Ricky’s been doing a great job. He’s such a great passer that he just forces guys to run because you know he’s going to get the ball up. – Joe Johnson
SALT LAKE CITY — Though he’s widely regarded as one of the best passers in the NBA, one of the knocks on Ricky Rubio’s game has been his shooting.
In six NBA seasons, the 6-foot-4 point guard has only hit 37.5 percent of his field goals, including 31.5 percent accuracy from 3-point range.
If Quin Snyder were concerned about Rubio’s 0-for-4 shooting performance in his first outing in a Utah Jazz uniform, the head coach didn’t show it.
“He shot it great today in practice,” Snyder said after Tuesday’s team workout.
Snyder isn’t the type to freak out over one bad performance — or a good one — so it’s not really surprising that he didn’t seem fazed by Rubio’s scoring woes in the team’s 108-84 win over the Sydney Kings in an international friendly. Rubio only finished with three points, all from the free-throw line.
More so, the Jazz coach pointed out that Rubio “had a full summer” with the Spanish national team and credited his new playmaker for doing well in other aspects of this preseason game. The former longtime Minnesota player pushed the ball, made some dazzling passes and played well on the other side of the court.
“He played so hard defensively. It really set a tone,” Snyder said. “And I think his development over the course of the season is really what I want him to focus on, not to think in the short term if he had a bad game or a couple of bad games or a bad month.”
The Jazz liked how Rubio pushed the pace and set up teammates. He finished with four assists, including a terrific inbound lob to Rudy Gobert for a dunk, and didn’t turn the ball over in 20 minutes.
“Ricky’s been doing a great job,” Jazz veteran forward Joe Johnson said. “He’s such a great passer that he just forces guys to run because you know he’s going to get the ball up.”
Johnson, now in his 17th NBA season, said Rubio reminds him of a former two-time MVP he played with for a year (2004-05) in Phoenix.
“He has a little bit of Steve Nash in him as far as passing-wise,” Johnson said. “It’s almost like they see the play before it even happens — as it’s developing they’re able to see it. He has great vision.”
Jazz fans will get their second chance to see Rubio & Co. play Wednesday night when another international team, Israel’s Maccabi Haifa, visits Vivint Arena.
Utah will likely be without another popular newcomer. Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell, who had 11 points and three assists in his preseason debut, is listed as doubtful due to right hamstring tightness. He did not practice Tuesday.
Backup point guard Raul Neto is questionable with left quadriceps tightness.
Snyder will look for more team connectivity while limiting players’ minutes against the Israeli squad. He said they were able to do a lot of teaching after watching film Tuesday in the aftermath of Monday’s first preseason game.
Fourth-year point guard Dante Exum said that he can learn from Rubio’s court vision and passing. The young Jazz player admires how Rubio uses deception to deliver the ball where it goes.
“I’m not into the crazy passes at the moment, but he just finds the way to get the ball into the big,” Exum said. “He did a lot of passes (Monday) night that were behind the back, between the legs, whatever it is just to get the ball (there).”
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