Ricky Rubio Injury: Timberwolves guard doesn't want to rush return

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio is back running on his surgically repaired knee, but he doesn't want to rush his return to the court.

He injured the knee in March during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, and hasn't played since. Rubio spoke with reporters at the Target Center for a few minutes on Thursday, (via the Star-Tribune):

"I don't know, they say December, but it could be January," he said. "I don't want to say a time because I don't want to rush it. I want to be ready when I am ready."

...

"There's not a time because it depends on how the knee goes," he said. "Now I start running and I feel good. In three, four weeks, I'm gonna start agility and if my knee swells a little bit, I have to stop. If not, I'm going to keep pushing it. I'm trying to do as much as I can do. They have to stop me sometimes because I want to do more. Sometimes it's just bad for my knee to do more things."

Rubio will be with the Timberwolves when they begin their training camp on Tuesday, but he will be a limited participant in the practices. At the moment he is limited to just running and shooting free throws; he can't move laterally at this point in his recovery.

The Timberwolves will get their training camp under way on Tuesday, Oct. 2, from Mankato.

Ricky Rubio Injury: Timetable Moved From January To December, According To Timberwolves Owner

The Minnesota Timberwolves are sure to be without starting point guard Ricky Rubio at the beginning of the season, but it appears that the timetable for his return is moving up.

According to Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, Rubio's recovery is going extremely well. He could possibly come back in December rather than January, which is when his initial schedule had him returning.

As Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press writes, Taylor said on Tuesday that doctors like what they see in Rubio:

The doctors said he was progressing faster than normal, and normal was supposed to be in January. Faster than normal would be December. He's going to start running and stuff in a few weeks.

The Timberwolves are considered a sleeper pick to make noise in the Western Conference this season, with Rubio playing a big role in that. Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea and Alexey Shved could see time at point guard during his absence, with Ridnour likely being the primary replacement.

For more news on Rubio's injury, stay with this StoryStream. Check out Canis Hoopus for more T-Wolves news, and be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA hub for more pro basketball analysis.

Ricky Rubio Injury: Timberwolves PG Reportedly Ahead of Schedule, Will Partake In Training Camp

Although he has been forced to sit on the sidelines while his teammates have taken part in the 2012 Summer Olympics, Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio is ahead of schedule in his rehab according to the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda, and is expected to be back in some capacity for training camp:

Even though there's a fine line between simply running through a few passing drills and going through a full-blown 5-on-5 scrimmage, it's promising enough that Rubio hasn't suffered any setbacks in his recovery, let alone that he's ahead of his projected timetable. The T-Wolves need every last ounce of his quickness and ball handling skills this season to take the next step as a team, but all indications right now seem to point that he'll be close to 100% to open the year.

For more news on Rubio's injury, stay with this StoryStream. Check out Canis Hoopus for more T-Wolves news, and be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA hub for more pro basketball analysis.

Ricky Rubio Injury: Minnesota Point Guard Hopes To Resume Running In September

Unable to participate in the 2012 London Olympics after suffering a brutal knee injury back in the spring, Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio continues to rehab as hard as ever back in his home country of Spain in preparation for his sophomore campaign.

Though the timetable for his return remains hazy as most knee injuries are specific to each individual, Rubio told Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski that he hopes to pump up the pace of his physical activity over the next two months. "I hope by September I can start running again," Rubio said.

As far as watching both his teammates and friends take the court for various countries at this year's Olympics, the talented young point guard has struggled to come to grips with his role as nothing more than a spectator. "I felt like somebody was going to have to come grab me, because I'm going to jump out there at any time and try to play," Rubio said.

Even so, it's clear that an injury as debiliating as an ACL tear can have a drastic mental effect on any athlete, which is why it appears so vital that Rubio may have already jumped over that specific hurdle. "In my mind, there's a goal," Rubio said, "and the goal is recovering 100 percent and making sure I'm never going to get hurt again in that knee."

For more on Rubio's injury, stay right here with this StoryStream. For more on the Timberwolves, make sure to visit Canis Hoopus. And for more NBA news and analysis this offseason, head over to SB Nation's NBA hub.

Ricky Rubio Speaks For First Time Since Tearing His ACL

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie guard Ricky Rubio spoke with the media for the first time since tearing his ACL March 9 Tuesday afternoon at the Target Center.

Rubio has been in Colorado for the past two weeks recovering from knee surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee. The Spanish phenom will be out six to nine months and will miss the Summer Olympic Games. Via Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune:

"It's going to be sad losing an Olympic Games, but the good point is I play one already so I know what I'm going to lose. It's hard. It's going to be hard. Like I said, there's nothing I can do to be there right now."

