Utah Jazz-Brooklyn Nets key matchup: Ricky Rubio seeks redemption
By Ryan Aston
After hitting rock bottom against the Miami Heat, Utah Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio looks to rebound against the Brooklyn Nets.
Self-help gurus will tell you that today is the first day of the rest of your life. What happened yesterday is immaterial; your new path begins now, etc. Utah Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio would do well to follow that mantra.
Not only did his team hit its low point this season on Friday, dropping their fourth straight game to the Miami Heat, but Rubio had his worst night in a Jazz uniform.
In just 22 minutes, Rubio went 0-of-5 from the field, scoring just four points and racking up more turnovers (five) than assists (two). He was so bad that Jazz coach Quin Snyder left him on the bench for the majority of the fourth quarter.
Again, though, it’s a new day and Rubio has a chance for redemption against one of the league’s better young point guards in the Brooklyn Nets’ D’Angelo Russell.
On the surface, Russell seems to be finding his way after a strange stint in Los Angeles. Through 11 games in Brooklyn, he’s putting up 20.5 points, nearly six assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
If Rubio wants to shut him down, he’ll have to stymie the former No. 2 overall pick between the rim and the 3-point line.
Russell is finishing at the hoop at a higher rate (63 percent from zero to three feet from the tin) than ever before. But his biggest jump has been in the mid-range; from 10 to 23 feet from the basket, he’s hovering around a 54 percent shooting.
In a word, that number is incredible. So, despite the fact that he’s more streaky from behind the arc than consistent — he’s on pace to shoot a career-low from 3-point range (at 27 percent) — Russell is knocking down more shots than ever before (45 percent overall).
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Coincidentally, Rubio has been similarly hot from that zone on the floor, connecting on 52 percent of his shots.
So, for me, the key to the game for Rubio will be to take Russell out of his comfort zone defensively, make mid-range shots within the flow of the Jazz offense and focus on making smart decisions with the ball to create points for his teammates.
Before joining he Jazz, this was Rubio’s strength. This season, his assist-to-turnover is teetering dangerously toward one to one, which has really hurt an already lethargic Jazz offense.
If he plays to his strengths, he should be able to correct course and find some success against Russell. When the Nets point guard has been on the floor this season, his team has been outscored by a whopping 11.2 points per 100 possessions.
If Rubio can capitalize here, the Jazz will have a better than average chance of breaking their bad streak.