Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio

A season that started with high expectations quickly unraveled for the Minnesota Timberwolves thanks to a bevy of injuries. They are 7-25 since Kevin Love broke his right hand for the second time on Jan. 8. One of the few bright spots during this awful stretch has been Ricky Rubio’s gradual return from a torn knee ligament last March.

Rubio had his first career triple-double on Tuesday with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, leading the Timberwolves to a 107-83 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He made 9 of 17 shots and grabbed his 10th board with 9:14 to play in the game, earning a standing ovation from the long-suffering Wolves fans. Alexey Shved broke out of a big slump to score 16 points and Barea had 17 for the Wolves, who hit 12 3-pointers.

”I just try to be aggressive all the time,” Rubio told the Associated Press. ”Stats are the last thing I try to watch. The victory is the most important thing.”

Rubio really turned it on over the last month, and he put an exclamation point on his return against the Spurs. He punctuated the night with a behind-the-back dribble and layup in the fourth, bringing Wolves fans to their feet.

But one Spur wasn’t impressed.

”He alright,” San Antonio forward Stephen Jackson said. ”You know, I mean, I’m into winning championships. I’m not into guys playing alright, averaging 30 and 20 on sorry teams. I’m into winning championships. He got some upside, I’ll say that. But it’s all about winning to me. It’s not about what you do on your personal stats.”

Watch Rubio’s double behind-the-back play:

The Heat own the best record in the East while the Thunder own the best record in the West. Even though the playoffs are still quite a ways from starting, the idea of a Heat-Thunder NBA Finals can’t be dismissed. And that salacious matchup will bring a head-to-head showdown between two of the best stars in the league – James and Durant.

If the Heat and the Thunder maintain their incredible pace, the MVP award could very well come down to LeBron and KD. OneManFastBreak.net picks the most valuable player, defensive player of the year, rookie of the year, most improved, sixth man of the year, and coach of the year.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: LEBRON JAMES
While it wouldn’t be wrong to vote for Kobe Bryant (who is leading the league in scoring), Chris Paul (who has the L.A. Clippers in first place in the Pacific Division), and Durant for MVP, it is hard to ignore the fact that James is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, a career that already includes two MVP seasons. LeBron is at his usual studly averages in points (27), rebounds (8) and assists (6), but a big addition to his arsenal this season is the post-up game. James has been much more efficient from the field, making 55% of his shots, the best in his career. On the other hand, he is on pace to attempt just 120 threes, the lowest in his career.

LeBron James is on pace to capture his third regular season MVP award. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: SERGE IBAKA
Could this be the year Dwight Howard’s three-year dominance as DPOTY comes to an end? Howard remains a stud on defense, leading the league in rebounds (15) and fifth in blocked shots (2), but Serge Ibaka has been an absolute beast. Air Congo leads NBA in blocks (3.2), which is a huge reason why the Thunder is in the top five in field-goal percentage defense. Ibaka, or Iblocka, has reached double-digit blocks three times this season. He had 10 against the Mavericks on Feb. 1, 10 against the Kings on Feb. 9, and a season’s best 11 against the Nuggets on Feb. 19. He is on pace to rack up more than 200 blocks, and deny Howard his fourth DPOTY trophy.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: RICKY RUBIO
The 2011-12 season has been the year of the young point guards and two players have emerged from the pack for top rookie honors: Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers and Ricky Rubio of the Timberwolves. Rubio brought with him tons of hype, but he has exceeded expectations with a spectacular first half. The Spanish playmaker is fifth in the league in assists (8.4) and second in steals (2.4). The only other guard who is in the top-five in both categories is Chris Paul. Irving, the top pick in the 2011 draft, leads all rookies in points (18) but he has injected some life into the moribund Cavaliers, which is still reeling from the whole LeBron Decision two seasons ago. Rubio’s Timberwolves are in a playoff hunt in the West, while Irving’s Cavs remains a lottery team. If the Timberwolves earn a playoff berth, it would be hard to ignore Rubio as the choice for ROY.

