Positional Power Rankings: 30 best point guards in the NBA

Mar 13, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) pushes Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) away from LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) during the fourth quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Utah Jazz won the game 114-108. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Ricky Rubio

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Ricky Rubio has been on the trade market seemingly since he arrived in Minnesota. The addition of young studs Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, and Karl-Anthony Towns was supposed to push the older Rubio out of the door. The emergence of LaVine made Rubio even more expendable. Then this summer came and Minnesota drafted point guard Kris Dunn, and Rubio’s days there seemed even more numbered. It is now late March, past the trade deadline, and Rubio is still in Minnesota.

Not only is Rubio still a member of the Timberwolves, he is playing the best basketball of his career. His 10.1 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.0 rebounds don’t deviate wildly from his career averages, but he has been on fire since the All-Star break. Rubio’s 16.0 points,10.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in March represents quite possibly the best month of play in his career. The Timberwolves were making a late push for the No. 8 seed in the West before a recent four-game losing streak, and Rubio picking up the slack after Zach LaVine’s injury is a big reason why.

Rubio received several votes for the All-Defensive team last year and may just make it this season. He is still only shooting 31.3 percent from deep, his biggest weakness in his game. Rubio doesn’t ace it as a scorer in the paint to help alleviate for that weakness and is only shooting 40.8 percent from the floor in general. But he facilitates with the best of them and leads the Timberwolves on the floor. His play has helped solidify the upstart team and they will take a step back if he is moved this off-season. Doing so could make sense for the still-rebuilding Timberwolves, but Rubio will be another team’s gain in that event.

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