Derrick Williams - Rubio attention

[Darko Miliminutes]

Everyone appreciate the 27 second point of that scrimmage vid. Notice the great form...could make a bunch of those, if it was in the game-plan. Dude used to shoot lights out, back in the day.

[C.lupus]

Everyone appreciate the 27 second point of that scrimmage vid. Notice the great form...could make a bunch of those, if it was in the game-plan. Dude used to shoot lights out, back in the day.

I'd much rather watch him do that than the dribble, dribble, back in, dribble, dribble, dribble, back in, dribble, hook shot that we saw last year.

[Krapinsky]

Lee has some pretty good ups.

[King Rube]

Love seems to realize that oftentimes, less is more. Beasley clearly doesn't get that.

I don't think that is as true as it once was.

[Klomp]

So the Timberwolves and their fans could use some hope. That is what Rubio represents.

The Timberwolves announced a crowd of 15,013 for Rubio’s debut Saturday, the largest for a Minnesota exhibition game since 1999. The team said it had sold the equivalent of 7,500 season tickets this year, 2,000 more than last season and the most since 2005-6. A team spokesman said about 1,500 tickets remained for the season opener Monday against Oklahoma City.

“Ricky at this point is the media darling,” Love said. “I hope it stays that way, because that means he’s playing well.”

Meanwhile, Kahn said the Timberwolves would resist the urge to oversell Rubio in advertising and promotions.

“That would be a terrible mistake,” he said. “I subscribe to the old theory, underpromise and overdeliver. Unfortunately, in this era of YouTube, that’s hard to do because people expect so much. But if there’s ever a kid that can handle it, it’s him, because of all he’s been through already.”

Rubio seems to be embracing everything here. His parents and his sister will stay with him through the season opener. “Then I’ll be alone trying to find a good Spanish restaurant,” he said.

And, more important, trying to manage expectations.

“I just hope that he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself and goes out there and continues to love the game of basketball,” Love said. “He’s a refreshing player, and a refreshing person even, to be around.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/22/sport ... olves.html