Revisiting Ricky Rubio. Also, Alliteration.

Possibly the creepiest Ricky Rubio picture ever.

A couple of days ago the American National team played a tough exhibition match against Spain, winning 86-85 thanks to a Kevin Durant block at the end.  Of much interest to many NBA fans was point guard Ricky Rubio, the highly touted prospect drafted by the Timberwolves with the 5th pick last year.

Ricky is a source of great consternation for me.  As a Kings fan last year, I spent most of the miserable 17 win campaign alternating between Ricky Rubio and Blake Griffin highlights.  One of these two players was going to be a King, I was sure of it.  I was even in favor of Rubio over Griffin for a little bit.

But alas, draft day came, and the Rubio hype had gone down a little bit.  Still, many Kings fans wanted him and when he eventually slipped to the Kings position at 4 and the Kings passed on him for Tyreke Evans, Kings fans cursed the heavens.  Rubio dropping to 5th was a seemingly impossible proposition before the draft, but Minnesota was happy to take him when he fell in their laps.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, Rubio's buyout with DKV Joventut proved too much of a roadblock to allowing him to come to the NBA immediately, so instead Regal Barcelona bought him out of his contract and allows him an NBA escape clause starting after next season.  Meanwhile, Kings fans eventually came to celebrate their Rookie of the Year in Evans, and Minnesota fans were left to ponder what could've been if Kahn had simply used even one of their top 6 picks (Minnesota had the 5th and the 6th pick in the lottery, using the 6th pick on Jonny Flynn) on a guy like Stephen Curry, or Darren Collison, or Brandon Jennings.

So why do I think that Minnesota (and David Kahn to be more specific) made a good decision in taking Rubio at 5?

The Circle of Kaaaahn!!!

Yesterday, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins, and a 2013 2nd round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair.

I find this funny, because it creates a full circle from last year, when Telfair also was with the Wolves.

A couple weeks ago, Tom Ziller wrote over at Fanhouse that an Avocado would likely have made a better GM than David Kahn.  I agreed with it at the time, and I agree with it now, because after the trade, the Wolves are back to where they were last year with Telfair, but worse.  Let's review:

7/20/2009:  Wolves trade Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen ($9.465 million) to the Los Angeles Clippers for Quentin Richardson ($8.7 million).

8/4/2009: Wolves sign Ryan Hollins to 3 year, $7 million contract.

8/13/2009: Wolves trade Quentin Richardson ($8.7 million) to the Miami Heat for Mark Blount ($7.97 million).

9/4/2009: Wolves sign Ramon Sessions to 4 year, $16.4 million contract.

3/1/2010: Wolves waive Mark Blount who hadn't played a minute with them.

7/26/2010: Wolves trade Ryan Hollins, Ramon Sessions, and a 2nd rounder ($17.6 million) for Sebastian Telfair and Delonte West ($7.2 million).

7/27/2010 - 8/3/2010: Delonte West widely expected to be waived, as only $500,000 of his 2010-11 salary is guaranteed.

So in the end, instead of letting the contracts of Smith and Madsen expire, the Wolves paid for 1 year of Sessions (8.2 PPG, 3.1 APG) and Hollins (6.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG), paid $500,000 so that Delonte West won't ever suit up for them, paid Mark Blount almost $8 million to do the same, lost a 2nd rounder, and still have Telfair.  And its arguable that Smith and Telfair would've been more productive for the Wolves last year than Sessions and Hollins were, at a cheaper price.

It's the Circle of Kaaaahn.

David Kahn Wants to be Like Glory Day Kings?

So tonight I watched the Sacramento Kings play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Las Vegas Summer League.  During the 2nd quarter, the announcers (Matt Winer and Chris Webber, an all-time great King) had Minnesota GM David Kahn on to explain his thought process on what he's trying to do with his team, since nobody else on this planet can seem to figure it out (the best explanation is that David Kahn was sent from the future in order to prevent a 2012 apocalypse from the Timberwolves being so good.  I would like to claim credit for this but I read it on Twitter here.)  Kahn told Webber that he was trying to model his team after the old Sacramento Kings and create an up-tempo system where everyone loves to pass.

Well David, if this really is your plan, you're doing it horribly wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong.