NBA News 2012: Ricky Rubio's return too vital 'to rush'

Ricky Rubio of Spain at Eurobasket 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ricky Rubio's return to the Minnesota Timberwolves is coming. His rehabilitation from reconstructive left knee surgery is on schedule. He's just not sure exactly when the process will be complete.

"I'm trying to do as much things as I can do. They have to stop me sometimes because I want to do more. Sometimes it's bad for my knee to do more," Rubio said Thursday at the team's practice facility.

He could be playing in games by December. Or maybe not until January. Just as long as he doesn't try to come back too soon and risk re-injury or be too rusty.

"I don't want to say a time because I don't want to rush it. I just want to be ready when I'm ready," he said.

Rubio started running three weeks ago, at about 6 mph on a treadmill. Jumping is still prohibited, so his shooting is essentially limited to the free-throw line for the next few months. Agility work will come in three or four weeks. He's at that point in the anterior cruciate ligament recovery when patience becomes even more difficult to maintain. Missing the end of last season was tough enough. Then he had to skip the Olympics for his native Spain. Now he has to continue to watch while the work on the court goes on without him.

"You always have doubts and think about how you're going to come back. You just have to trust. I'm doing my best to be ready to be as strong as I can. I can't do more. I just want to be back soon as possible, but healthy as possible, too," Rubio said. "You feel how lucky you are when you're playing. So I'm going to be blessed when I come back and play."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8432896/minnesota-timberwolves-ricky-rubio-says-track-rush-return

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NBA News 2011: Ricky Rubio inked with Wolves

Image via WikipediaRicky Rubio has already signed a contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the holdup keeping him from leaving Barcelona is related to his buyout agreement, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6663540

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NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Nikola Mirotic

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Well, since he started getting some burn that is. Real Madrid has steam-rolled its way through the Euroleague Top 16, with six wins and no losses, and Mirotic continues to excel in the playing time he's earned -- roughly 19 minutes per game since the New Year.

He now ranks third in the ACB and sixth in the Euroleague in PER, thanks to his prolific scoring (21 points per 40 minutes), solid work on the glass (9.4 rebounds per 40), defensive playmaking (1.4 blocks, 1.6 steals per 40) and terrific efficiency (61% 2P, 43% 3P, 86% FT).

When you're 6-10, with a great frame, a 7-1 wingspan and good mobility, and you just turned 20 years old, scouts tend to take notice; especially when you're putting those numbers up against the best competition in the world outside the NBA.

Mirotic, for his part, doesn't look particularly surprised by his success. He plays with unbelievable confidence and poise for a player his age, always looking to make things happen. He's not afraid to take big shots in clutch situations (as he proved at Siena, in the Copa del Rey) and is clearly earning the respect of his veteran teammates with his stellar play.

Offensively, Mirotic acts mostly as a floor spacer for Real Madrid. He sees most of his possessions spotting up on the wing, cutting to the basket and finishing off of pick and rolls. He's converted 42% (22-of-53) of his jumpers on the season and is extremely reliable with his feet set. He has also shown consistent range out to the 3-point line.

With his excellent size and quick release, Mirotic is a tough matchup for most big men, especially since he's very adept at using shot-fakes and taking the ball to the basket. He has a nice first step and solid ball-handling skills. He's generally a very fundamentally sound player. He has an excellent feel for the game and plays relatively mistake-free (compared to his usage).

http://www.draftexpress.com/blog/International-Blog/#European-Roundup-Nikola-Mirotic---Breakout-Player-of-the-Year-3641

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NBA News 2010: How much will Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol benefit from missing this year's FIBA World Championship?

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"I understand it's a tough decision to make, but it's best for my body, myself, and, consequently, the teams that I'm a part of," Gasol said during his exit interview. "My body is asking me to relax and recover to be able to continue to play at the level that I'm playing. Otherwise my body is going to break down quicker and I'm going to become a worse player."

Although Bryant hadn't officially decided his plan with Team USA during his exit interview, the Black Mamba himself spoke about the same thing, a concept that usually seems so foreign.

"I've been playing a great deal of basketball," Bryant said. "This summer for me is about getting healthy. I think that will give us the best opportunity to defend our title again. Same thing for Pau. Pau has been going nonstop."

