Minnesota Timberwolves' Ricky Rubio Must Give Tom Thibodeau A Chance

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio has some nerve. His team finally hired a coach who can lead them to the playoffs, and it seems like Ricky already has one foot out the door. Tom Thibodeau should have the Timberwolves back in the postseason quite quickly, but Rubio appears determined to bring a negative attitude into the summer.

“When I arrived to Minnesota, my hope was to break the seven years’ streak without [a] presence in [the] playoffs,” the PG said to Catalunya Radio. “I still have that hope, but it’s very tough mentally when year after year that goal is not met. Next season will be crucial for me. I’ve been in the NBA for five years, and six years without playoffs would be a long time. At 26, I’d have to start thinking about teams that can get to the playoffs and win in the Finals.”

Rubio averaged 10.1 points and 8.6 assists per game last year, and he must understand that his shooting is part of the reason they haven’t been in the postseason. His passing and ball handling are superb, but the NBA is evolving. Point guards must be able to stretch the floor, and he might be the worst shooter at his position in the entire league. Rubio shot 37.4 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from 3-point range last season, and that will simply not get it done in the Western Conference.

He must realize that with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns just beginning to access their potential, the Timberwolves are on the upswing. And if Rubio bails on them, then he could miss a string of deep playoff runs. Now is not the moment to issue an ultimatum. If he wanted to do that, then two years ago would’ve been much better.

The late Flip Saunders put this team together, and there is enough talent on the roster for something special to happen in Minnesota. That will occur with or without Rubio, and he has to decide whether or not to commit himself fully. The team honestly might be better off with a point guard who can provide spacing, and he should count himself blessed that the Timberwolves haven’t considered trading him.

The point guard should really give Thibodeau a chance, because the coach has worked wonders in the past. And if Rubio gives it a little time, then the Wolves could shock a lot of people in the coming years.