HANG TIME NEW JERSEY BUREAU – News flash: Ricky Rubio can pass and Jimmer Fredette can shoot.
OK, we knew that already. But it was great to finally see the two rookie sensations in NBA uniforms on Saturday. Rubio and Fredette made their preseason debuts and both came as advertised.
Rubio came off the bench for the Wolves in their 117-96 win over the Bucks. He shot just 1-for-4 from the floor, but he grabbed six rebounds and dished out seven assists in 24 minutes. Four of those dimes created 3-pointers, but the best was an alley-oop feed to fellow rookie Derrick Williams. (By the way, that was another rookie, Darrington Hobson, who took that Williams throwdown in the cheek.)
Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune was there at The Target Center…
After a long two-year wait, Wolves fans arrived ready to holler for Rubio, no matter what he did. A few shouted for his appearance — he watched from the bench while Luke Ridnour started — right from the game’s opening seconds.
The rest cheered whether he made plays sensational or simple.
“Yeah, they loved him,” forward Michael Beasley said. “He made bounce passes, and they were in awe.”
They serenaded Rubio with sing-song chants of “Olé, olé, olé” — like soccer fans back in his native Spain do — after he lobbed a fourth-quarter pass to fellow rookie Williams for a thunderous slam dunk.
He finished with six points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals, one turnover and a foul in 24 minutes on a night when he easily could have reached double-digit assists if his teammates had converted more of his passes.
With a few Kings sitting out Saturday’s game at Golden State, Fredette got the start alongside Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton in the Kings’ 107-96 loss. He missed his first shot, but in 35 minutes, Fredette shot 7-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee has the story from Oakland…
The Kings haven’t practiced much using Evans, Fredette, Thornton together. With the injuries, Westphal saw Saturday’s preseason game as an opportunity to look at the lineup.
“Out of our three perimeter players, we really don’t care who brings the ball up because they’re all interchangeable,” Westphal said. “That’s why we don’t get caught up in who’s the point guard, shooting guard.”
Westphal likes the idea of having Thornton and Fredette – two of his best three-point shooters – on the floor together. Westphal said he doesn’t mind Evans taking an open three pointer, either.
All three also can handle the ball and, against the Warriors, the 6-foot-6 Evans was big enough to play small forward.
There were questions about whether Fredette would be able to create his own shot in the NBA, but we have to remember that he’s surrounded by NBA talent now, and will have a lot more space to operate than he did when he was a one-man show at BYU.
Fredette’s also got a pretty quick release. He was 3-for-4 on catch-and-shoot jumpers and 4-for-6 on jumpers off the dribble.
And are we over-analyzing a single preseason game? Absolutely!
Ricky Rubio is okay for the wolves but on most teams he wouldn’t matter.
Gary, have you ever seen Rubio play a whole game? ……. then, you talk.
I did last night, and It was nothing worth calling him a sensation.
Gary was watching but due to his lack of competence in the game he thought Rubio was Ridnour (they both start with R) hahahaha
Gary is okay on nba.com but in real life he wouldnt matter
Haters gonna hate
Lol my bad, did I offend members of the Little Ricky fan club or something? Truth hurts kiddies.
He just didn’t know that he was playing against Kobe and other stars when he was Rubio was 15
yup… stole the ball from paul twice
Bryan Cardinal is ok for the mavs but on most teams he’d be MVP!!
Jimmer is okay for the Kings but on most teams he wouldn’t matter.
Lebron James is good for Miami but on most teams he wouldn’t matter.
Like Cleveland? Stupid…
Yeah the best player in the league wouldn’t matter thats why during free Agency everyone who had the money chased him stop hating you loser !!!!
hahahahaha
Yeupz dey shurely make Gary luk like ah a** here!! smh ..
Lol I am and @$$, but that doesn’t matter.
Lol did you really post that or are you just mocking my comment?
A shooter is a shooter, regardless which team he is on. People make a living nailing open corner 3′s. And EVERY team needs that, especially if they’re a reliable threat.
Landogarner, have you ever seen Fredette play a whole game? ……. then, you talk.
lol lol yall mock dat first comment haaardd!! (y)
I have seen Ricky in Spain since he was 14 years old, he always start strong but after mid season his skill drop like a regular player… I’ll like better JJ Barea, he has more balls.
The Timberwolves wll make the playoffs this season. Solid team.
dont get your hopes up
WOLVES HAVE A GREAT YOUNG TEAM I THINK THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS
Kevin Durant is good for OKC but on most teams he wouldn’t matter.
what do you know about basketball?!?!
i see what you did there.
Michael Jordan was good for Chicago but on most teams he wouldn’t have mattered LOL
I was impressed by Jimmer he did good, but he missed to many free throws. He showed that he can create his own shot very well and he his defense wasn`t either. He can also draw fouls too he just needs to knock those free throws down
Both Wolves & Kings aren’t going to matter for another few years so who cares.. Oh yeah & btw Kobe is good for the Lakers but on most teams he wouldnt matter!
The timberwolves will crush the heat, lakers, maverick, and all the other teams that had more wins them last season. Pretty much every team.
It’s nice to dream.
is that why the Clippers considered their pick a key element in the C Paul trade?
))
Good young core, goog coach (finally), but still…. they won’t crush anybody…not this season
MJ is okay for the Bulls but on most teams he wouldn’t matter.
lololol every body takin a shot at gary first comment
howard is good for the magic but on most teams he wouldnt matter!
hahahahaha salute!
hahahah yeah!
Gary is okay for NBA.com but on most of the websites he wouldn’t matter.
lolol
Good work everybody!
