Nov 1, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard
Ricky Rubio(9) against the Chicago Bulls at Target Center. The Bulls defeated the Timberwolves 106-105. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Just a few minutes ago we had a post about a nice no-look pass from Ricky Rubio to Nikola Pekovic. In that post I mentioned that people may overlook the pass because it didn’t lead to a dunk for big Pek. Apparently Rubio read the post during a rest because he just tossed this pass in transition to Anthony Bennett and it did lead to a dunk.
(h/t to Zach Harper for the vine)
A few things to notice here. Ricky was ready to throw this pass the entire time. He slowed down just enough to pull the defense up towards him and open the passing lane. Second, look at how hard the Wolves run once Rubio gets the ball. Bennett flies down the lane and looks like the player people thought he was when he was drafted. It was explosive and quick and fun.
But Bennett also almost gets run over by a teammate who would have been in position for a dunk if Bennett didn’t get to the pass first. With the athletes the Wolves have Rubio being back is an invitation to run hard and be rewarded with dunks. In that situation we all win.
As always playing with a point guard like Rubio is way more fun than anyone else in the league and players will respond. So look for more Rubio passes on a nightly basis because they will keep coming as long as he is healthy.