met with Rubio and his agent this past weekend.

Rubio reportedly has made progress on lowering his buyout to $4 million, still a hefty cost, but he also reportedly could be allowed to make payments over several years.

Does that mean anything substantial? Have the Thunder and Rubio come to some sort of agreement? I really have no idea. All I know is that OKC appears ready to pick Ricky Rubio.

Plus, listen to the B.S. Report today to hear Simmons and Chad Ford talk about Rubio’s NBA readiness, the brilliance of Sam Presti and how the Thunder will be everybody’s favorite team if they take Rubio (fast forward to about 21 minutes in; h/t Dustin).

Just as the notion of Ricky Rubio in a Kings uniform is seeming less likely by the day, there is this unsurprising news: he is moving on.

A source with knowledge of the situation said Rubio was visited in Los Angeles today by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the No. 3 pick in the June 25 draft. This matters mostly because Rubio’s visit in Sacramento this week came with unspoken terms, an understanding of sorts that a Rubio promise on the Kings’ part could have stopped his American tour with just one concert. But that clearly never happened, and certainly not only because Rubio was unable to get on the floor Thursday when he fell ill.

Well wouldn’t you like to know how that went? I’m truly beginning to think Sam Presti has his targets narrowed to three or four. With under a week left, he’s surely got his guys he likes with option A, B and C. (And if you’re wondering who I think those may be, I’m thinking James Harden, Rubio and Stephen Curry. With of course the option to see a trade.)

Also, Outside the Lines had a great feature on Rubio Friday with Fran Fraschilla adding some excellent commentary on the Spanish point guard. Definitely worth a watch. Let me tell you, I have no idea what to really think of Rubio, but every time I see something like this, I get excited about him.

Oh and in case you didn’t see it, Hasheem Thabeet canceled his workout with the Grizzlies, citing a shoulder injury. Add another red flag to the previous 200 piled up on him. That means he hasn’t worked out for a single team before the draft and also didn’t work out at the combine. Yeah, that’s not exactly encouraging stuff from a potential top five pick. Just say no Presti. Just say no.

Chad Ford reported that Rubio went back to Los Angeles to get ready for his next move. He could possibly try working out for Sacramento again, but Ford had this interesting little nugget:

Sources close to the situation continue to insist that, in the end, the most likely scenario is Rubio going to the Kings at No. 4 if he’s still on the board. If he’s gone, it sounds like Flynn has moved into second place.

However, the focus on Rubio in the coming days may shift to Oklahoma City. The Thunder continue to show strong interest in Rubio and are pushing for a meeting, physical and a review of Rubio’s contract in Spain. If Rubio feels better and is up for the visit, that’s where he’ll head next.

How awesome would that be for Rubio’s first workout to be in Oklahoma City? Everyone is so intrigued by the Spanish enigma and nobody really knows what he is. But instead of running drills for the team that posts every workout on YouTube, his first NBA workout could be with the team that not even David Stern could probably get in and see. I think Sam Presti has the Integris practice facility surrounded by the National Guard.

Granted, Ford didn’t mention a specific workout, instead just a physical, a review of Rubio’s contract and a meeting, but I’d imagine they’d have him lace ‘em up for a little bit. But don’t plan on finding out for sure. The Thunder might have Rubio swim in a tank of ketchup filled with sharks and we’d never know it.

Well, put it like this: If he was in a workout with me [and fellow point-guards] Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday, Tywon Lawson, Stephen Curry, he wouldn’t probably be at the top.

But he wasn’t finished. He was then asked if he thought he was a better player than Rubio.

Yeah, I think I’m a better player than he is. I just shoot the ball better than he can. The only thing I’ve seen him do sometimes is when he has a home-run pass or something like that. I think the dude is just all hype. I can’t even front. I’m just going to be real with you guys.

Strong words. (And how awkward was that for poor Jonny Flynn. He was just trying to laugh it off.) And yes, Rubio didn’t score in their head-to-head, but he played just eight minutes, according to this USA Today recap of the game. Rubio also didn’t attempt a shot as he was still playing one-handed due to his broken wrist. Jennings had 12 points and two assists in 23 minutes.

Lang Whitaker of SLAM was there and has an incredibly detailed recap of the game:

With 5:52 left in the first and the score tied at 10, Ricky checks in. Six seconds later he strips Jaaber for a steal. Brandon responds by running out on a break and getting a layup. He immediately goes coast to coast again and scores two more … I find myself watching Brandon more than Ricky, because I already know Ricky can play at the next level — I mean, dude was holding his own at the Olympics against the Redeem Team. Brandon’s the more unknown commodity right now, although I’ve watched five minutes of this game and I see no reason he won’t be going in the lottery next year.

Whitaker also says he thought Jennings had more than just two assists in the game, but didn’t declare either a better player than the other, calling both of them “lottery players.”

