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The sports blogs were abuzz with Rubio "news" again today, claiming he'd been bought by a team in Barcelona for the next six years. A few hours later, more reports either debunked that info or declared it premature, but the whole thing gave everyone a chance to reiterate their positions on the matter.

Well, I certainly don't want to be left out.

I've long expected that Rubio will stay in Spain for at least a year or two, and think that is close to a best-case scenario for the Wolves. The best-case scenario would have been an immediate buyout from his current Euro team, Joventut, and a seamless transition into the NBA. But a variety of circumstances--Rubio's youth, where he was drafted, the size of the buyout from Joventut, the limitations on what the Wolves could contribute under NBA rules, who drafted him, and who else the Wolves drafted--were all seams that conspired to make an immediate move problematical. Okay, fine.

For the sake of argument (or at least a slightly new scenario), let's say that reports of the Barcelona deal are merely premature and eventually accurate. Rubio will reportedly be paid more in Spain than he'd make in the NBA over a two-year period, after which the cost to buy out his contract would be lowered considerably. This is a positive development for the Wolves for a number of reasons.

*  It allows the team to have both of its lottery point guards playing full time against quality competition.

*  If Rubio makes exceptional progress, he still must begin the NBA rookie salary tier from square one whenever he arrives. The Wolves don't have to pay him during his time in Europe.

* If Rubio struggles, it is a strong indication he is not yet ready for NBA-caliber ball, something the Wolves would learn without any tangible detriment to their 2009-10 season.

* It is true, however, that the absence of Rubio, the #5 overall pick who was the main reason for the departure of Randy Foye and Mike Miller, will result in another desultory season in Minnesota. But since this is the onset of a fairly extensive overhaul of the Wolves, losing improves the odds of a better player being chosen in next year's draft.

* Barring a total pratfall over in Europe, the allure of Rubio is not likely to abate. For example, he remains an ongoing fixation of Knicks fans despite the fact that in the current scheme of things New York has nothing of real value to offer the Wolves. Few things are more enticing than a prospect deemed to have magnificent potential. Rubio, who has been named the defensive player of his league, is a rangy 6-4, held his own against NBA stars at the Olympics and plays with a flair that sells tickets, has magnificent potential. If he continues his upward arc over in Spain, the potential compensation for another team plucking him from the Wolves rises dramatically, while what the Wolves pay him remains the same.

* Time is on the Timbewolves' side. The most frequently heard criticism of Rubio is that he will get ground up and spat out by the more physical play in the NBA. But in the next two years, Rubio will age from 18 to 20, years that typically provide more strength and sinew, especially if emphasized in training. For that matter, that strengthening process continues in the early twenties. (Anyone remember what KG looked like as a teenager? The correct word is spindly.) Two years from now, Rubio will still be two months away from the legal drinking age; six months younger than Corey Brewer when he was drafted by the Wolves, and more than two years younger than Randy Foye was when he was drafted by Minnesota. Got that? Rubio could play over in Europe for 4 more years, giving him nearly a decade of professional experience, considering he started at age 14, and he'd still be younger than Foye was the first time he stepped on the court as a Timberwolf.

Ever since the draft was completed, there have been three lines of criticism in the fallout over Rubio. One is that the Wolves will have wasted a draft pick if Rubio isn't here to contribute immediately. Another is that a team from the frozen tundra is stupid to have utilized the right to draft a precocious but immature kid from sunny Spain, who has a vision of playing with the stars of his boyhood in a major market. The third is Minnesota was stupid to take Jonny Flynn, another point guard, immediately after Rubio, creating a redundance while conveying to Rubio that even in the tundra, he'd have to earn his status. 

The first criticism is a tunnel vision view. It likely stems from the same sources that complained about the Wolves being in a rut when they failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs--while making the playoffs--six or seven years in a row. Frankly, I didn't mind those years--I saw a lot of quality basketball--but the point is, if your goal and purpose is a championship or bust, which is essentially what new honcho David Kahn has preached since the day he was hired, then you have to take a few steps backward to prepare for a championship run. The youth and status of Rubio clearly fits this plan, regardless of whether he is in Minneapolis or Barcelona.

The second criticism is typical and tiresome big-city chauvinism. Having been born and raised in the Boston media market, I know the drill. I'll even grant the obvious: On the open market, big cities and warm climates are more attractive to NBA players. I'm not surprised if Rubio is bummed about the Wolves owning his rights, and by his petulant reaction. But how long and how severely he allows that initial disappointment to affect his game and his career will be a sign of his character. Players who try to dictate their own terms before they've proven anything aren't always flops--John Elway is a prominent example of that in football. But for every Elway there is a Steve Francis, a guy who balked at being drafted by a team, got his wish of a new location and big bucks over a long NBA career besides. And what's his legacy? Or closer to home, compare Kevin Garnett, a kid from South Carolina victimized by stupid front office decisions for many a year while staying loyal and thirsty for his small market ballclub in the tundra--it only primed him to become the catalyst of a champion once he got the chance. By contrast, Stefon Marbury pitched a bitch about the then-newly instituted CBA not allowing him to make as much or more than KG, and then forced himself into the market he desired. How'd that work out? I'm not saying character is more important than talent in building a champion, but it can't be ignored. And a player who can't adjust to irrevocable rules beyond his control has a character flaw. As I've said before, I think Rubio is the real deal, but only one person can prove me right or wrong, and it isn't David Kahn or Jonny Flynn.

