Are Rajon Rondo and Ricky Rubio the same player?
Oct 20, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) sets up his teammates during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
We’ll answer the question in the title right away: no, of course not; but they’re pretty darn similar.
I’m not just talking about the obvious (they’re both point guards trying to lead a franchise turn-around, they’re both ridiculously good at passing the orange, oh, and they’re both initialed R.R.!)
Rajon Rondo and Ricky Rubio share more qualities in their basketball skill set than possibly any other duo of point guards in the league. Can both of them pass? Yep. Can either of them shoot? Nope. How are their rebounding abilities? Above average for their position.
So am I saying that Rondo and Rubio are of equal value in the NBA? Certainly not. Should the Wolves dish out a contract worth nearly $13 million to the Spaniard (which is what Rondo is set to make this season)? No.
Rondo is an established player in the league (albeit with a handful of flaws) who has made four all-star teams, posted multiple triple-doubles in the postseason, and has a championship on his resume.
Mar 1, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) on defense during the fourth quarter of Indiana
While Rubio is more than four years Rondo’s junior, #9 has been rumored to have asked the Wolves for a hefty contract extension. But is he worth it?
Aside from the similar positive and negative qualities in their basketball game, both players have been subject to trade rumors and speculation of late.
So let’s make a Rondo/Rubio list and see how the two players stack up. Some points on the list are easy to compare (height, experience, etc.) while others are simply my opinion (who’s the better passer, scorer, etc.) Information such as height, weight, and accolades are courtesy of basketball-reference.com.
1. Size: Rondo – 6′ 1″ 171 lbs.; Rubio – 6′ 4″ 180 lbs. (Advantage: Rubio)
2. NBA experience: Rondo – 8 years; Rubio – 3 years (Advantage: Rondo)
3. Quickness: (Advantage: Rondo)
4. Supporting cast of players throughout career: (Advantage: Rondo)
5. Passing: Rondo – 8.4 APG; Rubio – 8.1 APG (Advantage: PUSH)
6. Scoring ability: Rondo – 11.1 PPG, 49.5 FG%; Rubio – 10.1 PPG, 38 FG% (Advantage: Rondo)
7. Free throw shooting: Rondo – 62.1%; Rubio – 80.1% (Advantage: Rubio)
8. Three-point shooting (“shudder”): Rondo – 25.2%; Rubio – 32.3% (Advantage: amazingly it’s Rubio)
9. Rebounding: Rondo – 4.6 RPG; Rubio – 4.1 RPG (Advantage: Rondo)
10. Decision-making: Rondo – 2.8 turnovers per game; Rubio – 2.9 turnovers per game (Advantage: PUSH)
Obviously, this is only the beginning of a list of endless comparisons between the two floor generals and there are many factors that can influence and unfairly alter their stats.
We didn’t even touch on their defensive skills and stats, which is another strikingly similar part of their game. But at least this is a start for looking at Rondo and Rubio and how they square up.
On the surface, it appears that Rondo’s big advantages over Rubio are his playoff experiences (and successes), his overall scoring numbers, and his rebounding (though not by much.) While his shooting is nothing to brag about yet, Rubio can claim this portion of his game as a slight edge over the Beantown guard.
Will this comparison even matter come next spring or summer? Could both of these players be on completely different teams for the 2015-2016 season? Only time will tell, but for now, it’s exciting and intriguing to sit down and realize the absurd amount of similarities that these two players share.
So which #9 jersey (yet another thing the duo shares) would you rather have on the Wolves? How about five years from now? Does Rubio have a shot at surpassing Rondo into the upper echelon of NBA point guards?
Comment below with your thoughts on the Rondo/Rubio debate.