Post by stephenlion on Apr 21, 2013 5:40:00 GMT -5
Minnesota-- After spending a few months working his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, it was exactly an ideal situation for Ricky Rubio to come back to have to carry a major load (albeit in minor minutes, at first) for a Minnesota Timberwolves team with leading scorer and rebounder Kevin Love and expected rotation wings Shevd and Stuckey. But that's the hand he and his team were dealt, and so the 22-year-old Spaniard has played it, with less-than-stellar results; he's shooting just 44.9 percent from the floor and 30 percent from 3-point range.
Rubio spoke with us for a few moments at an Adidas promotional event on Saturday morning about his knack for the remarkable, the increased responsibility that comes with being a franchise cornerstone playing without his inside-out partner, the tough road ahead for the Wolves and more.
Why are you always going through either your own legs or somebody else's legs? It seems like you're almost never making regular, non-leg passes for shots.
[laughs] I mean, when I throw it through somebody else's legs, they're not ready for that. Sometimes you take a risk. But it's more fancy, and I like it.
I was going to say: It can't just be that they're not ready for it.
[laughs] I mean, it's just, like, something that I see. It can happen, and when it happens, it looks good. [laughs]
Your teammate, Alexey Shved, had a couple of nice moments recently. What's it been like to get more time alongside a player who seems like he's got a very similar mindset and style to yours?
I like how he plays. We haven't had a lot of chances to play together, too, because with all the injuries and all the stuff with my minute limitations, we were, like, dealing with that. But now that we are reaching a point that I don't have a minute limitation, then we can play more together [and] our chemistry's going to come. I think he's a great player — he can shoot the ball very well, and he has some skills that I like.
Last year, you went through the experience of All-Star Weekend as a rookie; this was Alexey's first time with it. Was there any advice that you gave him going into this weekend?
I mean, I think everybody gives the same advice — just enjoy every single second because it's amazing being a part of All-Star Weekend, where, not a long time ago, I was watching it through the TV and I was like, "Oh, that's amazing," you know? And being a part is just a dream come true.
This is a little bit more of a downer question, but: March 10 will mark one year since your injury, the torn left ACL. Where are you physically today compared to where you were this time last year?
Uh ... I'm pretty close. I mean, I like where I'm at. It was hard when I came back from the injury, because you can do a lot of things in the gym, you can do whatever you want, but then when you hit the court, it's a different shape, you know? So you have to get back into shape. I think I'm pretty close to where I was last year.
This was your first time going through such a long rehabilitation process. What have you learned from the experience of having to go through that injury and come back from it?
A lot. First of all, be patient. Because you have to be a lot of patient [laughs] when you think you are ready and the doctor's saying, like, "You still have two more weeks before you can run." And you are at home sitting on the couch, thinking on a basketball court and trying, like, not to think, because [puts hand to heart] it hurts inside. It's something. You have to be patient.
And you learn a lot of basketball, because, you know, in the beginning, all you can do is watch the basketball. [laughs] So, you know, you learn a lot.
In that part when you were just watching, what did you see that seemed different to you as opposed to when you're out there playing?
Well, first, you realize how lucky you are when you're playing and being healthy. But then you're trying to get more concepts about basketball. Try to see the plays, try to see what works in offense, what works in defense. Try to add some things you like, or some things you see on the game, to your own game.
Thanks for time being with us and hope the Wolves could do better later
Rubio spoke with us for a few moments at an Adidas promotional event on Saturday morning about his knack for the remarkable, the increased responsibility that comes with being a franchise cornerstone playing without his inside-out partner, the tough road ahead for the Wolves and more.
Why are you always going through either your own legs or somebody else's legs? It seems like you're almost never making regular, non-leg passes for shots.
[laughs] I mean, when I throw it through somebody else's legs, they're not ready for that. Sometimes you take a risk. But it's more fancy, and I like it.
I was going to say: It can't just be that they're not ready for it.
[laughs] I mean, it's just, like, something that I see. It can happen, and when it happens, it looks good. [laughs]
Your teammate, Alexey Shved, had a couple of nice moments recently. What's it been like to get more time alongside a player who seems like he's got a very similar mindset and style to yours?
I like how he plays. We haven't had a lot of chances to play together, too, because with all the injuries and all the stuff with my minute limitations, we were, like, dealing with that. But now that we are reaching a point that I don't have a minute limitation, then we can play more together [and] our chemistry's going to come. I think he's a great player — he can shoot the ball very well, and he has some skills that I like.
Last year, you went through the experience of All-Star Weekend as a rookie; this was Alexey's first time with it. Was there any advice that you gave him going into this weekend?
I mean, I think everybody gives the same advice — just enjoy every single second because it's amazing being a part of All-Star Weekend, where, not a long time ago, I was watching it through the TV and I was like, "Oh, that's amazing," you know? And being a part is just a dream come true.
This is a little bit more of a downer question, but: March 10 will mark one year since your injury, the torn left ACL. Where are you physically today compared to where you were this time last year?
Uh ... I'm pretty close. I mean, I like where I'm at. It was hard when I came back from the injury, because you can do a lot of things in the gym, you can do whatever you want, but then when you hit the court, it's a different shape, you know? So you have to get back into shape. I think I'm pretty close to where I was last year.
This was your first time going through such a long rehabilitation process. What have you learned from the experience of having to go through that injury and come back from it?
A lot. First of all, be patient. Because you have to be a lot of patient [laughs] when you think you are ready and the doctor's saying, like, "You still have two more weeks before you can run." And you are at home sitting on the couch, thinking on a basketball court and trying, like, not to think, because [puts hand to heart] it hurts inside. It's something. You have to be patient.
And you learn a lot of basketball, because, you know, in the beginning, all you can do is watch the basketball. [laughs] So, you know, you learn a lot.
In that part when you were just watching, what did you see that seemed different to you as opposed to when you're out there playing?
Well, first, you realize how lucky you are when you're playing and being healthy. But then you're trying to get more concepts about basketball. Try to see the plays, try to see what works in offense, what works in defense. Try to add some things you like, or some things you see on the game, to your own game.
Thanks for time being with us and hope the Wolves could do better later
