Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Point Guards That Could Replace Mo Williams
1. Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
Ricky Rubio would be the perfect complement to Irving and fit for the Cavaliers.
With Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn as the future at point guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rubio is likely an available asset. He’s mentioned in the past how he’s wanted out of Minnesota and to play in a bigger market.
He even talked to a Spanish radio station known as Catalunya Radio about possibly leaving the Timberwolves if they miss the playoffs this upcoming season.
Some might say that those are character issues, but when a player is drafted to a struggling franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2004, and with little progression, it’s tough for them to be optimistic and want to stay with the team long term.
Rubio would finally have a chance to play for a championship if he were traded to the Cavs. His overall scoring is still a work in progress, but his passing ability is close to being elite.
He averaged 10.1 points per game, and had his second career-high in assist at 8.7 a game. Those numbers would increase with the talent on the team and Rubio’s ability to find the open man in transition offense.
His biggest weakness is defense and consistency. Rubio’s defense isn’t quite James Harden‘s level, but I don’t think he cares for it much. He also can go cold offensively and isn’t heard from for the duration of the game.
Playing with James and being able to spread the floor with ball movement could give him great confidence and fix those issues quickly.
The only problem with Rubio is that at age 25, he’s likely going to want to be on a team where he can start. He’s not starting over Irving.
The only time the two would be on the court is when Lue decided to go small with Irving as the shooting guard and Rubio as the point guard. If he’s able to rid himself of that notion and realize he has the chance to play for championships, it would be a great pickup.
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He’s the only point guard of the five that doesn’t have any playoff experience.
Honorable Mention: Kendall Marshall, Andre Miller, Jose Calderon. C.J. Watson.