Rubio, Baynes come to Suns fresh off success at FIBA World Cup

PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones couldn’t contain himself when asked about his thoughts watching Ricky Rubio win the FIBA World Cup and tournament MVP with Spain.

“I was geeked, it made me look great,” Jones said Monday at the team’s media day. “That’s what Ricky does: he makes everyone else look good.

“You have a sense of joy (that) he’s our guy. Ricky’s my guy, he’s Monty’s guy, he’s Devin’s guy — he’s a Sun. So that sense of pride and enjoyment, those are the types of things that contribute to that.”

Rubio averaged 16.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, leading the way for the Spaniards by accentuating their signature style of unselfish basketball.

Aron Baynes did the same for Australia, with less flash and more physicality.

“He was the glue for that team,” Suns head coach Monty Wiliams said of Baynes in the tournament.

The Boomers made a surprising run all the way to the semifinals, where Baynes’ team matched up with Rubio.

Baynes said there was one notable thing that changed knowing Rubio was his Suns teammate in that game.

“I might not have dropped my shoulder as I normally would have on a few screens,” he said with a smirk, and for those of you who have seen Baynes make defenders evaporate with his screens, you know how nice of a gesture that is.

The banter has already started between the two, as Baynes said Rubio wants himself to be referred to as the MVP.

Williams saw Rubio in Los Angeles prior to the tournament when Spain lost an exhibition to Team USA, noting he was worried about his point guard.

But Rubio looked him dead in the eye and said not to fret, telling Williams they were going to win the tournament.

“So I’ve learned to not bet against Ricky,” the new Suns coach said.

Despite the accolades of the country in international basketball the past decade, Spain was not one of the favorites in the tournament and that’s a mentality Rubio wants to carry over to the Suns.

“This team and (the) Spanish team. In the tournament, nobody believed in us,” he said.

And that’s part of what made it so special for Rubio.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life and not just because we won it, because (of) the way it happened,” he said.

Because of that tournament ending in mid-September, both players haven’t been around the facility or their new teammates yet.

Baynes said that’s a big reason why he was so excited on Monday to get familiar with everyone and Rubio wasn’t willing to expand much on his new teammates because, well, he doesn’t really know them that well on and off the court yet.

But while that bonding gets underway, the presence and attitude those two bring with them into an NBA locker room is undeniable and what gets the higher-ups giddy.

“Their experience excites me,” Williams said.

“Those guys know what a playoff day looks like. They know what a tough practice feels like. Those guys can say, ‘This is what winners do.'”

And those guys are coming in straight off high-level basketball they both did a lot of winning in. Australia and Spain were a combined 14-1.

“There’s no better preparation for us coming into camp,” Baynes said.

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