Valentine’s Day messages for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Valentine’s Day message for Ricky Rubio

Roses are red

Violets are blue

You were our first crush

And I’ll never forget you.

In 2009, hopes were high for Ricky Rubio, a young Spanish point guard Minnesota hoped could help steer them out of the downward spiral they’d been on over the past few years. Even though he couldn’t exactly do that herculean feat, he still managed to capture the hearts of many fans with his defense, athleticism and passing vision. Sure, his shooting definitely left something to be desired, but that could be developed in time. The important thing was it seemed like he’d be the point guard of the future.

However, after a fairly promising run both with the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, Rubio’s return to the Timberwolves has not lived up to the hype it had when it was announced. Throughout this season, his play has always lacked that intelligence and speed Minnesota fans had associated with him.

This season, Rubio has averaged 6.3 assists, 6.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. While that wouldn’t be bad for a typical player coming off the bench, Rubio is averaging 24.4 minutes per game and has recorded a troubling 2.2 turnovers per game, as well as disastrous 35.0 percent field goal percentage and 19.5 percent 3-point shooting.

There have been more than a few occasions when he’s shown glimpses of being his old self, and there’s a really good chance that if he has just a little more time to adjust to this Timberwolves roster he could be a nice piece for an otherwise very young Minnesota squad.

It doesn’t help that Rubio hasn’t ever really played in a system like Minnesota wants to run, or that the roster has constantly been changed right from under him due to all the aforementioned injuries. Those would be enough to derail all but the best players, and it’s enough of an excuse to keep supporting Rubio.