MOST IMPROVED:  JEREMY LIN
If someone else wins this award aside from Jeremy Lin then voters need to have their heads examined. Lin has been an overnight sensation, lifting the Knicks out of hibernation and creating a Tebow-esque buzz around the league. Lin’s phenomenal rags-to-riches rise has been the story of the NBA season. And he has backed up his Disney-like tale off the court with historical numbers on the court. His 38-point performance against the Lakers on Feb. 10 and his game-winning 3-pointer against the Raptors on Valentine’s Day nearly shut down Twitter. Last season, Lin was novelty act basically hanging on by his shoe laces to stay in the NBA. This season, he is the toast of Broadway and a worldwide star.  Not bad for a guy who went undrafted in 2010, cut twice, and running in the D-League a month ago. As Knicks superfan Spike Lee would say, “you can’t script this any better.”

Jeremy Lin should be the runaway winner of the NBA's most improved player award. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: JAMES HARDEN
The race for the best bench player in the league comes down to three players: Jason Terry of the Mavericks, Lou Williams of the 76ers, and James Harden of the Thunder. Terry, who won the award in 2009, is a big reason why Dallas has been able to stay afloat in the West while Dirk Nowitzki regains his fitness. Williams is enjoying his best season with Philly, leading the team in points (15.7) and often called upon to take (and make) the game-winning shots. But as good as Terry and Williams have been this season, Harden has been better. The former Arizona State star is the only non-starter in the top 30 scoring list, and his improved 3-point shot has made his lefty dribble drive even more devastating. He may not have Russell Westbrook’s blazing speed nor Kevin Durant’s pin-point shooting, but he is extremely crafty and can get his own shot. It’s time for the basketball world to recognize Harden as one of the best bench players in the league.

COACH OF THE YEAR: ERIK SPOELSTRA
Scott Brooks is a worthy candidate for coach of the year, as well as Doug Collins for the job he has done in Philadelphia and Tom Thibodeau for keeping the Bulls running while Derrick Rose heals from his injuries. However, none of them came in with the immense expectations like Erik Spoelstra did in Miami, and all the Pat Riley protoge has done is lead the Heat to the best record in the East, fend off the naysayers, exceed writers’ expectations, and find a way to keep LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh happy without completely dismissing the rest of the team. Spoelstra has done a masterful job of being part teacher, part taskmaster, part ego manager, and part motivator. He opened up the playbook offensively to allow LeBron and Wade to get in the open court, but he still maintained the Heat’s defensive philosophies.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Rookie point guard Ricky Rubio has is becoming a cult hero in Minnesota. (GETTY IMAGES)

Prince is without a doubt Minnesota’s favorite son. But Ricky Rubio is fast becoming Minnesota’s favorite adopted son.

Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love – now in his fourth year in the NBA – says there is an electric atmosphere around the Target Center this season. Minnesota, which had been in the dark ages the past four years after Kevin Garnett left for Beantown, now has something to get excited about with the arrival of Ricky Rubio. Wolves fans are going absolutely crazy for the Spanish sensation, much like the way the world was going gaga over Prince when he unleashed “Purple Rain.”

The Timberwolves selected Rubio with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft, and basketball pundits thought general manager David Kahn and the Wolves front office were crazy for drafting a guy who wanted to play two more years in Europe. Well, two years later, it was definitely worth the wait. Who’s going crazy now?

The 21-year-old Rubio has injected a ton of energy into the listless franchise with his brilliant play-making ability, even though the T-Wolves have managed just one win in their first four games. But all three losses were by four points or less and they could easily be 4-0.

In his NBA debut, Rubio had six points, five rebounds and six assists in 26 minutes off the bench. The stats were pedestrian but it was the way he delivered the passes that drew “ooohs!” and “aaahs!” from the Target Center crowd. And it wasn’t just T-Wolves fans who were brought out of their seats by Rubio’s no-look bounce passes. Miami Heat star LeBron James posted on Twitter: “Rubio can pass that rock!”

