L.A. Lakers: Can Ricky Rubio Solve Point Guard Problems?

The NBA is faced with uncertainty as we approach a lockout that can wipe out the season.

With this uncertainty comes the fact that teams might be faced with a stringent salary cap after the lockout ends.

As the Lakers try to build a competitive team year after year, they know that Kobe Bryant is aging and they definitely need to start getting new stars in the near future to continue their NBA dominance.

The Lakers have been weak at the point guard position for years with the legendary, but old Derek Fisher playing the point. There has been speculation that Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and perhaps even Tony Parker would come to the Lakers to give them a fresh look at the point.

However, the Lakers are also interested in bringing in Dwight Howard. Howard will surely ask for plenty of money. Combine Howard's contract with Kobe Bryant's and Pau Gasol's large contracts and the Lakers are all of a sudden near the salary cap.

One break the Lakers do get is that they don't have to pay Phil Jackson eight figures anymore. Although the coach's salary does not show up in the salary cap, it does affect the way a team can spend over the cap. By not having to pay Jackson anymore, the Lakers can be more comfortable going over the cap.

But what if after the lockout, the new CBA has a hard salary cap much like the NHL's system where teams cannot spend over the cap at all?

What options do the Lakers now have for a solid yet affordable point guard?

How about Ricky Rubio?

It sounds like an odd choice. Rubio hasn't played particularly great in his seasons at FC Barcelona. He's never averaged more than 10.2 points per game in the Spanish League and his production has fallen off in the last two seasons. He's barely a 40% shooter and even his assist totals are not that high with only 3.5 per game this season.

But let's be real. Rubio's teammates in Barcelona have no where near the talent level as the Lakers do. They don't have Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum (or Dwight Howard), Ron Artest, and Lamar Odom. If Rubio is on the Lakers, he'll have better players to work with and it'll be a lot easier for him to facilitate. In Barcelona he has to be the guy. Even on the Wolves, he'll have to be the guy.

Rubio was the fifth overall pick for a reason. He has some talent and he could definitely play in the NBA. NBA scouts aren't stupid. They know how to measure talent and there's a reason why Rubio was picked so high even with the risk of him not playing in the NBA.

Some say that he doesn't want to play in the NBA. But it's not that he doesn't want to play in the NBA. It's that he doesn't want to play in Minnesota. Right now he's an icon in Barcelona, which by the way is a beautiful European city with beautiful women all over the place. Rubio is a 20 year old superstar.

He does not want to be spending his January in negative temperatures shoveling snow in St. Paul. He'd rather be going to nightclubs and flirting with cute bartenders. Playing in Los Angeles is a lot more enticing for Rubio where he'll be playing in an international city with a great nightlife.

Getting Rubio makes even more sense because he'll be groomed by possibly the greatest Spaniard of all time, Pau Gasol. Pau will take Ricky under his wings and guide him in the NBA. They have experience playing together on the Spanish National Team so that can only help. Playing with the likes of NBA legends like Kobe and Pau will only be a good thing for Rubio and will provide him with great experience.

Finally, most importantly, Rubio makes the most sense economically. The Lakers can probably pay him the mid-level exception or probably less. Whatever they pay him, he'll make a lot less than Chris Paul or Deron Williams.

This gives them some room to go after another veteran point guard just in case Rubio does not pan out. It's a low risk, high reward move. If he doesn't pan out, the Lakers can always move him to the bench. He's also very young at 20 years old and if he does blossom into something great, then the Lakers will have yet another star for many years.

The Lakers eventually have to get their point guard problems addressed. Would Rubio work? Or should the Lakers pay top dollar for the most important position on the court?