Little Playing Time, Big Impact From Ricky Rubio In First Games Back

Ricky Rubio has only played three games for the Cleveland Cavaliers since returning from an ACL injury. However, his impact is already being felt on the court.

Rickey Rubio has finally made his long-awaited return to the court over a year after tearing his ACL in December of 2021. 

After just three games, Rubio is averaging 4.7 points, three assists, and two rebounds a game. These numbers don't immediately jump out as anything game-changing, but we have to remember this just over a three-game stretch. 

J.B. Bickerstaff and the medical staff have also been slowly working him back into the rotation due to the amount of time he missed. This isn't surprising considering he missed over a year of NBA basketball.

Jan 16, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio (13) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Rubio is averaging just 13.3 minutes a game. In his first game back against the Trail Blazers he played 10 minutes, then against the Timberwolves he contributed 13 minutes, and finally, against the Pelicans, he was worked up to 17 minutes. 

His stats don't immediately jump out as something to get overjoyed about, but there's more to Ricky Rubio than just what the book shows.

Since he came back and Rubio has been on the floor, the ball movement has looked much better. He consistently keeps the ball going around the offense until an open man is able to get the best shot up.

Rubio's +/- also sheds light on what he's been able to accomplish with his little time on the floor. In these first three games, Ricky is an average +4.3 when he's on the floor. His best was on Monday against the Pelicans when he finished +16.

Even if Ricky never returns to the 13 points and 6.5 assists game player that he was before the injury, his basketball IQ and experience will help this young Cavs team reach their goals. This is something we're already seeing in action. 

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