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.

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You can’t be successful in basketball without a good point guard, and that applies at all levels from high school to college to the NBA. The game has evolved so much in the past 10 years that a lot more is required of a point guard, and the position has become more valuable than a center. Not only do point guards have to run the offense, but they must been able to run screen-and-rolls and pick-and-pops, they must be able to drive-and-kick, they must be able to stop dribble penetration, and they must be able to knock down jump shots on occasion to keep the defense honest.

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.

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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.”

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The best players of the 2009-10 Euroleague Basketball season were honored last week at the annual Euroleague Basketball Awards Ceremony held at the historic Paris city hall, Hôtel de Ville.

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.

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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)

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