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Ricky Rubio and Derrick Rose both tore their ACL’s this season. Rubio did so March 9 against the Lakers after the Timberwolves entered the day tied with the Rockets for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Rose went down with 1:10 remaining in Game 1 of the First Round and the game already in hand for the Bulls.

Which point guard was more valuable to their team’s success this season? Most would probably assume Rose, the reigning MVP, was once again one of the most valuable players in the NBA when he was healthy. But is it possible that Rubio could’ve been a more valuable player than Rose?

RICKY RUBIO
In games Rubio played this season, the Timberwolves were 21-20 and had a chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Without him, the Timberwolves lost 20 of their final 25 games and finished last place in the Northwest Division.

With Rubio off the court, the Timberwolves were 7.1 points worse per 48 minutes. The Timberwolves offense wasn’t affected as much as their defense was without Rubio. They scored 1.4 more points and allowed 5.7 fewer points per 48 minutes with Rubio on the court.

DERRICK ROSE
Rose missed 27 games during the regular season and the Bulls were 18-9 in those games. They were significantly better at 32-7 with Rose, but they still maintained the top seed in the East without him.

The Bulls were 3.5 points worse per 48 minutes with Rose off the court this season. The Bulls were greatly affected offensively without Rose, but their defense actually improved. They scored 8.2 fewer points and allowed 4.7 more points per 48 minutes with Rose off the court.

SUMMER OLYMPICS
Neither Rubio nor Rose will be able to compete for their respective countries in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Which player’s injury will have a larger effect, Rubio on Spain or Rose on USA?

In the 2010 FIBA World Championship, Rubio averaged 8.1 assists per 40 minutes, the second-highest behind Argentina’s Pablo Prigioni. Spain had to rely heavily on Rubio running the point without Jose Calderon, who injured his leg and didn’t play in Turkey.

Calderon will be an offensive asset, but Spain could be hurt defensively without Rubio. Since Calderon entered the NBA in 2004, nobody has better than his 4.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. This season, the Raptors scored more, shot better and had a much better assist-to-turnover ratio when Calderon was on the court, but their opponents also scored more and shot better while Calderon was out there.

Raul Lopez, Sergio Llull and Juan Carlos Navarro could also contribute for Spain at the point.

Rose led USA in assists per game (3.2) in the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Without him, USA’s point guard options are Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook. In the 2010 FIBA World Championship, Paul and Williams didn’t play and Westbrook averaged 18.8 points, 5.4 assists and 5.8 rebounds per 40 minutes. Paul (9.1 APG) and Williams (8.7 APG) both ranked in top five in the NBA this season in assists per game (Calderon was 4th and Rubio was 6th).

Ever since point guard Ricky Rubio was lost for the season with a torn ACL on March 9, the Minnesota Timberwolves have struggled. They were 21-20 when he got hurt and are 4-11 since then, and much of the Timberwolves’ struggles are on the defensive end.

Rubio is not the quickest player, but his length and size helped cover a lot of ground. Without Rubio -- who ranks third in the league in steals per game (2.22) -- the Timberwolves have had to rely more on smaller guards like J.J. Barea (6-0) and Luke Ridnour (6-2), both of whom rank in the bottom 40 percent in points per play allowed.

The Timberwolves are fine offensively without Rubio. In fact, they've scored two more points per 100 possessions with Rubio off the floor. Defensively they've allowed seven more points per 100 possessions without him and are allowing 11 more points per game.

Minnesota’s opponents have scored 100 or more points in nine of the last 15 games after scoring at least 100 in 17 of 41 games that Rubio played.

But how are opponents scoring so much more lately?

Without Rubio on the court this season, Minnesota’s opponents are scoring 22 percent more fast-break points, 11 percent more second-chance points and 4 percent more points in the paint.

However, with Rubio not on the court at all anymore, those numbers have been amplified even more over the last 15 games. Minnesota’s opponents are scoring 30 percent more fast-break points, 14 percent more second-chance points and 14 percent more points in the paint.

