Ricky Rubio Giving the Timberwolves Ultimatums?
Over the weekend, Ricky Rubio appeared on a Spanish Sports Radio Station and shared some thoughts on the upcoming season.
Over the weekend, Ricky Rubio was featured on Catalunya Radio station in Spain, his native country. When asked about his current situation, Rubio mentioned that if the Minnesota Timberwolves did not make the playoffs next season, he would have to start thinking about moving to another team.
Here is the translated quote from the interview.
"When I arrived in Minnesota, my hope was to break the seven years’ streak without a presence in the playoffs. I still have that hope, but it’s very tough mentally when year after year that goal is not met.Next season will be crucial for me. I’ve been in the NBA for five years, and six years without playoffs would be a long time. At 26, I’d have to start thinking about teams that can get to the playoffs and win in the Finals."
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This is an interesting time to make comments like these, as the franchise is just starting to look up for the first time in years, with back to back Rookie of the Year winners and a top tier Head Coach who was just hired.
It is understandable that players have personal goals they want to achieve, but Rubio has not been the most reliable player for the Timberwolves over the years either. Rubio has only played the full season of 82 games in one season, two years ago. Not to mention is he is the worst shooter in modern NBA history.
Rubio is on a team friendly contract, all though he will be the Timberwolves highest paid player next year with two years remaining on his deal. Rubio saying he will have to “start thinking about teams that can get to the playoffs” will be simply just a thought as he is not a free agent for a couple of years.
This is not similar to the past stories of Kevin Garnett or Kevin Love. Those were players who were All-Stars and were being held back from their potential by the franchise not putting a team around them. Rubio is a player who should shoulder some of the blame for this team not advancing to the playoffs.
Next: The Kris Dunn Connection
I am a Rubio believer, and with the coaching of Thibodeau behind him, I think he will be a nice option for this team. Who knows what Thibodeau thinks of him, though. I guess we will know in about three weeks. If we hear Kris Dunn’s name called on draft night, Rubio might get his wish a little faster than he thought.