Spanish Fly

According to various reports, Ricky Rubio, an 18-year-old point guard from Spain, has declared for the National Basketball Association's upcoming draft. Rubio, whose games is often compared to Pete Marovich, has been on the radar of hardcore basketball junkies for at least two years, when he first earned a starting spot--at 16!--for Joventut, one of the better teams in the best professional league in all of Europe. This summer, Rubio cemented his reputation as a big-time player, helping the Spanish National team win a silver medal in Beijing. 

Yadda, yadda, yadda. The kid's good, but the question is, can the Knicks get him? Not likely, although there are a number of ways we could, at least theoretically, hope to land him. We could, of course, win the draft lottery. Why not? Stranger things have happened. 

Realistically, though, there are a number of factors working in the Knicks' favor. First, because Joventut controls Rubio's contract, if an NBA team wants him, they're going to have to pay Joventut the $500,000 allowed under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. Under the Dolans, the Knicks, although morally bankrupt, have always been flush with Cablevision cash, which means they wouldn't think twice about shelling out the money it would take just to draft Rubio. Second, and perhaps more important, the Knicks are only a handful of lottery-bound teams that actually, you know, need a point guard, and would welcome the chance to take Rubio over the likes of Blake Griffin or Hasheem Thabeet. 

I'm not alone in thinking this, either. Bethlehem Shoals, as is his wont, breaks down, the emerging Griffin-Rubio debate, vis-a-vis the performance of dominant guards in this year's playoffs:

Look at the teams with the league's worst records: Sacramento would love Rubio, but the Wizards and Clippers supposedly have stars recuperating to retake their point guard slot. Oklahoma City would run into the problem of what to do with explosive, promising Russell Westbrook. The T-Wolves could use him; the Grizzlies have been encouraged by the progress made by Mike Conley, Jr., but whatever. The Warriors would have to resign themselves to a small backcourt, and once and for all give up on Monta Ellis as their PG. Rubio to New York could save the NBA. At the same time, almost all those teams would benefit instantly from Griffin's presence -- and not have to deal with a buyout in this cash-sensitive climate.

From his lips to god's ears. Shoals goes on to say that, like a certain red wheelbarrow, so much depends on the playoffs. If the league's premier guards are all knocked out in the early rounds, he posits, then a general manager is more likely to take Griffin, a reliable, cheap frontcourt presence, over the promise of Rubio. Knicks fans, then, should be rooting against Derrick Rose and the Bulls, and, to a lesser extent, Rondo and the Celtics, if we hope to land Rubio in, what will most likely be, the mid-to-late lottery. As if we needed another excuse to hate Chicago and Boston. 

Even if the Knicks don't land Rubio, there remains a silver lining. With Rubio in the draft, the Knicks are now essentially guaranteed a guard who would thrive in D'Antoni's system (Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans, Eric Maynor or Ty Lawson)-- which would almost make up for missing out on Rubio. Almost.