Some of those increased easy baskets -- fast breaks, second-chance points, points in the paint -- can be attributed to Nikola Pekovic missing eight of the last 15 games with an ankle injury. But more of it can be attributed to Rubio's injury; the Timberwolves have had trouble stopping opposing guards from penetrating and dishing.

Over the last 15 games, opposing guards have an assist-to-turnover ratio better than three-to-one. In the 15 games before Rubio’s injury, that ratio was less than two-to-one.

On March 12, the Phoenix Suns guards combined for 74 points, 16 assists and two turnovers. On April 2 against the Sacramento Kings, Isaiah Thomas had 17 points, five assists and no turnovers.

In Wednesday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors, guard Charles Jenkins had 19 points, seven assists and two turnovers as Golden State erased a 20-point deficit with 58 second-half points.

Not having Rubio also impacts the Timberwolves on the boards. He averaged 4.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 10th among guards.

The Timberwolves were strong playoff contenders before Rubio’s injury. Now, they're in last place in the Northwest Division, five games out of the playoffs with 10 games left to play.

Ricky Rubio's torn ACL ends a promising rookie season for the Minnesota Timberwolves guard. He was leading all rookies in assists, steals and minutes per game, while his assist percentage (38.0) was the second-highest figure by any NBA rookie over the last decade.

Rubio was known as a closer because as the game went on, he got better. When his season came to an end, his 71 fourth-quarter assists were the most of any player in the NBA, rookie or not.

But Rubio's impact was about more than just passing. Rubio notched 12 games with at least 10 points and 10 assists, trailing only Steve Nash (18) and Deron Williams (14).

Had he finished the season with enough games to qualify, Rubio's season averages (10.6 PPG, 8.2 APG, 2.2 SPG) would have put him in exceedingly rare company. He would have joined Phil Ford, Mark Jackson and Tim Hardaway as just the fourth rookie in NBA history to reach those season thresholds.

So how will the Timberwolves fare without their star point guard?

Maybe things won't be so bad. Despite Rubio's sparkling individual numbers, he didn't transform Minnesota into a super-efficient offense.

Only 53 percent of the Timberwolves' made field goals have been assisted on, the 6th-lowest percentage in the NBA, and Rubio was turning the ball over on 22 percent of his possessions. Only Jason Kidd and Steve Nash did so at a higher percentage (minimum 250 plays).

And consider that the 21-year-old Spaniard may have been hitting the rookie wall a bit. His scoring, field-goal percentage and assists per game have dropped each month from January. His shooting numbers are most damning. Of the 122 players to shoot at least 40 times this month, Rubio's 31.0 field goal percentage is tied for fifth-worst.

Of all Timberwolves to play the last seven games, Rubio has the worst effective field goal percentage at 39.9.

Teammate Luke Ridnour entered Saturday as the starter in 39 of the team's 41 games this season and he's been giving the Timberwolves some pretty good point-guard play himself. Ridnour's scoring average of 11.4 is hovering near his career high.

Ridnour could be moved back to shooting guard again soon as Jose Juan Barea recently told the Star Tribune that he will "definitely" return next week. His assist percentage was better than his turnover percentage in eight of his last nine games before being injured on March 7.

At the All-Star break, two rookies have separated themselves from the rest of the 2011 draft class.

Sure, Kemba Walker has the only triple-double among rookies, MarShon Brooks has proven to be a reliable scorer, Gustavo Ayón has been effective since becoming a starter, and Isaiah Thomas has been a pleasant surprise considering he was the last player drafted.

But thus far, it’s been Kyrie Irving and Ricky Rubio who have positioned themselves as the frontrunners to win Rookie of the Year. Here’s how they’ve done it:

KYRIE IRVING
The Cavaliers were the worst in the East last season, but with Irving leading the way, they’re ninth in the conference, a game-and-a-half out of the playoffs.

Offensively, Cleveland is much better when Irving is on the floor. The Cavs score more, shoot better, have more assists and fewer turnovers.

Irving is averaging 18.1 PPG while making nearly 42 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Only one other rookie has ever averaged 18 points and made at least 40 percent of their 3-point attempts. That was Larry Bird, who averaged 21 points and shot almost 41 percent from 3-point range as a rookie.

