Please welcome back Ricky Rubio and his super fun passes
The Minnesota Timberwolves currently own one of the worst records in the NBA, but they have plenty of reason to celebrate. Fan favorite point guard and ostensible team leader Ricky Rubio returned Monday night after more than two months on the shelf with a fairly serious injury that was initially diagnosed as a high ankle sprain and turned out to include ligament and muscle damage. Nevertheless, he worked his way back as soon as possible and is now around to meld with promising young players like Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine to create the franchise’s core.
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On a more superficial note, though, it’s nice to have Rubio back simply because he’s a lot of fun to watch. He showed why in the second quarter of Wednesday night’s game against the Miami Heat. After getting the ball in in transition, Rubio found a streaking Anthony Bennett with an arguably unnecessary but still very awesome no-look bounce pass. Take a look at the dish and dunk (via EOB):
Bennett and other young Wolves figure to benefit considerably from Rubio’s presence. While the Spaniard has his weaknesses — shooting above all others — his court vision and spatial awareness allow him to create for players who might otherwise struggle to score on their own. Minnesota is still headed for a high lottery pick no matter what, but the sight of Rubio finding his teammates allows the franchise and its fans to dream of a better tomorrow.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
