Two years ago, many of us expected Ricky Rubio to play like he's playing now, looking like a veteran in a rookie's body. I ranked him as the No. 2 player in the 2009 draft class largely because of the way he's able to get everyone around him to be more productive. But he struggled the past two seasons in international play, so most NBA watchers (including myself) felt he had lost his mojo and was not likely to be an impact player. Lost as a scorer and a shooter overseas, Rubio faced the challenge of finding and adjusting his game to a much more athletic league this season, all while playing against players he's mostly never faced before with a dozen or more new teammates, a new coaching staff and a new system.
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