And if Irving can improve his field goal percentage (47.6 FG pct) in the second half of the season, he has a chance of shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range, and 80 percent from the free throw line.

Only Mark Price (1987-88, 1988-89) and Steve Kerr (1991-92) have accomplished a “50-40-80” season in Cavaliers history.

RICKY RUBIO
The Minnesota Timberwolves had the worst record in the NBA last season (17-65). But they have as many wins this season through 34 games as they did last season. Minnesota sits 10th in the Western Conference, one game out of the playoffs.

Their top six scorers from 2010-11 remain, but the main difference this season is Rubio. When he’s on the court, the Timberwolves are +68, but when he’s off the court, they’re -28.

Teammates thrive when Rubio is in the game. He assists on nearly 39 percent of their field goals when he’s on the floor, the highest assist percentage for a rookie in the last five seasons (minimum 20 games).

Rubio has been especially effective as a distributor in the 4th quarter. He leads the NBA in 4th quarter assists this season with 64, ahead of more seasoned veterans like Jose Calderon and Deron Williams.

Rubio is fifth in the NBA in assists per game and second in steals per game. Only three rookies in NBA history -- Tim Hardaway, Mark Jackson and Phil Ford -- have averaged at least 10 points, eight assists and two steals per game, and Rubio is on pace to join them.

The Philadelphia 76ers are the best defensive team in the NBA this season, but fell short of that distinction against Ricky Rubio and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Rubio scored a career-high 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field, including 2-of-4 on 3-point attempts. He added five assists with only one turnover.

Rubio scored in a variety of ways on Sunday -- long jumpers (eight points), mid-range jumpers (four points), off the ball (eight points), pick-and-roll plays (eight points), and drives to the basket (eight points).

The 76ers are allowing the fewest points per play in the league this season. One of their biggest strengths on the defensive end is defending pick-and-rolls including passes, where they also rank better than all other teams in points per play allowed.

But on Sunday, Rubio shot 4-of-6 for eight points with one assist and no turnovers on seven pick-and-roll plays.

Both of Rubio's spot-up 3-pointers also came in pick-and-roll situations. Both plays came when Luke Ridnour came off a pick-and-roll on the right wing and threw a skip pass to an open Rubio on the left wing.

Jrue Holiday had trouble stopping Rubio, who scored 18 of his 22 points and dished out four assists with one turnover against the 76ers point guard.

Holiday particularly had trouble defending Rubio on pick-and-roll plays, where Rubio shot 4-of-5 for eight points and dished out four assists with only one turnover on six plays when being defended by Holiday. Such a defensive performance is atypical for Holiday -- only Raymond Felton ranks better this season at defending pick-and-roll ball-handlers among those with at least 150 plays.

Rubio displayed his offensive versatility while matched up with Holiday with 3:51 left in the fourth quarter, when Rubio came off a pick-and-roll and knocked down a 16-foot jumper to give Minnesota an 88-87 lead. That jump shot helped lead the Timberwolves to their third straight victory.

Rubio's performance against the 76ers Sunday was one of his most complete performances of the season. It's the fifth time he has had at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists, and the Timberwolves have won all five of those games.

Among players with at least 150 plays this season, Rubio ranks 222nd out of 251 players in points per play. There is certainly plenty of room for improvement in that regard.

If his offensive scoring output continues to improve, he will be even more of an all-around threat. Over the last two games, Rubio has 40 points, 13 field goals and four 3-pointers -- the most he's had in any two-game stretch.

Jeremy Lin had been one of the best pick-and-roll ball-handlers in the NBA. But against Ricky Rubio, he was one of the worst.

In the Knicks' 100-98 win over the Timberwolves on Saturday, Lin shot just 3-of-14 and scored eight points when defended by Rubio. In the second half, Lin was 0-for-7 and scored just one point against Rubio.

Against all other defenders, Lin shot 5-of-10 and scored 12 of his 20 points.

