Grading the Ricky Rubio deal with Cavs from all angles

Grading Ricky Rubio deal with Cavs: On-court fit

The question of how Ricky Rubio will fit on the court with this team was answered last season, so it’s relatively easy to look back to analyze how things went. The team didn’t have Caris LeVert yet, and Ochai Agbaji was playing for Kansas, but by-and-large this roster is the same as last season.

The results were overwhelmingly positive. Rubio ensured the Cavs always had a plus-passer on the court at all times, and the offense benefited immensely. Defensively he is strong with quick hands, and he fit well taking on the tougher backcourt assignments when sharing the court with Darius Garland or (briefly) Collin Sexton.

The Cavs’ best lineups last season were when Rubio and Garland shared the court together. Garland’s shooting ability pulled defenders to him off-ball, allowing Rubio to dice up the remaining defenders. Rubio and Garland together were the Cavs’ best two-man lineup (min 100 minutes played) last season, with a +16.1 net rating in 512 minutes.

Rubio has been a streaky shooter for his career. Last season he hit 33.9 percent from 3-point range and is just 32.6 percent overall across 11 seasons. If he falls at the bottom end of that spectrum coming off of the injury, the Cavs may struggle on offense a bit playing with two-big lineups. Still, Rubio’s passing and savviness makes up for that as well. He’s a great addition to almost any lineup but especially Cleveland’s.

Grade: A-