Apr 23, 2018; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Ricky Rubio (3) dribbles up the court during the second half of game four of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
With Frank Ntilikina proving to be a menace on defense for the New York Knicks, his offensive game is still very much undeveloped. Going into his sophomore season, the young French point guard will be looking to change that narrative, as he averaged a dismal 5.9 points per game last season.
With a field goal percentage hovering around .364, Ntilikina has a long way to go before he can be considered one of the more efficient PGs in the league.
This brings us to the question of this article:
Ricky Rubio finished the 2017 season with the Utah Jazz averaging 13.1 points per game, the highest in his seven years as professional, and finished up with a .418 field goal percentage. His offensive capabilities are much more enticing than the young Ntilikina’s, but then again, Rubio hovered around .360 FG% for the first two years of his career.
Ultimately, the reason for this signing would be for Rubio to take the reigns while Frank comes off the bench and provides defensive support and depth. It would allow for him to develop his overall game and prepare himself for the future. Rubio will be making close to $15 million next season, so he will likely be asking for a max contract. The Knicks will likely only be able to fit one big-deal under their salary-cap.
Would it be wise to spend it on an aging point guard? Maybe, considering his history of good health and productivity, making him an offer might be a solid move. Alternatively, the Knicks could go after Kyrie Irving, and we all know what he’s capable of. The issue is, he could turn out to be the next Derrick Rose in New York – playing sparingly and living out his contract on the injury reserve.
The interesting part about Rubio is that he’s more than capable of playing defense too. He averages two steals per game and is one of the best passers in the league. His ability to set up his offensive weapons makes him dangerous at all times, and an assist specialist is something the Knicks have missed in recent years.
Having a player like Rubio to work with Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson could take the Knicks’ offense to the next level.
This post was published on 2018-08-17 08:15