Unfortunately for Rubio and the Timberwolves, that one point was the game-winning free throw for Lin in the final seconds. It came after Lin couldn't get through Tyson Chandler's screen, and Lin turned the corner and got fouled by Luke Ridnour driving to the basket.

But that final play wasn't reminiscent of the defensive effort Rubio displayed against Lin all night long.

Among players with a minimum of 50 plays, Lin came into the game ranked third in the NBA in points per play on pick-and-roll ball-handler situations and first on pick-and-roll single-defender situations (plays without hedges). Lin was shooting 61 percent on pick-and-roll plays, which ranked first in the NBA.

Rubio came into the game as one of the poorer pick-and-roll defenders in the NBA. He was ranked among the bottom 20 percent of the NBA in points per play on pick-and-roll ball-handler situations and pick-and-roll single-defender situations, among players with a minimum of 50 plays.

But this game was different. The defensive end of the court is where Rubio made his mark against the Knicks.

Despite Rubio's struggles defending the pick-and-roll this season, the Timberwolves didn't hedge a single time on the 14 pick-and-roll plays in which Rubio defended Lin.

With Rubio serving as Lin's primary defender, the Knicks point guard had his worst shooting performance as a Knick (8-of-24) and turned the ball over six times.

Rubio defended Lin on 14 of his 16 pick-and-roll plays. On those 14 pick-and-roll plays, Lin scored five points (2-of-8 shooting) and had four turnovers. That equates to 0.36 points per play -- among players with a minimum of 50 plays, that would rank worst in the NBA if it were Lin's season average.

Lin's numbers on pick-and-roll plays against Rubio don't even compare to his 1.07 points per play and 61.8 percent shooting in his previous four games.

Rubio has been known as one of the best passing point guards in the NBA. His offensive game is what has gotten him so much notoriety. But against Lin, one of the most efficient pick-and-roll players in the league, Rubio took on the challenge and proved his worth on the defensive end.

Since Ricky Rubio entered the starting lineup, the Timberwolves are 7-4 compared to just 3-7 with Rubio coming off the bench. Much of the Timberwolves' success lately is due to Rubio's superb play down the stretch of games.

Rubio was nearly flawless in the second half of the win over the Rockets on Monday, totaling seven assists and just one turnover while shooting 4-of-6 from the field. For the game, Rubio had 18 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and three turnovers while shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3-point range. It was perhaps Rubio's most complete game of the season.

In the second half of the last three games, Rubio has 18 assists and just one turnover. In those three games, the Timberwolves are +26 in the second half, including +14 in the second half of Monday's win.

In fact, it's the fourth time that Rubio has totaled at least seven rebounds and eight assists in a game, and the Timberwolves are now 4-0 in those games. Rubio has 10 double-digit assist games this season, which leads the NBA.

But the fourth quarter has been where Rubio has been at his best.

Rubio leads the NBA in fourth-quarter assists with 46. By comparison, the next-highest is Derrick Rose with 36. Over his last three games, Rubio has seven assists and zero turnovers in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves are 2-1 in those games with a five-point loss to the Lakers sandwiched in between two wins.

During a three-game winning streak from January 16-20, Rubio had seven assists and two turnovers while the Timberwolves were a combined +33 in those fourth quarters. Rubio had 12 assists and five turnovers while his team was +45 in the second halves of those games.

Rubio is +38 in the fourth quarter this season, which ranks third in the NBA among point guards behind Derrick Rose and Jrue Holiday.

Rubio's shooting has drastically improved in the fourth quarter as compared to the first three quarters. He's shooting 42.0 percent from the field and 46.7 percent on 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter, but is shooting just 36.3 percent from the field and 30.3 percent on 3-point attempts in the first three quarters.

With Rubio's improved play since entering the starting lineup, especially late in games, the Timberwolves have exploded offensively. They've scored more than 100 points in four of their last seven games and are averaging 100.6 points in those seven games after scoring more than 100 only once in their previous nine games.

The New York Knicks tried to win with 3-point shooting. The Miami Heat took a simpler route-- dunking.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for all 10 of the Heat's dunks in Friday’s win. Each had five for the game. The 10 dunks were the most that the two have combined for since becoming teammates and James’ total was his most as a member of the Heat.

