Knicks Trade Rumors: Pros And Cons Of Pursuing Ricky Rubio

Con: Team Basketball over One Facilitator

Teams that have an elite facilitator tend to play well and compete for a spot in the NBA Playoffs. That’s an alluring truth that could rationally draw Phil Jackson to acquiring Ricky Rubio, no matter how limited the value he may have placed on point guards in the past.

For as gifted a facilitator as Rubio may be, the reality of the situation is that the New York Knicks shouldn’t be aiming to create a system that relies on one player to facilitate.

Team basketball trumps hero ball, and hero ball includes one player dominating the rock and attempting to create everything the offense does. Thus, Rubio’s inability to play off the ball rears its ugly head once again.

If the Knicks are going to build a cohesive offensive unit that plays to the strengths of every player on the court, then relying on one facilitator may not be wise.

New York has a number of talented playmakers on the roster, albeit without a truly elite facilitator. When the Knicks have been at their best in 2016-17, the ball hasn’t stuck in any one place—whether that be a scorer’s hands or those of a facilitator.

If the Knicks are going to realize their potential as a team, then they must have more than just one player facilitating the offense.