Obviously, I think this is a case of a kid in Jennings who has been bypassed by Rubio in the hype department and Jennings is trying to steal back a little of that spotlight. How could he really know if Rubio was the real deal in just eight minutes? They barely got to see either of each other. Now, as I’ve written before, I do agree that the hype machine is a bit out of control with Rubio, but Jennings’ comments were strange. They came off as straight up boasting. Like, “Don’t look at him. Look at me.” But it is all a business and everybody is out to help themselves. And he’s sure to have people talking about both him and Rubio.

I think Brandon Jennings is a better player than people think he is. He was the top recruit in the country in 2008 before he decided to play in Europe. He’s a skilled point guard. But I don’t see how he’s helping himself trying to run down Rubio. At first I figured his comments had weight since he played against Rubio. But now that you look at the details and facts of the situation, you see it’s nothing more than just talk. Between this and the comments he had about Tyreke Evans and Holliday, it’s pretty clear that Jennings can run his mouth a little bit.

We know about as much about Ricky Rubio as we do about Brandon Jennings. Except we’ve seen Rubio take on the best in the world. We’ve yet to see more than a mixtape and some workout footage from Jennings.

But then again, make what you want of it. Just 12 more days…

Rubio dashes across halfcourt and busts out his signature play, the fake-behind-the-back-wrap-around.  It’s truly a fantastic play that not only brings you to your feet and makes you start clapping out of pure reaction, but also a slick play that helped score two points. But best of all, it’s sexy. It’s flashy. It just looks awesome. And because of plays like that, we’re lured into this young prospect and we don’t even really know why. We watch the mixtapes with the no-look lobs, the between-the-legs dishes and the behind-the-back-wrap-arounds. For the same reason people like And 1 Mixtapes, they like Ricky Rubio. He epitomizes the beauty of basketball. Nothing showcases how breathtaking the game can be like a perfectly executed pass. And because of this, we’ve fallen for this guy, yet we don’t really even know anything about him.

Henry Abbott had a tremendous breakdown of Ricky Rubio this week and it really hit my brain hard. Why are we all so high on this guy? Myself definitely included.

Driving home from the draft lottery late Tuesday I was a little overwhelmed by one thought:

I don’t know enough about Ricky Rubio. I must have heard 100 smart people sing his praises that night. He’s the one player with real buzz. A guard who is almost unassailed as the second best prospect in the 2009 NBA draft.

But what does he do? What are his NBA skills? On what basis do we believe he’s a truly special basketball player? Is he really good enough that he can be picked high without even working out against his contemporaries? What could I see Ricky Rubio do that would make clear how it is he’s a better bet than Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, Ty Lawson, Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Darren Collison, Patrick Mills, Nick Calathes, Eric Maynor, Sergio Llull, A.J. Price, Nando de Colo and the like?

At the lottery, everybody said the same admiring things about his feel for the game, handle, vision, leadership … but sometimes these ideas leap from mind to mind without ever touching ground. I found myself looking around the room and wondering: How much have you even seen Rubio play? What kind of vetting has he had?

Read Henry’s breakdown. He’s basically saying everything I’m saying here, but much better. So if you want to just open a new tab and read Henry’s article and never read another word of this, I won’t be offended. Seriously, go right ahead. But today, Chad Ford dropped this little nugget that’s sure to get people chattering:

“Speaking of Rubio, I encountered a number of NBA GMs and scouts this week who were pretty skeptical about Rubio’s NBA future. They see him as an average athlete who can’t shoot well and who is turnover prone, and wonder aloud why he’s ranked so high.

A few GMs said Rubio isn’t in their top five. While I’ve heard doubts expressed before, the skepticism was expressed much more strongly this week by more execs. I’m going to keep digging. Maybe Henry Abbott struck a chord with his TrueHoop post on Rubio.

In any case, if Memphis and Oklahoma City decide against Rubio and don’t trade either of their picks to a team that wants to move up to get him, it’s hard to see the Sacramento Kings passing on Rubio at No. 4.”

Well then. You have to wonder how much of this is posturing. Maybe Donnie Walsh is saying this because he’s praying Rubio will drop all the way down to him. Maybe Geoff Petrie is running around saying, “Nah, he’s not that good. Seriously guys, he can’t even shoot!” but is lighting Spanish vigils each night before he goes to bed. You can never tell with these guys. They’re all playing the game and they all want their guy. So it may mean nothing and in fact, it probably does mean nothing.

