Phoenix Suns Season Reset: Ricky Rubio

With the season fast approaching, let’s catch up on each member of the Phoenix Suns for a quick reset, starting with Ricky Rubio

Here is the quick statistical rundown of the starting point guard for the Phoenix Suns

Age: 29

Position: Point Guard

Stats: 13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.5 steals

(41.2% from the field, 35.1% from three on 3.7 attempts per game)

It isn’t an understatement to say that Ricky Rubio was the biggest free agent to come to the Phoenix Suns in at least the last five years, and the reason is simple. The point guard position has been the bane of the Suns existence (among other things) since the salad days of Steve Nash, Goran Dragic, and Eric Bledsoe. Before Rubio, here are just a few of the point guards who have suited up and started for the Suns since Bledsoe’s departure:

Tyler Ulis

Mike James

Elfrid Payton

Shaquille Harrison

Isaiah Canaan

De’Anthony Melton (such promise)

With the exception of Melton, no one would confuse this list with “great point guard prospects”. With Rubio, the Phoenix Suns acquired a bona fide NBA-level starting point guard. His impact so far this season has made that much of a difference.

Whether it is manufacturing easier shot attempts for Deandre Ayton (11.1% of his passes were to the big fella) or making life easier for Devin Booker. (Booker has been able to play more off-ball this season than he has in his entire career up to this point, an almost direct result of playing alongside a guard like Ricky.) Rubio’s presence is felt all over the floor. His solid decision making, expert passing ability, and his chemistry with his teammates have all contributed to that.

Rubio’s positive attributes to the team have been felt up and down the roster.

Offensively, Rubio’s value is present. He is fourth in shot attempts at 10 per game, and statistically speaking he is behind only Booker and Cam Johnson in three-point accuracy on three attempts or more a contest. He selectively knows when to get off his signature shot (yes, Rubio has a signature off-leg driving leaner) and although his set shot still seems to take just a beat long to get off against frenetic defense, he has shot a career-high 41.8% on catch and shoot threes.

Defensively Rubio is still relatively solid. He knows where to be and uses his size and frame to good use when he is in the right position. The difference is knowing where to be and actually getting there, as Rubio seems to avoid some of the physicality and fight that is needed to get around on screens, usually choosing to die on them, which obviously puts more pressure on the bigs to make up for the penetration ceded by his lack of effort there. Rubio’s instincts and fast hands help him in the steals department, but he needs to shore up on the defensive end for the Suns to make real noise for the remainder of the season.

All in all, Rubio is an above-average point guard who is still in his prime and has helped to instill great leadership and chemistry with the Suns young core, and that’s just the facts, regardless of whatever Bleacher Report thinks. Long term, the hope would be for him to play at this level through at least the end of his contract, but short term, Phoenix Suns fans should look to Rubio to raise his production as the Suns embark on playing their first high-stakes basketball games in quite a while.