Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio’s Value Goes Beyond Box Score

The Minnesota Timberwolves don’t have the NBA’s stereotypical point guard with their starter Ricky Rubio.  Rubio is more valuable then the statistics in the box score when the Timberwolves play.

Rubio, 25, still has time to develop as a scorer, but that’s not his game.  The Wolves knew what they were getting when they drafted Rubio with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.  They were getting a point guard with professional experience that is a good defender and great passer.

Rubio is similar to a field general quarterback in the NFL.  Like Drew Brees, Rubio knows how to manage the game and control the game with the ball in his hands.  Often times, his team is as good as he is with the ball.  Rubio isn’t a guy that is going to score 20 points each night he plays, but if he develops his shooting touch he quickly could be.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: 25 Best Players To Play For The Timberwolves

Injuries have become a part of the game and has impacted some of the best talent in the NBA.  Rubio is no exception, as he’s only played in 209 of the Timberwolves’ 323 games, which is only 64.7 percent.  However, he has been an important piece to the Timberwolves when they have success.

When Rubio plays, the Wolves are 90-119 (43.1 percent) since he debuted in 2011.  Without Rubio, the Wolves are 85-168 (33.6 percent).  Minnesota has also lost the last 16 games that Rubio has not played.  While the win percentages aren’t great, there is a big difference from when he is on the court and when he’s unable to play.

There is a statistic to be kept track of that the NBA doesn’t officially keep, and that is points responsible for (prf).  It’s difficult to see where he would stack up against rival point guards, but it is possible to determine what his average prf’s would be.

According to NBA.com’s passing tracking, Rubio is currently fifth in the NBA in assist points created (18.3 points), which is points created by a team or player through an assist.  Rubio is averaging 8.6 assists per game through his first eight games this season.  He is also averaging 12.1 points per game this season.

Add the 11.6 points per game with the 18.3 assist points created and Rubio is responsible for 31.9 points per game.  He accounts for 31 percent of the Timberwolves’ 102.9 points per game.

Losing Rubio from the Wolves lineup makes them much worse offensively in a point guard-driven league.  Rubio’s defense is what separates him from many point guards in the league.

He is currently averaging 2.13 steals per game, which would rank fourth among point guards if Rubio qualified.  He is one of three players on the Timberwolves roster that averages more than one steal per game.  One of the other two is reserve point guard Andre Miller, whose significant playing time came in games where Rubio sat out.

The other is big man Gorgui Dieng, who averages 1.08 steals per game.

Rubio’s leadership is also missed when he’s not on the court.  Forward Kevin Garnett is clearly the team’s leader and motivator, but Rubio provides different leadership as a point guard.  Rubio, with his field general mentality, is able to direct traffic on set plays, call out the right set plays and move the ball.

The ball movement by Rubio may be one of the most staggering things about his game.  He passes 62.8 times per game and shows what it means to be selfless on the court.  Rubio averages 15.8 potential assists per game, which are passes by a players to a teammate in which the teammate attempts a shot, and if made would be an assist.

Rubio ranks fourth among point guards in potential assists per game.

The Timberwolves drafted Rubio for his point guard abilities as an old school, field general point guard and his defensive abilities.  Minnesota is getting exactly what they drafted Rubio for through his first four seasons in the NBA.  However, the biggest problem for him has been staying healthy.

Of his first three full seasons, his rookie year was shortened by the NBA lockout, Rubio has only played a full 82-game schedule once.  Over that span, he has averaged 54 games played per season.

Next: 5 Reasons Why Kevin Martin Has To Go

Rubio signed a four-year contract extension worth $56 million before the 2014-15 season began.  He is in the first year of the contract extension this season.  The Wolves are committed to Rubio being a part of the team’s long-term success.