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NBA Draft 2016: Every team’s most underrated pick ever

By Brad Rowland

Feb 27, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 8, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) dribbles in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) dribbles in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio, No. 5 pick, 2009 NBA Draft

Yes, the Wolves could have taken Stephen Curry and… that was a mistake. However, Minnesota did add a highly useful player in Rubio and, to be honest, the team’s draft history is not exactly littered with success.

When discussing the best pick in team history, it is a two-man race between Kevin Garnett and Karl-Anthony Towns, but even as the Wolves had to wait for Rubio to arrive, he has been quite good in Minnesota. The now 25-year-old point guard has posted a career average of 8.3 assists per game, and Rubio has been one of the best passers in the NBA since he arrived on the scene.

Beyond his passing and incredible vision, Rubio is also an impact player on the defensive end, using his considerable length to deter the opposition. He has averaged more than two steals per game over five NBA seasons, and even with a highly questionable jump shot, Ricky Rubio has managed to become a soundly above-average point guard for a franchise that needed just that.

Rubio will never be Stephen Curry but he also isn’t Jonny Flynn (the very next pick in the 2009 NBA Draft) and that matters as well. Minnesota doesn’t have a ton of choices for this recognition, but Rubio remains highly underrated by most NBA pundits and fans.

Next: New Orleans Pelicans

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