LeBron and Co. got a firsthand look at Rubio’s passing skills on Dec. 30 when the Heat visited the Target Center. Rubio was on target that night, finishing with 12 assists and 12 points. Miami is a proud defensive team, and Rubio was able to dissect Erik Spoelstra’s well-constructed scheme like a seasoned pro. After the game Heat star Dwyane Wade said the future looks bright for Minnesota with Rubio and Love at the helm, and the Heat were lucky to come out with a 103-101 win.

Whenever Rubio enters the game, he sparks his team and ignites the crowd. That was evident on New Year’s Day against defending champion Dallas when Rubio helped engineer a Tebow-esque second-half surge that led to Minnesota’s first win of the 66-game season.

“I’ve played a lot of games at Target Center, but this is the most electric it has been. We have a pretty electric group that’s playing together, whether it’s Ricky [Rubio] or Derrick [Williams] or the new guys,” said Love, who was equally spectacular against the Mavericks with 25 points, 17 rebounds and 5-of-6 from behind the 3-point line.

As good as Love was the Wolves couldn’t have pulled out the win over Dallas if not for the steady hand of Rubio, who scored 12 of Minnesota’s 15 points during a critical five-minute stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters. The scouting report on Rubio is that he can’t shoot a lick, but he dismissed that by draining two 3-pointers. He also scored on a pair of dribble drives, the last one giving the T-Wolves an 82-72 lead at the nine-minute mark that essential put the game away.

“He has meant a lot,” Love said about Rubio. “Obviously he comes here with a lot of notoriety coming from Spain. He brings a big following. He’s fun to watch, fun to play with and a pleasure to be around because he enjoys the game so much. Even in practice he brings it.”

Even though Rubio is classified as an NBA rookie he’s technically a seven-year veteran, having signed his first pro basketball contract in Europe when he was 14 years old. He has played in the Olympics, European finals and FIBA world championships so he’s not afraid of the big stage. Minnesota coach Rick Adelman has been using Rubio off the bench, but if the Timberwolves are going to move forward Adelman needs to scrap the Luke Ridnour timeshare, start The Kid and let him go crazy.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

NBA teams have placed a premium on point guards, and three of the last top overall selections in the draft have been point guards: Derrick Rose (2008), John Wall (2010) and Kyrie Irving (2011).

This past June, seven teams took a point guard in the first round and it seems like five of them will have an immediate impact. OneManFastBreak.net examines the best first-year point guards for the 2011-12 season:

KYRIE IRVING, Cleveland Cavaliers
The No. 1 overall pick in 2011 will have the ball in his hands from Day 1. The Cavaliers, who are still healing from the permanent scar left by LeBron James in 2010, are banking on the former Duke star to resurrect the franchise and reenergize Quicken Loans Arena. There is little doubt Irving has the overall game to be a very good NBA floor general. The big question with him is health and conditioning after missing nearly all of last season because of a foot injury.

Rookie point guards Kyrie Irving (left) of Cleveland and Brandon Knight of Detroit could have immediate impacts. (US PRESSWIRE)

BRANDON KNIGHT, Detroit Pistons
The former Kentucky Wildcat is a big point guard (6-4, 177) who doesn’t shy away from the big moment. The Pistons will pair him up with Rodney Stuckey, who plays better as the off-guard. Knight turned in an impressive performance in his preseason debut, going head-to-head with Irving, and showed first-year Pistons coach Lawrence Frank that he can handle the offense despite not having a full training camp.

KEMBA WALKER, Charlotte Bobcats
Speaking of handling big moments, nobody played better in the clutch during last year’s college basketball season than Kemba Walker. The 6-1 guard from New York led Connecticut to a superb run in the NCAA tournament, winning the NCAA title and the Final Four MVP. Walker played the shooting guard spot for Jim Calhoun last season, so he’ll have to get used to running point for the Bobcats. It shouldn’t be a long adjustment period because Walker is a quick study and has supreme confidence in his ability. If given an opportunity to start, Walker could challenge for Rookie of the Year.

