Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Trades To Upgrade Point Guard Position
Ricky Rubio
2016 Season (through March 9): G- 58, GS- 58, PPG- 10.1, AST- 8.7, REB- 4.3, FG- 36.9%, 3P- 30.5%
Trading Kyrie Irving to the Minnesota Timberwolves for point guards Ricky Rubio and Zach LaVine may sound ridiculous, but it’s also my favorite hypothetical deal.
First, lets focus on Rubio. Irving and Rubio’s defense is a wash. Both are sub-par at best, but the difference between their ability to distribute is substantial.
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Rubio ranks second amongst NBA point guards in assist ratio (42.0). Irving isn’t even in the top 50 (18.6). The Timberwolves’ point guard attempts only 7.6 shots per game, Irving hoists up 15.8 shots per contest.
Rubio’s minimal shooting is largely due to the fact that he can’t, well, shoot (36.9%). That’s fine, though. Kevin Love ranks 52nd in touches per game (63.7), Irving simply does not know how to facilitate for others.
Love is at his best when receiving the ball at the elbow. Irving has apparently missed the memo. In Love’s last season in Minnesota he averaged 11.6 elbow touches per game. This year? 4.3.
LaVine would be the x-factor in such a deal. The second year pro is averaging 13.5 points per game, 3.1 assists and shooting at a 44.2% clip. He also continues to improve, post-All-Star break he’s averaging 17.5 points and 1.4 steals per contest. Oh, and he’s only 20 years old.
It may seem absurd to trade Irving for Rubio and LaVine, but from a basketball perspective it makes perfect sense.
Next: Mike Conley