Miami's 10 dunks are the second most the team has had in the last two seasons. Eight of the 10 came in the first half, including all five by James.

The eight matched the season-high, previously set by the Los Angeles Clippers against the Toronto Raptors earlier this season.

Wade returned after missing six games (with an ankle injury) and so did the Heat’s transition game.

Five of the Heat’s dunks came in transition. The Heat scored 22 points on 20 transition plays, with five of those plays coming via Wade steals or blocks. The Heat were averaging only 12 transition points with Wade out of the lineup.

The Knicks meanwhile became just the fourth team in the last 15 seasons to attempt more 3-pointers (43) than 2-pointers (41) in a game. The Knicks were 14-for-25 when taking an unguarded, catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, but just 1-for-7 on contested ones of that type.

The Camby Man Can
Portland Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby had a funky box score line in a rout of the Phoenix Suns-- 20 rebounds and no points in just 24 minutes

Via Elias, the last player with 20 or more rebounds in 24 minutes or less was Clyde Lee of the Atlanta Hawks against the 76ers on October 22, 1974 (21 rebounds in 22 minutes).

Camby is the first NBA player to grab at least 20 rebounds and finish a game scoreless since he had 20 rebounds and no points for the Denver Nuggets against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 5, 2007.

Rubio Watch
Ricky Rubio matched a career high with 18 points and added 10 assists in the Minnesota Timberwolves' win over the San Antonio Spurs.

It's Rubio’s eighth game this season with at least 10 points and 10 assists, one behind league leader Deron Williams, who has nine for the New Jersey Nets.

Rubio has dished out 10 or more assists in each of his last four games.

Magic disappear from list
The Orlando Magic lost to the New Orleans Hornets on Friday, giving the team its first two-game losing streak this season.

Via the Elias Sports Bureau, the only teams without back-to-back losses this season are now the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers.

The Magic, who lost to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, have been outscored 147-92 over the last six quarters, scoring fewer than 20 points in each.

Plus Minus Note of the Night
Backup center Udonis Haslem had a rather nondescript four points, six rebounds and five fouls in his 26 minutes against the Knicks. Yet, when he was on the floor, the Heat outscored the Knicks by 23 points. In his 22 minutes off the floor, the Heat were outscored by 13.

Haslem was a plus-23 on a night where Wade was minus-1 and James was plus-4. The Heat’s starting center, Joel Anthony, was minus-10.

Almost seven years ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers swung a trade on a sleepy August day.

The Clippers sent combo guard Marko Jaric and Lionel Chalmers to Minnesota in exchange for 35-year-old point guard Sam Cassell and a Timberwolves first-round draft pick that was lottery protected for the next six years.

And so began an odd relationship between two teams whose fortunes became inextricably linked. For the next several years, the Wolves and Clips mysteriously ran into each other everywhere and got trapped in the same elevator more than once. Cassell retired nearly three years ago and joined Flip Saunders' coaching staff in Washington. Jaric married model Adriana Lima and was last seen in a Montepaschi Siena uniform. Yet that trade still has enormous implications today, as the teams prepare for a Friday night matchup at Staples Center that will be nationally televised on ESPN -- something that would've been unthinkable even a year ago.

Cassell led the Clippers to their most successful season in history in 2005-06, when his mouthy leadership took the team within a Raja Bell 3-pointer of the Western Conference finals. The Timberwolves won 33, 32, 22, 24, 15 and 17 games respectively over the next six seasons and, for a stretch, somehow displaced the Clippers in the Crapola Sweepstakes as the NBA's most ridiculed franchise, even after the Clippers fell back to earth.

