Ricky Rubio to enter draft

[WilyWestbrook0]

I guess if we mean "elite" by the likes of MJ, Kobe, LeBron, etc., then no - international players haven't reached that level yet. But is Dirk not a top ten player in the league? Perhaps we should more precisely define what "superstar" and "elite" mean..

[tarheelsnipe]

I was talking the type of player that defines the NBA. When an average sports fan thinks NBA, they immediately think MJ, Lebron, Kobe, Magic, Bird, etc. None of the international players are on that level. I don't consider Duncan an international player since he played his college ball at Wake Forest, and I don't consider him a superstar but that's a personal opinion. I define international as a player that was cultivated in one of the FIBA teams or their farm teams, or a member of one of the national basketball teams their whole lives.

There's no way to define it really, but you know a Kobe or Lebron when you see it.

[WilyWestbrook0]

I see. In that sense, I agree - Dirk, Yao, and a few of those guys are very good, but not on the level of superstars like MJ and so forth.

[RenegadeLonghorn]

International players still make up a small percentage of the NBA. Dirk just won the MVP a few years back. First international player to do that, right? In time we will see that first superstar from overseas. Rubio won't be it but he's got talent to be a star.

[Garthug]

I was talking the type of player that defines the NBA. When an average sports fan thinks NBA, they immediately think MJ, Lebron, Kobe, Magic, Bird, etc. None of the international players are on that level.

I don't understand that thinking. Are the thousands of other domestic players over the years also no good because they dont define the NBA? Yao and Dirk are certainly superstars in the league. The top half of the draft is littered with way more Marcus Fizers and Cherokee Parks than Darkos. It's too early to pass judgement on Gallinari, and Bargnani has been looking better since they've stopped trying to make him a low post banger. These guys arent going to be LeBron, but few players anywhere can even sniff that level.

[WilyWestbrook0]

He clarified already to me that there are good international players, but there just haven't been any on the level of league-defining players, which is a legitimate point. So he's not saying guys like Dirk, Yao, etc. are no good, just not on the level of past greats like MJ, Bird, Magic, and current players like LeBron, Kobe, etc.

[Garthug]

I getcha. As mentioned earlier, the sample size of international players is still pretty small. Give it another generation or so, and I'd bet we'll have our NBA-defining international player. Although you could make a case for Yao...if it werent for him bringing the Chinese audience with him, Yi Jianlian would never get close to being voted in to the All-Star game.

Back on topic...I'm rooting for Rubio. I'm all for more point guards with great ballhandling skills and court awareness. Guys like Stockton, Paul, Kidd, Nash, etc just make things easier for everyone else around them.

[Sac Kings]

Ricky would be a good fit with the Kings. They need a ball handler and, huh, Beno Udrih is not the answer. The Kings have also had good luck drafting Euros (Peja, Hedo).