When in doubt, give yourself some words of encouragement.
That’s what Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio did after suffering a 114-101 loss against the Washington Wizards on Friday night, where the guard had another poor showing with 4 points on one-of-eight shooting, five rebounds, six assists and five turnovers.
The way things have gone recently, it may be fair to assume that Rubio is, in fact, probably going through the worst stretch of his career as a pro at any point in his life. The once-sensational guard has simply not been the same since returning from a torn ACL in his left knee from a season ago.
His playing time has been limited to 22 minutes per game, where he has averaged 4.2 points on just 24.6 percent shooting, to go with 1.8 rebounds and five assists – far below the level of production from his rookie season.
The frustration level boiled over when Terry Porter decided to bench Rubio for the entire fourth quarter in the previous game against the Brooklyn Nets. The guard uncharacteristically expressed displeasure over the lack of playing time – something he has since apologized for.
It’s never easy for any player to come back from such a devastating injury and perform at a high level right off the bat. It’s a situation that requires a great level of patience, and Rubio’s patience has certainly been tested thus far. Like he said in his tweet, though, giving up is not an option. As long as he stays within that mind frame, it should only be a matter of time before the passing wizard regains his confidence and groove.