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- Rubio’s arrival breathes life into a Wolves franchise that has been bleeding money for years. He’s created excitement this month among the hard core fan base and made marginal fans pay attention.
- Rubio will wear jersey No. 9 and the aggressive Wolves marketing department announced the availability of $9 tickets last week. Wolves owner Glen Taylor has reported annual losses of more than $10 million in a season, and can only hope that Rubio is such a big box office hit that his franchise eventually exhausts ticket availability in all categories.
- That’s not going to happen for all 41 home games next season but a smashing Rubio debut changes the basketball landscape in this town. The Wolves have been awful for years and the basketball Gophers haven’t capitalized on the opportunity. If the two products are stocks, a buyer has to be thinking the Wolves are a “potential buy.”
- While Rubio’s arrival helps close “the hole in Taylor’s wallet,” it also boosts the resume of beleaguered general manager David Kahn. He’s made some much criticized moves (see Steph Curry, 2009 draft and DeMarcus Cousins, 2010 draft) but just signing Rubio exceeds the expectations of the most negative critics who said he would never agree to play in small market Minneapolis for the woeful Wolves.
- Rubio’s signing means the Wolves are likely to trade 22-year-old point guard Jonny Flynn and keep 30-year-old Luke Ridnour for comfort and security. It also means that should Cleveland choose not to take Duke point guard Kyrie Irving No. 1 overall in Thursday night’s NBA draft, the Wolves will either pick Irving at No. 2 and trade him, or pass on him for another player.
- With Rubio at point guard, the Wolves will have one of the NBA’s best passing and most unselfish teams. In the money and glory selfish NBA, that’s a refreshing sentence to write. Not only will Rubio often pass first and shoot second, so too will Love and center Darko Milicic.
- Rubio’s arrival gives substance to the franchise mantra of “Run with the Wolves.” The scheme will include Love rebounding and outleting the ball to Rubio from the defensive end. Rubio moves to the middle of the court and sees all the fast break possibilities including teammates running ahead of him. Rubio deftly makes a long bounce pass, or a pinpoint alley-oop pass.
- Even in June the anticipation of it all quickens the pulses of Wolves fans and commands the attention of those who have been in hiding for years. Ricky Rubio just might make the dreary winters ahead seem shorter and more pleasant.
