Ricky Rubio
This contract was a steal for the Cavs. He was one of the best backup point guards in the whole league last year before he tore his ACL. I’m not sure how Rubio will look once he returns to the court, but he’ll still be very impactful on both ends of the floor. Rubio isn’t the most athletically gifted player, so tearing his ACL won’t hurt his skill set as much as a player who has a lot of athleticism would.
Looking at his contract, he signed a 3-year, $18,4 million contract, with the final year not being fully guaranteed. I like the contract. I really do. If he isn’t that good of a player once his third year rolls around, the Cavs could just waive him and save money. Also, if he is still a good player, he will only be making about $6 million dollars, which is a steal of a contract.
Sure, there are some downsides to Rubio. He has never shot over 42% from the field in his entire career for a season, and he is a career 32.6% 3-point shooter. Yes, he’s not the best scorer on the roster, but he doesn’t need to be. When Darius Garland is off the floor, he will be the primary ball-handler and facilitator. His passing is very good for a backup, and that could really help the Cavs in the playoffs.
Quinn’s grade: A
Robin Lopez and Raul Neto
There isn’t a lot to be said about either player here, as they both do not really get a lot of playing time. Both players were signed on a minimum deal just to be a backup in case of injury. Lopez has started only one game, and that was because Jarrett Allen was injured for a bit.
Neto has been solid for a backup point guard because of Rubio’s injury. He has averaged 3.2 points, but also 1.4 assists per game in only 10.5 minutes per game. He also is shooting 52.4% from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line. I like what I have seen out of Neto, a solid backup point guard who can slow down the offense to get an easy bucket and assist.
As for Lopez, he is averaging 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per night. Yes, Lopez doesn’t get a lot of minutes, but to be fair, he is 34 years old and might retire soon. I don’t expect him to really play if the Cavs make the playoffs, considering Kevin Love, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley can all play the center position.
All in all, both Neto and Lopez have been solid veteran backups and deserve praise for the work that they have been doing on the court. Will either of them be playing crunch-time minutes? No, probably not. Unless an injury happens, then maybe. But until then, I don’t expect to see anything crazy out of either of these players.