The Golden State Warriors are performing at full capacity as evidenced by their 19-4 record and first-place finish in the Western Conference. The group’s performance is being superb as he looks sideways at the comebacks of Klay Thompson and James Wiseman.
However, the team’s rotation might have looked a little different if their interest in another player had materialized during the offseason. As reported by the media The Athletic, the Warriors had Ricky Rubio on their radar this past summer.
The Spanish international landed in the Cavaliers at the end of July from Minnesota. However, the commitment from Ohio for its young nucleus made many teams think that the base’s stay in the team would be brief, with the option of the buyout. Thus, from the Bay they saw Ricky as the ideal complement for Stephen Curry in the position of point-guard.
Nonetheless, the Cavs coaching staff were pleasantly pleased with Ricky’s performance at the Olympics, a version he was asked to replicate on his new team. Two months later, the Cavaliers have emerged as one of the positive surprises of the Eastern Conference, in which they currently occupy the seventh position. And the player has had a lot to do with this trend, both due to seniority and experience and performance on the court.
“I’m happy here,” Ricky said after Sunday’s loss to the Utah Jazz. “In the past I was pierced and frustrated. I was frustrated by my ego. But when you put your ego aside and just do your best within the role you have and take advantage of it, there is nothing better. That is the best thing about a team, that everyone accepts their role. You cannot forget what you do well and be happy. They brought me here to be a playmaker, make the right play, deliver on defense, and be in the right place. “
We don’t know what the future holds for Ricky, as he is in the last year of his contract. For now, he is contributing more than one of the NBA’s most promising teams for the future.
(Cover photo by Jason Miller / Getty Images)