For Gasol, that includes six championship appearances in the last four seasons, including three consecutive NBA Finals, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2009 and 2007 EuroBasket title games and the 2006 FIBA World Championships. For Bryant, that includes three consecutive NBA Finals and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And for both, the rest will ensure a good run for the 2010-11 season, which is a good sign considering they're the Lakers' two top players and have a respectful relationship with each other.

Fans likely won't see as many tangible differences in Gasol's play as they will in Bryant's play this season, but the benefits will involve what we all won't see happen. Gasol mentioned to me during the exit interview that his hamstring injuries served as the triggering point for what led him to decide to sit out of this year's FIBA tournament. It's conceivable that, had Gasol kept grinding through, his body could have broken down this upcoming season, which would make it harder for him to bounce back.

And even though Gasol and Bryant had a not-so-physical summer, they still kept their basketball minds sharp. Bryant hosted his basketball camp, traveled to the World Basketball Festival and even attended a pickup game hosted by President Obama. Gasol traveled to India as an NBA ambassador, worked out with a trainer twice a day, hosted his own basketball camp in Spain and watched the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

So even if Bryant and Gasol didn't go through grueling workouts or played in Turkey, they still remained students of the game. And soon enough, everyone will realize this season that rest was all they needed to pass the test.

http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2010/09/pre-season-question-of-the-day-how-much-will-kobe-bryant-and-pau-gasol-benefit-from-missing-the-2010-fiba-world-championship.html

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NBA News 2010: Serbia tops defending champ Spain

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Serbia knocked defending champion Spain out of the world championship Wednesday when Milos Teodosic made a long 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left for a 92-89 quarterfinal victory.

Spain erased an eight-point deficit in the final four minutes to tie it on Marc Gasol's basket with 25 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Serbia patiently ran its offense until Teodosic -- 1-of-7 on 3-pointers at that point -- pulled up from straightaway, well beyond the arc.

To foul or not to foul. That was the question facing Spain in the final seconds against Serbia on Wednesday, writes Chris Sheridan Blog

"He's a great player and he has a great feeling for the big shot," Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said.

The Spaniards couldn't get a final shot off, with Jorge Garbajosa losing the ball after a timeout. Serbia's players celebrated at midcourt as Spain's Sergio Llull kicked the ball deep into the stands.

"I think it was a very, very tough game. Maybe the best one until now in Istanbul," Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic said.

Serbia advanced to face Turkey in a semifinal game Saturday.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5546777

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NBA News 2010: Kevin Durant scores 22 to lead U.S. past Slovenia at worlds

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ISTANBUL -- An arena that was nearly covered in Slovenian green grew louder with every U.S. miss.

Playing a rare early game, the United States had stalled after a quick start, and a double-digit lead was down to five as halftime approached.

Then, every time the Americans needed them, Kevin Durant seemed to get on the scoreboard and Kevin Love was on the backboard.

Kevin Durant got Team USA off to a fast start against Slovenia. So why did he take a seat halfway through the first quarter? Chris Sheridan asked Coach K that very question. Story

Durant scored 22 points, Love added 10 points and 11 rebounds in a gritty 13 minutes off the bench, and the Americans beat Slovenia 99-77 on Sunday in an opening-round game.

"They did a great job of fighting, getting stops and making plays, and we know that we can't go out here and blow every team out," Durant said. "We had to make this a grind game and we did that, and a good job of keeping our composure."

Rudy Gay finished with 16 points for the Americans (2-0), while Russell Westbrook and Andre Iguodala each had 11. Durant shot 8 of 13 before sitting out the fourth quarter and Love always seemed to be around the ball -- even when a Slovenian player tried holding his arm so he couldn't get it.

"We're used to that playing in Spain and Greece, so it was cool," Durant said. "I think we had to do a better job of holding onto the game and keeping them quiet by making plays, and I think we did that."

Durant ripped the ball away on Slovenia's opening possession and raced in for a dunk about 20 seconds into the game. Nachbar answered with a basket, but the Americans ran off 10 straight points, with Durant nailing a 3-pointer before throwing down another dunk for a 12-2 lead.

The Americans made eight of their first 11 shots from the field and led 23-11 after one quarter, then suddenly went cold in the second.

http://espn.go.com/extra/fiba/recap?id=300831938

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