The Clippers had historically stood as the team most likely to botch the NBA draft, but the Timberwolves were nipping at their heels. For a while, the Brandon Roy-for-Randy Foye trade dogged the Wolves. Then, in the 2009 draft, the Timberwolves were mocked for choosing three point guards in the first round -- Jonny Flynn, Ricky Rubio and Ty Lawson -- Flynn and Rubio back-to-back at No. 5 and No. 6. Rubio's first reaction when Minnesota picked him? "It's cold there." The Timberwolves kept Flynn while trading Lawson, chosen at No. 18, to Denver (as instructed by the Nuggets as part of a trade). Today, Flynn rides the pine in Houston, while Lawson is running point for an impressive team in Denver.

How did the Timberwolves score the pick for Rubio? They fetched Mike Miller from Memphis in an eight-player deal featuring O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love, but included Jaric. The Timberwolves eventually sent Miller, along with Foye, to the Wizards for the pick that became Rubio. Foye, of course, is now in his second season with the Clippers.

Before the Timberwolves cornered the market on first-round point guards in 2009, the Clippers took Blake Griffin at No. 1. While Griffin was the obvious choice for the Clippers, it's easy to forget that Rubio was leading many draft boards during the winter and spring of 2009, and there was a reasonable minority that felt he was the finest prospect in the draft. Sacramento was the odds-on favorite to win the first pick before the lottery betrayed the Kings, and many observers had the Kings selecting Rubio if they landed atop the board. Had the Clippers not had Baron Davis locked into an extended deal, Rubio might be in L.A.

After the Clippers selected Griffin, they began the process of rebuilding. In the two seasons following the 2009 draft, they recruited half the Timberwolves' roster. Craig Smith, a former second-round pick of the Timberwolves, became a fan favorite in Los Angeles, while Ricky Davis became a fan unfavorite. Sebastian Telfair, who came over with Smith in a deal for Quentin Richardson, served as Davis' backup for 39 games (before landing back with the Timberwolves a season later). Needing to fill out their depth on the wing in the summer of 2010, the Clippers signed Foye and Ryan Gomes to modest multiyear deals.

Lingering above all this is what became known in Los Angeles as simply "The Minnesota Pick" -- the one the Clippers acquired along with Cassell in 2005. The worse things got for the Timberwolves, the more excited Clippers fans and execs became at the prospect that the misery in Minnesota would outlive the lottery protection on the pick. If the Timberwolves could continue to be awful for just a couple more seasons, the Clippers could conceivably have a top pick in 2012! When Rubio opted to remain in Europe for two seasons, that possibility went from remote to real.

"The Minnesota Pick" ultimately became a centerpiece of the most fateful trade in Clippers history just a few weeks ago, when the team reeled in Chris Paul from New Orleans. The pick was the one asset that set the Clippers apart from other suitors, and the Hornets were adamant about its inclusion in any deal.

On Friday night, Paul -- hamstring permitting -- will face off against Rubio in a contest between two of the most telegenic teams in the league. Individual matchups are often overrated, but Paul on Rubio -- and Rubio on Paul -- has a marquee quality to it. In a league dominated by point guards who earn their livings on the attack, Paul and Rubio are throwbacks to a time when vision trumped speed. Prefer a big-man brand of basketball? Keep your eyes on the low block, where Griffin and Love will wrestle for supremacy.

The Timberwolves have been rewarded for their patience, the Clippers for their craftiness. Now two teams that have been tethered together in the Western Conference dungeon for the better part of a decade will get to show off their shiny new toys.

On Monday, Ricky Rubio had eight assists in a win over the Sacramento Kings. Rubio now has 108 assists in 13 games, tied for the sixth-most assists all-time in the first 13 games of a player's career, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Rubio doesn't always start, but he certainly does finish. He came off the bench the first 10 games but has started the last three games. Rubio is at his best down the stretch. Not only does he lead the NBA in 4th-quarter minutes but Rubio also leads the NBA in fourth-quarter assists this season (30).

John Wall had 38 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals for the Washington Wizards in a loss to the New York Knicks on Monday. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Wall is only the second Wizards/Bullets player ever to put up those numbers in a game. The only other player with at least 38 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals in a game in the team's franchise history was Gilbert Arenas, who had 38 points, eight assists, eight rebounds and four steals in a win over the Boston Celtics in April 2006.