Andrea Bargnani sucks for the Raptors but on most other teams he wouldn`t start.
and U, too!
Sean is the best expert of Bargnani but on most other players he wouldn’t know anything (but guessing why he is not NBA coach of the year, though…meritocracy, where R U?)
Wolves do have good young players but no coaching.. no chance for playoffs this year
Rick Adelman is a way bigger improvement over Kurt Rambis…idiot.
Adelman is no coach? Really? Anyway, even if you were right (which you probablly aren’t), he is a big upgrade over Rambis.
are you stupid coach adlemen is a great coach and lets teams play to thier strengths ie houston young athletic and can run with no true star and only a full time shooter for garunteed offence and they still had an awesome season all things considered.. therefore your an idiot!
They hired Rick Adelman who is a pretty good coach
Y’all may be okay in this comment section, but in the real world you wouldn’t matter
carmello/stoudamire/chandler combination is good for the knicks but on most teams they wouldnt matter
Funny how this Gary is getting ripped but…That statement is actually true though…
It’s like some weird NBA.com meme.
kwame brown is okay but on most teams he wouldn’t matter
On NO team does he matter
The good news for Sacramento is that Fredette scored 21 while MISSING 3 of 4 free throws. When does that happen? Fredette is a 90% freethrow shooter – it will ONLY get better.
If this keeps up Sacramento has a bright future.
U guys killed the wouldnt matter thing.
i’m loving the “good on _insert team name___ but on most teams he wouldn’t matter”
Chris Bosh is good on Heat but on most teams he wouldnt matter… eg Raptors for 6 or so years!
the wolves making the playoffs, what a joke. west top 8/9
1)thunder
2)mavs
3)grizz
4)clippers
5)lakers
6)Nuggets
7)Blazers
8)Jazz
9)Suns/Spurs
Wolves don’t even break the top 12, another lottery pick. or trade it for a 4th or 5th PG you seem to like having too many of the same player. Worst managed/run team in basketball, maybe sports!!
MJ is good on the nba but on most other sports he wouldn’t matter
Team is okay for the Wolves but on most Ricky Rubios they wouldn’t matter.
Brian Scalabrine is ok for the bulls but on most teams he wouldnt matter.
Kobe is okay for the Lakers but on most teams he wouldn’t matter.
- epic! haha
Brian Scalabrine is okay for the Bulls but on most teams he would be MVP.
All i know is LEBRON JAMES will have his first ring this season…
SCALABRINE IS OKAY FOR CHICAGO BUT ON MOST TEAMS HE WOULDN’T MATTER
A.I. is good in turkish but on most teams he wouldnt matter
haha since when did nba.com turn into reddit
David Stern is a bad commisioner for the NBA, but in most leagues he wouldn’t matter
wahaha everybody plays good
Hahahaha! I salute y’all for making me laugh hard haha nice meme
Ulfric is okay for the stormcloaks but on most factions he wouldn’t matter.
look what you started gary
THe Big 3 is good in Miami but on most teams they wouldnt matter.
I’m the white’s only hope.. pick me next year im standing on the only crossroad in Kazahstan
Ricky is great yung player, he will get even better in time…. T-wolves will do nothing this season, but in future, if they stick together, who knows… After all Rubio is not KG, neither is Love, they need someone who will take them to ” that next level ”
sucks to be gary rit now with all these mockers. oh wait… he deserved it didnt he
Lol you think I care what a bunch of fairies says about me? I think it’s funny. My comment was true that’s why all these nerds are mocking it.
/\ /\
i love gary. very much had a good laugh at this banter
Man, Jimmer’s the next Ray Allen, a rookie with great shooting skills. Rubio’s talent will be more polished if the wolves’ backcourts’ not gurad heavy
Eddy Curry is good for the Heat but on most teams he wouldn’t matter
d.wade and lebron are gonna have monster year and derrick rose probably brings home hes second mvp…BUT ON MOST TEAMS THEY WOULDN’T MATTER
I love a comment about Bargnani haha
but yeah Ricky is a solid player,just don’t except to much from him. but I really wish him luck with the wolves. and Jimmer is my fav. rookie so far. just look at the name JIMMER FREDETTE . what a cool name 
I was really good on NBA.com, but then I took an arrow to the knee…. so now on most sites… I don’t matter.
I am very good with my hands…..but in reality…. i am better with my feet…
adam morrison was okay for… oh wait.
DJ Mbenga is okay for getting dunked on but on most teams he’ll get dunked on.
D.J. Mbenga is okay for the Hornets but on most teams he wouldn’t matter.
Fans’ comments here are fun and insightful… but for the GMs, coaches and players, these don’t matter
I lol’d
You’ve seen him play in one preseason game dude, you can’t really talk, he played well.
No I’ve seen him overseas. He’s an average player.
And thanks everyone for the fame ; )
Charles Barkley is a good for TNT but on other networks he wouldnt matter
Phil Jackson is a good coach but on other teams he wouldnt matter
all of this dont matter to akon
Gary is good with Spongebob but with Patrick, he wouldnt matter
MJ is good for Bulls but on most teams he wouldnt matter
Derrick Rose is DECENT for the bulls, but any other team…. we wouldn’t care less.
Tim Tebow is good for the Broncos, but on any other team that wouldn’t matter.
Gary posts dumb comments on NBA.com, but on any other forum they wouldn’t matter….
on second thought they’d still be dumb….
how sad gary!lol
gary is cryng right now..lol
Melo is ok for new york but with other teams he wouldn’t matter.. lmfao!
What is this basketball?
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