Rubio said he was unsure whether he would rehab in Minnesota or in Spain during the summer and also mentioned that he couldn't say whether or not he would return for the start of training camp.

"I don’t if it will be training camp, don’t know when I’ll come back," he said. "The most important thing is to make sure when I come back it's 100 percent. I don’t know if it's training camp, I don’t know if it's first week, second week (of regular season). I don’t want to put a date. It depends how my knee feels."

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

Ricky Rubio Injury: Timberwolves Rookie Has Successful Surgery On ACL, LCL

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie guard Ricky Rubio had successful surgery on his ACL and LCL, according to the team's website.

The surgery was on Wednesday and took place in Vail, Colo.

It was known beforehand that the Spaniard needed to have his ACL reconstructed. But it wasn't until after the surgery that the team announced that his LCL needed to be reconstructed, as well.

Rubio, who will miss the rest of the season, was tops among NBA rookies in assists with 8.2 per game when he went down with 16 second to play in a March 9 game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Rubio was also also fifth among rookie scoring, averaging 10.6 points per game.

The Timberwolves are just 2-5 since Rubio's injury, including Wednesday's 116-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

Ricky Rubio Injury: Timberwolves Star Will Undergo ACL Surgery On March 21

Minnesota Timerwolves guard Ricky Rubio will have surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee. According to the Timberwolves public relations staff, Rubio will have that surgery on March 21.

The Timberwolves lost Rubio earlier in the month, against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 9. You can see a video of Rubio's injury here.

Losing Rubio really threw the team off track. They have lost three of four games, including the one were Rubio suffered his injury. He was averaging 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game at the time of his injury, exceeding expectations for transitioning to the NBA. The Timberwolves were in the midst of swoon as fans embraced the up-and-coming team and its young star from Spain.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

Ricky Rubio Injury: Impact Of Rubio's Absence Will Be Felt By Timberwolves, NBA

A torn ACL ended the season for Minnesota Timberwolves' guard Ricky Rubio which quickly hurts the Wolves on the court, but his absence will also impact the bottom line for Miinnesota and the NBA.

Rubio was already and international star and his ability to burst on the scene in his rookie season with Minnesota enhanced his status along with lifting the young Timberwolves into a must-follow team and story this NBA season. One of many key subplots to help the NBA quickly recover from the offseason lockout that leaked into the regular season to take away two months of NBA action.

As Canis Hoopus mentions, the injury comes just as the Wolves were trending in a positive direction.

It's the Wolves' marketing slogan, but nevertheless, everyone was beginning to talk about the team in a very positive way. A good portion of that was due to Rick Adelman, Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic and Derrick Williams. But much of it was thanks to the arrival of Rubio. We'd waited two years. The Rubio Bubble was full and our expectations were high.

But while fans are sad to see Rubio's season end prematurely, so is the league as the storyline building in Minnesota suddenly turns tragic for this season which will impact the bottom line without Rubio's on-court exploits to entice viewers outside of the Minnesota market to continue to follow along.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

Ricky Rubio Injury: David Kahn Addresses Loss Of Timberwolves Guard

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost guard Ricky Rubio for the season on Saturday when the results of his MRI showed that he has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn addressed the sad news shortly after the initial report:

"Obviously, Ricky's injury is an unfortunate turn of events for him and our team," said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. "I feel bad for Ricky having to miss the rest of this season. But Ricky is a competitor, and I am confident that he will work hard to get back on the court next year and continue his progression as one of the top point guards in our league. We have 25 games left this season, and I look for our team to continue to play hard and fight for a playoff spot."

The Timberwolves were just hitting their stride, winning eight of their last 12 and flirting with the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, when Rubio went down. This is devastating news for an up-and-coming team, but hopefully they can rally around each other to still make the elusive playoffs and build off that experience when Rubio does return.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

Ricky Rubio's Torn ACL Continues Bad Run Of Season-Ending Injuries In Minnesota

Ricky Rubio's injury turned out to be a torn ACL, ending the season for the Minnesota Timberwolves rookie. It's only the latest in a slew of injuries for the state's top athletes.

Ricky Rubio Injury: Timberwolves Rookie Out For Season With Torn ACL, According To Report

The worst fears of the Minnesota Timberwolves have been grimly confirmed: The Ricky Rubio injury has been deemed to be a torn ACL knee ligament, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

Rehabilitation time for such an injury usually is six to nine months, which means Rubio also likely will miss playing for Spain in the London Summer Olympics that begin in July.