Ryan Anderson had a career-high 30 points, including seven 3-pointers, and seven rebounds on Monday in a win over the Knicks. Anderson is the first Orlando Magic player since Tracy McGrady in March 2003 with at least 30 points, seven 3-pointers and seven rebounds in a game. McGrady had 37 points, including seven 3-pointers, and seven rebounds in a win over the Heat.

Anderson is one of the main reasons the Magic are 9-3 this season. Anderson, who averaged 10.6 points per game this season, is scoring 18.3 points per game this season. The Magic are 7-1 this season when Anderson scores at least 15 points, 5-1 when he shoots at least 50 percent from the field, 9-1 when he makes at least two 3-pointers, and 6-0 when he shoots better than 50 percent from 3-point range.

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a remarkable 10-3 start this season and have a four-game lead in the Atlantic Division. Their average margin of victory in their 10 wins is 20.7 points. It's the Sixers' best start since the 2000-01 season, when they advanced to the NBA Finals.

What's the recipe for success for the Sixers? Defense. They have held their opponents to 93 or fewer points in each of their 10 wins. More specifically, it's their 3-point defense which has carried the Sixers. In each of their 10 wins, their opponent has made four or fewer 3-pointers and shot less than 31 percent from 3-point range. In each of their three losses, their opponent has made at least six 3-pointers.

The Sixers, who are 9-1 in their last 10 games, have held opponents to 31 percent or less from 3-point range in 10 straight games. Since 1988-89, only one team -- the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons (12 games), who went on to win the NBA Championship -- has had a longer single-season streak of holding opponents to under 31 percent on 3-point attempts.

Two years after the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him fifth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, Ricky Rubio finally made it to the Association and through 10 games he has nearly lived up to the hype that preceded his much-anticipated debut.

The Spanish Sensation has yet to see his name in the starting lineup, but his shaggy hair and bearded face have dominated nearly every Timberwolves highlight this season.

Rubio has been piling up the assists despite averaging less than 30 minutes per game. He ranks third in the league in assist per 36 minutes (9.8), behind only Rajon Rondo (10.0) and Steve Nash (11.7).

Rubio has used a variety of passes to compile his 79 assists this season. While the majority have come via chest passes, 27 percent have come off bounce passes, including nine over the last three games.

Not surprisingly, Rubio has shown a flair for the dramatic with his passing. More than one-third of his assists have been one-handed passes and nine of them have been crowd-pleasing alley-oops.

Rubio has most often set up his teammates off pick-and-roll plays, where more than 40 percent of his assists have come. But he’s become more comfortable passing on the break over the past week, dishing out 15 dimes in transition over the last three contests after compiling just nine in his first seven games.

He has also shown the skills to find open players both in the paint and on the perimeter, with a near equal distribution of assists that have led to three-pointers (28) and dunks/layups (29).

According to Hoopdata.com, his Weighted Assists average of 11.4 per game, which takes into account the added value of an assist that leads to a three-point field goal, leads the NBA.

Though Rubio’s offensive flair has dominated the headlines, he’s also been a key part of the Timberwolves’ defensive improvement this season. Minnesota has jumped from 27th in the defensive efficiency rankings in 2010-11 to 14th this year thanks partly to the defensive prowess of the Spanish guard.

The Timberwolves are allowing 14 fewer points with Rubio on the court than when he’s off the court, the second-best defensive rating on the team among players with at least 100 minutes played, according to basketballvalue.com.

Rubio’s overall impact both on offense and defense while he’s on the court is highlighted by his team-leading plus-minus of +52. Luke Ridnour, the current starting point guard, has the second-worst plus-minus on the team (-48).

Rubio has also had a huge impact on rookie Derrick Williams’ performance. Williams is averaging more than twice as many points per 36 minutes with Rubio on the court (15.9) than with Ridnour (6.8), and is making over half of his field goals when paired with Rubio, compared to just one-third with Ridnour.

-- Justin Havens, Evan Kaplan and Katie Sharp contributed to this post.

One of the most notable storylines in the early part of this NBA season is that offenses have not been in sync.

