Why Ricky Rubio's NBA Future Will Be Helped by Season-Ending Injury

The Minnesota Timberwolves' magical resurgence received a crushing blow over the weekend, as rookie point guard Ricky Rubio was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee and ruled out for the season. 

The Spanish sensation was just what the doctor ordered for Minnesota, averaging 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game on the season.  At the time of his injury, the Timberwolves were a game out of the final playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

Still, that doesn't mean that Rubio was without his flaws.  On the season, he only shot about 36 percent from the floor.  Over his previous four games, he shot 28 percent.  Simply put, despite being an obvious talent, Rubio still has a lot to learn on the NBA level and that is why his season-ending injury is a blessing in disguise.

Rubio entered a tough NBA situation to begin with, as he is on a team coached by future Hall of Famer Rick Adelman. 

For those unaware of his coaching style, Adelman's system is reliant on a few factors: a versatile power forward, a consistent shooter at small forward and a point guard who can pass the ball as well as he shoots it.  He had this very approach working for him in Sacramento with Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby.

Adelman has the very same in Minnesota by way of Kevin Love and Michael Beasley, but there's just something missing at point guard.  Rubio's talent is there, but his scoring could use a lot of work.  He was a highly-touted scoring point guard when he was drafted fifth overall in 2009, and his field goal percentage this season is far from what it should be.

That being said, Rubio should use his newly extended time on the sidelines to take a step back and reassess his first NBA season.  He should watch the team's play down the stretch and analyze how he can make himself and his teammates better as the Timberwolves look to bounce back after a string of bad seasons.

If he comes back at 100 percent and uses his time off to do just that, then there's no telling how great a point guard he can be for the rest of his career.  He's still young at just 21 years old, so he has plenty of time to work on his flaws.

Throw in the fact that he already has some great players with which to work, and the sky's the limit for him once he's healthy.