Finally, it’s time.
And if all goes well, Cavaliers point guard Ricky Rubio will indeed make his season debut Thursday vs. the Trail Blazers, as sources first told Hoops Wire on Tuesday. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski followed on Wednesday by reporting that Rubio is indeed planning to play vs. the Blazers “if all goes well” after he practices.
Sources told Hoops Wire that Rubio is likely to be on a minutes restriction and may not play in back-to-backs until late February or March.
Rubio seemed to relay the message of his season debut himself, when he tweeted out a picture of an hourglass on Tuesday night.
… ⌛️
— Ricky Rubio (@rickyrubio9) January 11, 2023
Rubio has been out since suffering a torn ACL in a game against the Pelicans in December 2021. At the time, he and the Cavs reportedly were discussing a contract extension. Instead, he was traded to the Pacers for small forward Caris LeVert for salary-matching purposes.
Indiana knew Rubio would be unable to play and intended to let him leave in free agency when the deal was made. He decided that Cleveland would again be the best fit.
And why not? Rubio helped the Cavs make a serious run at the playoffs in a short amount of time, becoming the veteran backcourt player the young team clearly needed. Cavs point guard Darius Garland has given Rubio some credit for his own development.
So, what is he expected to offer the Cavs? Well, the same thing things as last season. Rubio generally entered the game and got things organized. He was a veteran who controlled the ball and the pace. He got his teammates good looks at the basket. He was basically a coach on the court.
Now, he gets to again play alongside Donovan Mitchell, his former teammate with the Jazz.
Rubio, 32, tied his career-high by averaging 13.1 points in his 34 games with the Cavs last season. He also compiled 6.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds, coming off the bench in all but eight of those appearances.
The Cavs (26-16) visit the Blazers on Thursday, then conclude their five-game trip on Saturday with a visit to the Timberwolves, the team that drafted Rubio.
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Just Maybe his presence can direct & IMPROVE the shooting likes of said seconds, LOVE & Cedi… or ANYone with a 3 ball in mind. It would be extremely beneficial to envision more 3 balls actually dropping through the net especially since many of those NOW are left wide open & can’t hit.
Rubio was doing very well at that last year, & starting a few runs with the back-ups helps a lot while the Big duo gets some rest. The whole team needs a good “kick start”. Maybe this is it.
Oh, hey, Any word yet on Dean Wade’s return, -was out very early Dec. & was said 3-4 weeks….? It’s been more like 5-6 almost. Is it something worse ?