Utah Jazz: 3 takeaways from their preseason finale

Ricky Rubio is looking to score

One of the biggest gripes people have with Ricky Rubio is his unwillingness to find his own shot. If there’s such thing as too unselfish, it’s Rubio.

Taking over from George Hill who made for a more than competent 3-point shooter and scorer out of the pick-and-roll, the Spaniard knew simply being a passer in this Jazz team would see him ride the pine. With their pride and joy in Gobert down low, spreading the floor is of the utmost importance.

To do that, Rubio needs to be able to shoot the ball and make shots consistently enough that defenders are forced to close out on him. It’s all too easy for defenders to go underneath the screen, but a 35 percent 3-point-shooting Rubio forces them to think twice. Becoming a threat from beyond the arc opens up the floor and adds another dimension to his game.

He made all the right noises over the summer and said he had been working on his range. While they weren’t dropping at a very efficient rate Tuesday night, Rubio took on the mindset he’s going to need this season; shooters shoot.

It’s not attractive. Rubio has a painfully slow release and a low arc, but he hit two of his eight 3-point shots and went 6-for-18 overall to end the night with 22 points.

If the “Rubert” combination can churn out 51 points on a somewhat regular basis, the Jazz will undoubtedly surprise a few people.