Ricky Rubio Is the Real Deal

Make no mistake about it, the Minnesota Timberwolves got the best player in the NBA Draft. Though Blake Griffin was the clear choice as the No. 1 player in the draft, Ricky Rubio—Minnesota's pick at No. 5—could potentially be the guy who will define the '09 draft.

Griffin was the safe pick. He is the most polished player and the most NBA-ready among his peers. The bad news is, he's going to the L.A. Clippers. As soon as he puts on that Clippers uniform, he'll find himself on the injury list faster than you can say...Danny Manning.

Rubio is the great unknown. At 18 years old, he is the youngest player in the draft but he is also the most seasoned, having played professionally in Europe since he was 14. To borrow a line from draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., Rubio has a "high ceiling" and has more room to grow than Griffin and Hasheem Thabeet. Right now, the young Spaniard from DKV Joventut in Badalona plays more on instinct and needs to clean up some his bad habits.

But behind the raw potential is a budding superstar.

The Orlando Magic were put in the same predicament in the 2004 draft. They had to choose between the more polished and NBA-ready Emeka Okafor or the young, untapped potential in Dwight Howard. The Magic rolled with Howard and the rest is history.

Rubio's 6' 4" frame and long arms are two huge pluses for a point guard. He can also play defense—something most foreign-born NBA players have trouble understanding. The T-Wolves can insert him the back court with the 5' 10" Sebastian Telfair and won't be killed too much on defense. Telfair can defend the point and Rubio can stay with the shooting guards.

Because of his mop-like haircut and his thin frame, the comparisons to "Pistol" Pete Maravich are undeniable. Even though Rubio has a little bit of Pistol Pete in him, his game is very much an original, and he brings a different swag to the table.

ESPN's Fran Fraschilla said Rubio "has an incredible off the charts basketball IQ."

"He is one of the best passers I've ever seen," Fraschilla said of Rubio, who was born to run the pick-and-roll, and will greatly benefit from having skilled big men like Kevin Love and Al Jefferson.

"You can put him in the same category (as a passer) with, and this is sacrilegious, with Pistol Pete, Magic, Larry Bird, Steve Nash and on and on," Fraschilla continued. "He has a Gretzky-like feel. He sees the game two or three plays ahead. He would have been a major star in college ball without a doubt."

Aside from his Euroleague experience, Rubio also gained valuable court time during the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a member of the Spanish national team that lost to the United States in the gold-medal game. How many teenage point guards can say they went head-to-head against Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Jason Kidd and lived to tell about it?

Check that. How many point guards among the general population have held their ground against CP3, D-Will and J-Kidd in a championship game? The very short list has Rubio's name on it.

Jonathan Givony of Draft Express wrote this about Rubio...

"His 51 point, 24 rebound, 12 assist and seven steal game in the Under-16 European Championship game is already a thing of legend. His debut in the strongest league in Europe came at age 14. He won the FIBA EuroCup in 2006, and the ULEB Cup in 2008. He was a key cog in helping a Rudy Fernandez-led squad win the pr