The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly set to soon welcome back veteran point guard Ricky Rubio, who could return as soon as Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
His presence will take some pressure off Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland while giving a very young team some much-needed experience.
#Cavs guard Ricky Rubio is said to be “really close” to a return. Here he is getting some conditioning work in before tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/PAlpJBj37z
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) January 11, 2023
Rubio’s averages of 7.6 assists and just 2.6 turnovers a game throughout his 11-year NBA career indicate how he can help in terms of playmaking, ball-handling, and getting teammates easy baskets.
However, when it comes to the Cavs taking the next step and becoming legitimate championship contenders right now, they need more help.
They need more scoring off the bench, as well as more functional depth at the wing position, and those two areas are beyond Rubio’s scope.
He has averaged just 11.1 points a game in his career while shooting 38.9 percent overall from the field and 32.6 percent from 3-point range, so don’t expect him to make a huge impact on Cleveland’s offense in terms of giving it another scoring threat.
The team has fallen to 28th in bench scoring at just 29.3 points per game, and its lack of bench production ultimately puts more pressure on Mitchell and Garland to be great every night.
While Mitchell often is great, come playoff time teams will devise schemes to limit his forays to the basket, which means others, such as the Cavs’ reserves, will need to pitch in to keep those defenses honest.
Rubio’s return will be a positive for the Cavs, but don’t expect him to be some miracle worker who will solve their issues enough to put them over the top.
