American basketball fans treat European ballplayers with a healthy amount of skepticism... and rightly so. From Frederic Weis to Darko Milicic to Danilo Gallinari, the list of overseas ballers who basked in pre-draft hype only to disappoint is long.
Spain's Ricky Rubio could be an exception.
Unlike his overhyped predecessors, Rubio actually has some game experience in high-leverage situations... including heavy minutes for Team Spain, matched up against the likes of Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade in the gold medal game in the Beijing Olympics. It was at those Olympics that the draft buzz really started to build.
NBA Player Comparison: Steve Nash is the name you'll hear most often, though Rubio isn't as effective a shooter as the two-time MVP, and is probably a better defender. Tony Parker or Rajon Rondo might be a more accurate comparison.
Where will Rubio Land? Our projection for Ricky Rubio and the rest of 2009's top prospects in our latest mock draft.
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 Spain vs. China |  Pau Gasol and Ricky Rubio |  Gold Medal Game: Spain vs. USA |
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