But regardless, it made me think, when it comes down to it, how much of where Rubio is at is based on hype? I know that I’ve only seen him play a total of six full games. For most of my opinion, I’ve deferred to people smarter than me and people that have seen more of him than me. But as we draw closer to June 25th, you have to ask yourself, “Is he really all that awesome? Can he step in and play in this league right now?” I don’t think any of us know. While every player – Blake Griffin included – is really a question mark when it comes down to it, we at least have some sampling size to work with. We know Jonny Flynn can play against college basketball’s best players. Same with Ty Lawson. Same with James Harden. Heck, same with Hasheem Thabeet. But what do we know of Rubio? That he was okay in the Olympics? That he averaged 10 points, six assists in Europe this season? That he’s got some truly bad ace highlight tapes?

Lots of people do compare him to Pete Maravich. I see the look alike-ness with the hair and the flashy passes, but keep this in mind – Pistol averaged 44.2 points a game at LSU. For his career. Rubio averaged just over 10 this year in Spain. So don’t get too carried away there. Just because Liam Neeson sort of looks like Scott Brooks, doesn’t mean he can coach a basketball team.

This is what happens a lot. The hype ball gets rolling to where it finally reaches the tipping point – everybody has bought in so now if you go against the grain, you just don’t know anything. Or it tips the other way and people look for the negatives. I think we’ve sort of reached that point with Rubio.

But with the hype, because everybody is on board, we just assume. We don’t really know, but since somebody else said so, it’s got to be true. Sometimes the hype is for real, sometimes not. But right now with Rubio, a lot of people are making blanket statements (myself absolutely included) about a player I honestly know fairly little about. Why? Because everyone else said he was great. And most of the time, that’s good enough for me.

Now I know a lot of folks like Rubio and don’t get me wrong, I do too. I still have him as my second best player. But I’m not locked into him. He does have serious point guard skills. He has wonderful court vision. He has a feel for the game that’s impossible to teach. That much is obvious, even just with some 10-minute highlight tape. But the inevitable question always pops up: He played in Europe against second or maybe even third-tier players – what happens against the elite of the NBA? We have to ask that with every prospect, but you have to ask it even more with a guy like Rubio. He played against, I don’t know, maybe 5-10 future pros in Europe. Blake Griffin, Ty Lawson, James Harden, Hasheem Thabeet, Jordan Hill and Co. played almost every game against at least one guy that was going to have a chance at the next level. There is a difference. And it matters.

Like I said, I don’t know what to think about all of it. It may be GM silliness, it may be serious talk or it may be something else. But when I ask myself point blank, Why do I like Ricky Rubio?, it’s hard to have an answer. If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll have to admit that you haven’t seen him play all that much and you really don’t know a ton about him. And I don’t like having to base my opinion of a player on the opinions of others. I like to have watched a player enough to know on my own. That’s not the case with Rubio. So in the end, I’m left asking, “Is it all hype? Or can the guy play?” And if I’m being honest, I think it’s a combination of both. I’d be freaking stoked if he fell into the Thunder’s lap at three. But I think that may be more because I’m fascinated by his lure and not by his play. That may not make sense, but it does to me and that’s all that matters.

Rubio could make a great pro. I tend to think he’s going to need at least two years to adapt to the pro game. He’s not a change-your-team-as-soon-as-he-steps-on-the-floor kind of guy. He’s a slow cooker – somebody that marinates a bit and then it clicks all of a sudden. But when guys come in with the kind of hype he does, they need to produce fairly quickly, or they’re labeled a bust right away. Henry articulated that perfectly in his piece on him.

For some reason, I’ve been hooked by the floppy-haired Spaniard. No matter what, I just think he’s going to be awesome. But I don’t really know why I think this. Maybe it’s the Lure of Rubio or maybe it’s for real. He is just 18, mind you. He’s got a lot of time to develop. And who cares whether or not you think he fits with the Thunder. That’s not really the point here. The question is, is he worth our time? Is he actually the player we all think he is or is the just hype? What do we actually know about him? Lucky for us, we don’t have to decide. But we do reserve the right to complain.

NBA general managers say no, but some fanbases say yes. At Sactown Royalty they voted on it and the vote was literally split between Rubio and Griffin. So I guess some folks see reason to take Ricky over Blake.

While some teams may have reasons (the Kings and Timberwolves are pretty “set” in their frontcourts), others just seem to like Rubio’s potential “star” power and play making potential. But what about Oklahoma City? You’ve got native hero Blake Griffin who could plug one of the biggest holes in your squad. He’s humble, he’s tough and he’s a tremendously hard worker. Oh, and he’s really, really good at basketball.

But again, Rubio’s got star quality. He’s got the floppy hair and the Maravich comparisons. He’s a flashy passer with a flashy game and is a potential marketing mega-giant. And he’s the pure point guard Russell Westbrook is not. He’s pass first, score second and sets up teammates. He’s one of the world’s best defenders (supposedly) and has great size (6-4) for his position.

So is there any way Oklahoma City takes Rubio over Griffin if given the chance? Does it make any sense for the Thunder to take the young Spaniard over the bruising Oklahoman?

No.

Next question.