Can Ricky Rubio Lead The Minnesota Timberwolves?

The Minnesota Timberwolves are about to find out first hand, just how far Ricky Rubio has come since being drafted by the franchise in 2009. The fifth overall pick in that draft was undoubtedly talented, but there were plenty of questions about how his game would translate to the NBA, if he could become more than just a flashy passer and ultimately if he was worth it.

This season, more than any of the three years prior to this point, will help answer the majority of those questions.

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When Rubio finally made it over to the NBA in the lockout shortened of 2011-12, he was meant to be more NBA ready than when the Timberwolves drafted him a couple of years prior. He was a boy who had been playing among men in Europe and this was meant to not only develop his talent, but his skills, maturity, leadership and more.

His rookie year, Rubio was solid with 10.6 points and 8.2 assists per game. He followed that up in his sophomore year with 10.7 points and 7.3 assists per game. Last year he played and started all 82 regular season games, played more than 30 minutes per game and produced a solid 9.5 points, 8.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.

While an important part of the Minnesota Timberwolves squad, he has always played second fiddle to the talented Kevin Love. As we all know, Love will now ply his trade with LeBron James in Cleveland and the Timberwolves will turn to the 23-year-old Rubio as the new face of the franchise and it’s leader both on and off the floor.

The opportunity ahead of Rubio is huge, but the task ahead of him is almost bigger. Kevin Love gave the Minnesota faithful hope. He was the all-around star player that could catapult the Timberwolves into contention. In the tougher Western Conference, he may have failed to deliver, but you always felt hopeful.

With Rubio at the helm, the expectations are going to be the same whether he likes them or not, and if he is unable to deliver, then the fallout might be drastic.

A trip to the playoffs is unlikely — especially this season. While the Timberwolves got some terrific young talent in the Kevin Love deal, they are very young, very inexperienced and while the future is bright, the immediate future is a little more uncertain.

So, without wins, what can Rubio do to provide the franchise and the fans with enough hope to continue to believe in and support this franchise?

Ricky Rubio is going to have to step his game up. As evident in the FIBA competition, Rubio still has a long way to go, He needs to develop a jump shot or opposing teams will be able to do what France did — stay off him and help clog the lane. As the new leader of the team, shooting mid-30 percent from the field is not going to cut it.

He is going to have to improve this mark immensely if the Timberwolves plan on putting wins on the board.

A talented play maker, Rubio is also going to have to serve as a leader. He is going to be asked to take the lead role, make the right play, get the “much-needed” basket, hit a game winner. In short, he is going to have to take on all the responsibilities Love had — and he is going to have to deliver.

The good news is he won’t have to do it alone. While he may now be “the man,” he is still surrounded by talented pieces and a couple of very smart veteran players who will guide him. Kevin Martin, Corey Brewer and even Thaddeus Young have been around the NBA a while now. They have played plenty of games, logged large minutes and have been part of winning an losing teams.

Rubio would do very well to lean on these guys as much as possible.

Young stars Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Anthony Bennett and Shabazz Muhammad will make the Timberwolves fun to watch and will also make Rubio’s task easier. He will be able to showcase his incredible passing ability and court vision and it will lead to plenty of Sportscenter highlights. However, the veterans and coach Flip Saunders will ultimately determine how Rubio’s season as a leader transpires.

Ricky Rubio is the new leader of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is extremely talented. He is looking for a max contract. This season is going to be very interesting for Timberwolves fans.