The dazzling rookie, who helped lead the Timberwolves into playoff contention with a 21-20 record just a season after the team went 17-65, suffered the injury to in Minnesota's 105-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Rubio exited the game after his left knee appeared to buckle, and he now leaves the Timberwolves short a star player who helped make the team one of the most exciting to watch in the NBA.

Rubio ends his rookie season averaging 10.6 points on 35.7 % shooting along with 8.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals.

The Timberwolves will start life after Rubio tonight when they take on the New Orleans Hornets at the Target Center at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

Ricky Rubio Injury: Torn ACL Would Add To Grim History Of Hurt Timberwolves Rookies

There isn't anything concrete as of Saturday morning regarding the Ricky Rubio injury, but Minnesota Timberwolves fans have always been conditioned to fear the worst. It didn't help on Friday night, either, when reports indicated Rubio may have suffered a torn ACL.

Rubio is scheduled for an MRI on Saturday to get an official diagnosis on the injury, but the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda wrote on his blog that serious injury wouldn't be a surprise. Instead it would only add to a long list of issues that Wolves rookies have had over the past several year.

If it is something that serious, he'd join a list of Wolves' first-round draft picks since 2005 who all sustained significant injuries early in their careers: 2005 pick Rashad McCants (microfracture knee surgery), Randy Foye (kneecap stress fracture), Corey Brewer (torn ACL ), Kevin Love (broken hand) and now perhaps Rubio.

That's obviously the worst possible scenario, but it seems Wolves rookies are predestined for a serious injury. Hopefully Rubio can buck that trend.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

Ricky Rubio Injury: Torn ACL Feared For Minnesota Timberwolves Rookie

A torn ACL is one of the worst possible injuries for a basketball player to sustain considering that it's one of the few that can end a player's season no matter when it occurs. Unfortunately for fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Ricky Rubio injury that occurred during Friday night's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers could end up being a torn ACL.

It's obviously pure speculation until an MRI --scheduled for sometime Saturday -- takes place, but the initial fears are that a torn ACL could have happened in the waning seconds of Friday night's loss. There aren't a lot of details to go on as of now, but Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports the anterior cruciate ligament may be the problem.

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie point guard Ricky Rubio will have an MRI on his left knee Saturday morning amid fears he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.

"Possible ACL," the source briefed on Rubio's condition said. "We'll know more after the MRI. ... There's a lot of worry right now."

Let's wait for the MRI to take place before anyone writes off the rest of the rookie's season, but .... oof.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

Ricky Rubio Injury: MRI On Hurt Knee Is Scheduled For Saturday

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost on Friday night to the Los Angeles Lakers, but it wasn't a terrible one considering Kevin Love was held out due to a back injury. The worst part of the game, instead, came in the fourth quarter when a Ricky Rubio injury forced the Wolves point guard out of action with 16 seconds left to play.

There wasn't any sort of initial diagnosis of course, but the word that did come out onFriday night weren't especially promising.

Don't know if there's anything to read into this but...Adelman made a rare trip into training room postgame, emerged quickly looking glum

— Jerry Zgoda(@JerryZgoda) March 10, 2012

And then, a bit later, the player himself posted that he's scheduled for an MRI on Saturday.

Tough loss tonight. Im gonna do a MRI tomorrow to see how is my knee. Thank you for ur support I really appreciate it.

— Ricky Rubio (@rickyrubio9) March 10, 2012

Hopefully everything turns out okay, but news like this is never fun to deal with -- especially with a player so promising.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

Ricky Rubio Injury Video Shows Knee Buckle During Loss To Lakers

The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a loss on Friday night to the Los Angeles Lakers while playing without an injured Kevin Love, but the news gets worse for Wolves. The Ricky Rubio injury that happened in the fourth quarter of the game could keep the team's star point guard out of action.

Rubio was attempting to close out and defend Kobe Bryant, but as he planted, his left knee buckled awkwardly and he fell backward onto the court. It wasn't a sight that Wolves fans are going to want to watch over and over again, to be sure.

In case anyone was out on Friday night and somehow missed the Wolves game, however, our friend CJ Fogler posted a video of the injury over at Sports Grid. It doesn't look horrendous, but until a diagnosis becomes public, seeing him unable to comfortably walk on it after testing the knee isn't what anyone wanted to see.

It seems as though the injury occurs before any contact between Rubio and Bryant occurs, but it's tough to be sure with the camera angles FSN provided. Hopefully he's better on Saturday and this portion of Timberwolves history is put behind everyone.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.