Team management 101 stipulates that if you think someone is the real deal, you do your best to procure his services any way possible. Kahn, who has stated that Al Jefferson is the second best player on a championship contender and that he'd prefer his top star to be a backcourt player given the current style of play in the NBA, is gambling that Rubio (and/or Flynn) is the goods. His judgment may be erroneous, in which case he'll suffer the consequences, but his management approach is sound. And that, along with luck, is about the only rebuttal a perpetual loser in a cold climate can make to a glitzy big city franchise. Dumb management can screw up the best of circumstances, right, Knick fans? (Next year I'll ask the folks in Phoenix.) And smart management can make a team in the least hospitable of environments compelling and desireable, as Sam Presti is demonstrating in Oklahoma City, and Pops has conclusively proven in small-market San Antonio. I have no idea how David Kahn's big scheme will turn out, but dumping the need for future salary decisions on middle-of-the-pack role players like Foye and Miller for the rights to Rubio is smart management. Indeed, the level of scrutiny and criticism directed Kahn's way over his Rubio pick, coupled with banter about how filch him for a bigger city outfit, proves it was a smart move.

As for the third criticism, the redundancy thing is looking moot: As stated earlier, the Wolves will likely have both their lottery points logging heavy minutes. If Flynn flourishes, that's more Rubio insurance and more Rubio leverage for trades and signings down the road--a solid point in the hand, and perhaps an even more attractive point in the bush.  If Flynn falters, well, again, that will indicate bad judgment, which can happen regardless of what position the player plays. Remember how Kevin McHale preferred Randy Foye over Brandon Roy because there was less of an injury risk and because Foye was more likely to fulfill a point guard duties and not crowd Shaddy McCants at the 2? Yes, the deal was a heartbreaker for Wolves fans because McHale was so specifically wrong in his judgments, but would it have been less painful if the team had instead swapped Roy for Shelden Williams (taken before both Foye and Roy)? No. Bad judgment is bad judgment. About the only positional sin Kahn could have made in this draft would have been taking a power forward.

As for character, Flynn appears to have it in spades. Whether the talent also comes in the package is yet to be determined, but we know that, unlike Randy Foye, Flynn's skill set makes him a natural at one specific position on the court. And unlike Mike Miller, he will grasp the obvious role he is destined to play for the ballclub and do his best to fulfill the elements contained in that role.

When the Wolves limp to the lottery this season while Rubio toils in Barcelona, the boo birds and the bandwagon-leavers will be in ascendance. If the same can be said two or three years from now, then the smart, die-hard fans of this franchise will follow them. Until then, judgments about a roster that has been extensively dismantled and partially rebuilt seem as premature as the prognoses about the fate of Rubio's career.

Now the Telfair deal is less troublesome. President of Basketball Operations David Kahn acquired a decidedly sub-mediocre 34-year old backup point guard with an expiring contract in a trade with Oklahoma City the other day, and in terms of short-term tinkering, it was a savvy swap. Unlike the departed Telfair, Atkins shouldn't and won't have any illusions that he is the best long-term answer for the Wolves as a floor general. And because he knows that whatever precious few meal tickets he has left in this league will be contingent on him being a selfless teacher who doesn't make waves, he should be able to help Jhonny Flynn and (if he's here) Rickey Rubio with the ways and means of point guard challenges in the NBA.

Let's have no illusions about Atkins. The high-water mark in his career was five years ago when he started every game for a Lakers franchise treading sludge between championships. He's averaged more than five assists per game just once in ten years in the league, and is shooting 41.3% for his career (36.6% from trey). But on nights when Flynn and/or Rubio are being overwhelmed or dinged up, Atkins can be thrown into the fray and even if he sparkles, there won't be controversy about future minutes. Atkins literally knows the drill of practices and travel and zone traps and pecking orders. He should have one job and one job only--to make Flynn and Rubio better. And despite all his limitations he is better equipped to do that than a hungry, more talented 24-year old Bassy Telfair.

The other player acquired from OKC is Damien Wilkins, who I remember being a particular favorite of ex-Wolves head coach Dwane Casey, who was an assistant coach in Seattle during Wilkins' rookie year. Wilkins is in many respects a poor man's Ryan Gomes, albeit two inches shorter at 6-6 and more likely to swing between the 2 and the 3 instead of the 4. He knows his niche is dirty work--defense, physicality, and role-player intelligence. His $3.3 million deal in 09-10, like Atkins's$3.5 million, comes off the books at the end of the season.

To get these players, Kahn sacrificed Etan Thomas, a power forward-center who is a wonderful and perceptive human being but grossly overpaid at $8 million this year (third behind Jefferson and Q-Richardson on the Wolves roster). I think Darius Songalia (like Thomas, acquired from the Wizards in the Foye-Miller-Rubio deal) can do many of the same things more effectively.

In short, a minor trade in the grand scheme of things, but one that will make the Wolves a better, happier ballclub next season and provide whoever the hell is supposed to coach this squad with more options and locker room cohesion.

Closing note: I'm headed out tomorrow on a three-week camping trip through seven states (Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and Washington). There will be some occasions when we'll emerge for a shower and wireless connections (plus time with friends and family in Seattle and Olympia) when I'll try and weigh in on the new coach (there will be one, right?). I'm leaving my cell phone coordinates with the Wolves' PR department, so maybe I can talk with the coach and/or Kahn shortly after the decision is announced. Meanwhile, I am perfectly content letting the most intelligent group of inmates on the hoop-oriented web run this particular asylum--and will be monitoring it to see if my trust and instincts are accurate. As always, thanks for reading.