3) Playoff Rubio
Before the Jazz began their first-round playoff series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Paul George bemused the media with talk of “Playoff P.” And while George definitely had his moments during the series, it was Playoff Ricky that reined supreme in the end.
Ricky Rubio hadn’t experienced one minute of postseason basketball coming into the year. But he made up for lost time during Utah’s 115-102 Game 3 win with his best game in a Jazz uniform.
In 37 minutes of play, Rubio scored an efficient 26 points on 18 shots, adding 11 boards, 10 assists and two steals. It was the Jazz’s first playoff triple-double since John Stockton notched one during the team’s first-round series with the Dallas Mavericks in 2001.
The Jazz went on to win the series in six games, a feat that would have seemed impossible just a few, short months earlier. And without Rubio’s efforts, it probably doesn’t happen.
Now, Jazz fans (and yours truly) are hyped to see what the Spaniard does next season.
Next: No. 2