Suns point guard Ricky Rubio at long last spotted in Orlando bubble
Jul 21, 2020, 2:15 PM | Updated: 6:51 pm
Phoenix Suns guard Ricky Rubio (11) drives by San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray during the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in Phoenix. San Antonio won 120-118. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The closed environment of the NBA bubble for everyone’s safety in Orlando also allows for less information to get out if teams choose to do so.
That’s the route the Phoenix Suns have gone.
With no media on the ground at practices until Tuesday, the availability of a handful of players was up in the air, including starting point guard Ricky Rubio. That was because the Suns wouldn’t answer questions on who was and wasn’t there, and going strictly off social media, Rubio was one of the players not seen in Orlando.
The New York Times’ Marc Stein, though, spotted Rubio participating at the Suns’ practice on Tuesday.
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Head coach Monty Williams has declined to comment on who is missing and/or why on five separate occasions over nearly two weeks. On Tuesday, he deferred to general manager James Jones, and it’s not known when Jones’ next media availability will be.
The wonder sprouted from Jones saying on July 6 — a day before the team left for Orlando — that they’d have some players arriving in the bubble at a later date.
Center Aron Baynes, point guard Elie Okobo and guard Jalen Lecque are the three other players that haven’t been seen there on any social media accounts.
Those three players and Rubio all were listed on the Suns’ roster for Orlando that the league released on Monday, but two-way player Tariq Owens was not. Those players have also not had a media availability.
Rubio has played a large part in the Suns leading the league in assists per game at 27.2 The 29-year-old is averaging 8.9 a game on his own, the third-most in the NBA.
Signed to a three-year, $51 million deal last offseason, Rubio is also posting 13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals a night, shooting 41.2% from the field and 35.1% beyond the three-point line.
The Suns will play their first of three scrimmages on Thursday against the Utah Jazz at 5:00 p.m. and you can hear the action on ESPN 620 AM. They begin the eight-game seeding portion of the bubble on July 31 against the Washington Wizards, a 1:00 p.m. tip-off you can also listen to on ESPN 620 AM.