JIMMER FREDETTE, Sacramento Kings
The Kings made a bold move by acquiring the Brigham Young star in a draft-day trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. In his preseason debut, Fredette dropped 21 points without breaking a sweat against the Golden State Warriors (although he was being defended by Steph Curry). Defense will be somewhat of a concern, but the Kings will take his 3-point shooting over his matador defense any time. Kings coach Paul Westphal will have a little bit of a dilemma because he has to find a way to get Jimmer on the court without taking away minutes from Tyreke Evans, John Salmons and Marcus Thornton.

RICKY RUBIO, Minnesota Timberwolves
The T-Wolves have waited two long years to get Rubio, and now that the 21-year-old has landed in Minnesota fans at the Target Center will fall in love with the Spanish stud – and we’re not just talking about the ladies. Rubio is a natural point guard: pass first, pass second, shoot only if necessary. He won’t pile up points, but he’ll rack up the assists, steals and sneak in some rebounds. His size (6-3) allows coach Rick Adelman to play him at off-guard and pair him up with newly acquired J.J. Barea in the backcourt.  Rubio is an electrifying player who has been playing pro ball since he was 14 years old. If Adelman lets him run the team, watch out for Ricky-mania in Minnesota.

NORRIS COLE, Miami Heat
Pat Riley, one of the best talent evaluators in the league, has picked up some valuable late-round picks in the past (Udonis Haslem, Dorell Wright, Mario Chalmers) and he has another late-round gem in Norris Cole from Cleveland State. Cole, listed at 6-2, fits the mold of a Miami Heat player: tough, tenacious, confident, selfless. Although Chalmers will start for coach Erik Spoelstra, Cole should see action as the backup point. Cole handles the ball slightly better than Chalmers and can create his own shot.

Marc Gasol, who had a solid year with the Memphis Grizzlies last season, won't have his older brother Pau at the 2010 FIBA World Championship but that shouldn't stop Spain from contending for the gold medal. (GETTY IMAGES)

The year 2010 has been very kind to Spain.

In June, Pau Gasol won his second NBA championship with the Lakers. A few weeks later, Rafael Nadal won his second Wimbledon title. In July, Alberto Contador captured his third consecutive Tour de France title and the Spanish soccer team won its first World Cup.

It has been a banner year for Spain so far, and the country’s great karma could continue at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, which begins Aug. 28.

Despite not having its best player Pau Gasol – who has decided to skip the FIBA World Championship this summer to give his body some much-needed rest – Spain remains one of the favorites to capture the gold medal in Turkey because of three reasons: center Marc Gasol, Pau’s younger brother who is slowly blazing his own trail in the NBA; shooting guard Juan Carlos Navarro, the reigning Euroleague player of the year; and his Euroleague teammate point guard Ricky Rubio.

Both men gave the United States fits in last Sunday’s exhibition game in Madrid, a game narrowly won by the U.S. 86-85. Navarro had 20 points to lead Spain and Gasol had 17 points and had his way against the Americans in the low post.

For years, Marc Gasol, nicknamed “El Tanque,” has played in the shadows of his much celebrated brother. But the last couple of years, Marc has come into his own and had a breakout season with the Memphis Grizzlies last year.

The 25-year-old Barcelona native averaged career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (9.3) and field-goal percentage (58%) last season – his second as an NBA pro – and has become one of the central figures in the Grizzlies’ youth movement. The 7-foot-1, 270-pound big man is a much more physical player than his older brother. He could very well be the best post-up player at the World Championship in Turkey, and now is a good time to break out of his brother’s immense shadow.

Marc Gasol may not have his sibling on this year’s Spanish national team but he’ll have his basketball brethren with him, including veteran guard Navarro. Nicknamed “La Bomba” for his big-time long-range shots, Navarro has been a fixture on Spain’s national team for 10 years.

“For many years Juan Carlos and I have known each other and we are like brothers,” Marc Gasol told FIBA.com. The 30-year-old Navarro, a former member of the Memphis Grizzlies who led FC Barcelona to a Euroleague title last season and is the reigning Euroleague Final MVP.

“Being in the same room as Juan Carlos is like being with my brother Pau, because they are very similar,” Gasol added. “I have a lot of affection for Juan Carlos.”

Juan Carlos Navarro will captain Spain at the 2010 World Championship in Turkey.

Indeed, the camaraderie at Spain’s training camp appears to be good, with Rudy Fernandez and Rubio together like old times at DKV Joventut, and Felipe Reyes and Jorge Garbajosa also hanging out just as if they were with Real Madrid.

Spain is a close-knit group, the core of the squad has been together for at least four seasons and much of the roster remains the same when it won the gold medal at the 2006 World Championship. Navarro, the team captain, told FIBA.com that he has a good feeling about the squad. “Most of the group is the same as last year,” he said, referring to the team that took gold at last year’s EuroBasket. “We know each other well and the know the style of play.

“We must try to play like last year and have a mind to defend. Then with our quality in attack we have everything.”

With the injury to Jose Calderon, who appears to be out of the World Championship because of a leg injury, Rubio will assume the starting role at point. Rubio showcased his talents against the U.S. in the exhibition game earlier this week in Madrid. His length bothered the guards and his passing off pick-and-rolls exposed the big men. Rubio will make a huge impact at the World Championship, no doubt.

The rest of Spain’s starting lineup includes Navarro at shooting guard, Fernandez on the wing and Garbajosa and Marc Gasol in the frontcourt. Spain has a NBA-type roster that can match up against any team, including the United States. Its five starters took part in the 2008 Beijing Olympics (minus Pau, of course), losing to the United States in the gold-medal game, and nine of the 12 players on the squad are either playing in the NBA of was drafted by an NBA franchise.

Spain and the United States are obviously the two favorites at the World Championship, and Spain could have a slight edge because it has a much more experienced group and Team USA doesn’t not have a whole lot of size to match up with Marc Gasol in the middle.

But Navarro downplayed the importance of the highly anticipated matchup with the United States and didn’t discount the other teams in the tournament.

“Hopefully we can play them, as that would mean we have gone a long way in the championship, but now it is a bit early to talk about it,” he said. “There are many contenders. Argentina, the United States, Serbia, who had a great tournament last year, but it is too early to think about that now. We are only in the early stages of workouts and there is much work remaining.”

Olympiacos point guard Milos Teodosic was voted the 2009-10 Euroleague MVP after a breakout season. Teodosic, who led Olympiacos to the Euroleague Final against Regal FC Barcelona, was joined on the 2009-10 All-Euroleague First Team by Olympiacos teammate Linas Kleiza at forward, Regal FC Barcelona guard Juan Carlos Navarro, CSKA Moscow forward Viktor Khryapa and Partizan Belgrade center Aleks Maric.

It is a first-time honor for all but Navarro, the 2009 Euroleague MVP and 2010 Euroleague Final MVP, who was named All-Euroleague First Team for the fourth time. Kleiza, who played for the Denver Nuggets last season, won the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy. Khryapa received the Euroleague Best Defender Trophy and the Rising Star Trophy went to Ricky Rubio, 19, of Barcelona, the youngest winner of an end-of-season award ever in the Euroleague.

Ricky Rubio led Regal FC Barcelona to victory in the 2010 Euroleague Final.

Rubio was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, but opted to play in Europe. The Minnesota Timberwolves hold his draft rights. Rubio and Navarro, teammates on Spain’s national team, recently led Barcelona to a victory in the Euroleague Final over Olympiacos.

The 2009-10 All-Euroleague second team featured Bo McCalebb of Partizan at point guard, CSKA forward Ramunas Siskauskas, forward Josh Childress of Olympiacos, forward Erazem Lorbek of Barcelona and center Tiago Splitter of Caja Laboral. Siskauskas, the 2008 MVP, is a second-team selection for the third time. He was also on the first team and was MVP in 2008.

Lorbek, the 2005 Rising Star, is on the second team for the second time. Splitter is also on the Second Team for the second time and was a member of the 2008 All-Euroleague First Team. Childress, who played for the Atlanta Hawks for four seasons, and McCalebb, a Euroleague rookie, are both first-time honorees.

Euroleague.net contributed to this report.

The New York Knicks are pursuing a trade for European sensation Ricky Rubio, who was taken at No. 5 by the Minnesota Timberwolves. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)