As a result, several teams have gotten out to great starts defensively. Two of them were on display Monday Night.

The Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers set a new standard for defending their homecourt with their victories over the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers.

It’s a bit of an obscure record, but a notable mark nonetheless, one provided by the Elias Sports Bureau. In the NBA’s shot clock era (since 1954), this year’s Bulls (206) and 76ers (221) have allowed the fewest points in their first three home games.

The previous mark was set by the 2003-04 Spurs, who allowed 229 points in their first three home games.

After beating the Pistons 92-68, the Bulls have now held two of their three opponents at home to below 70 points. They held the Grizzlies to 64 points on New Year’s Day.

Also via Elias, the Bulls are now 13-0 against the Pistons over the last four calendar years, the best record for any NBA team against a particular opponent over that span.

The 76ers continue along in surprising fashion. Through eight games, they are holding opponents to just under 90 points per 100 possessions, which represents an early dramatic improvement from last season, in which they allowed 102.5 points per 100. Philadelphia’s +14.7 point differential is the best in the NBA.

Chandler getting into flow for Knicks
Tyson Chandler had his best game since joining the New York Knicks, going 7-for-8 from the field and scoring 20 points in a win over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Chandler had a pair of alley-oops among his seven baskets. He’s had four alley-oops in his last two games after netting five in his first seven games.

Plus-Minus Note of the Night
The Minnesota Timberwolves got far better production from their bench than their starters. All five Timberwolves reserves finished with a positive plus-minus, but each of their starters had a -11 plus-minus or worse in a 97-87 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Most impressive was J.J. Barea. The Timberwolves outscored the Raptors by 21 points when Barea played and they were outscored by 31 when he was off the floor.

Rookie Ricky Rubio finished a +1 in 30 minutes. He is now a +49 through the Timberwolves first nine games.

• Quickish releases its list of What's Out for 2011 and What's In for 2012. In the cuddly, telegenic collegiate sharpshooter category, Jimmer Fredette gives way to Creighton's Doug McDermott. In the rookie sensation division, Ricky Rubio takes the seat formerly occupied by Blake Griffin.
• Bethlehem Shoals of GQ on the Mavericks' Christmas Day banner ceremony: "The Mavericks and their fans watched it ascend, bathed in light, a presentation whose religious connotations came almost by reflex. When it came to a rest, it was still glowing a little. Its slow climb had more aura to it than any of the athletes on the floor (LeBron James was hidden away in the locker room), and affirmed both last season--the past--and the community around it--that arena, that day."
• Does LeBron James' new free throw delivery violate the NBA rulebook? Centers' Little Helper explains: "He's got a relaxed, fluid and free arm motion, which is working well with his somewhat more open stance. But he's also following his shot, stepping over the line with his right foot before the ball reaches the basket. It's like he's daring the refs to whistle him for this rather obvious violation of the rules."
• Marc Stein's NBA Power Rankings -- five years ago this week.
• Zach Harper, writing for a Wolf Among Wolves and very apprehensive about the Heat's arrival into the Target Center on Friday: "According to Synergy Sports, of the 60 transition plays Miami has had, 22 of them have come off of rebounds, 22 of them have come off of turnovers, 10 of them have come off of blocked shots and six of them have come off of made baskets. Any slip up you make as a team in terms of getting back defensively, the Heat will take advantage of it."
• Ty Lawson: Brutally efficient or efficiently brutal? Danny Chau of Hardwood Paroxysm: "Few can match his burst of speed after a hesitation dribble, and even fewer can match his top end speed racing down the floor in transition. Defenders are forced to give him space to account for his quick penetrating ability, which unfortunately means giving him space usually reserved only for Rajon Rondo." The difference between Rondo and Lawson is that the latter has a career 3-point shooting percentage of 40.6 percent.
• Bullets Forever discusses the tricky task of distributing minutes when a team is rebuilding.
• For 99 cents, you can have an app on your phone of a bobble-headed Allen Iverson in a Grizzlies Jersey.
• Brandon Knight has looked awfully good during his 45 minutes of NBA basketball. Should he be the starter in Detroit?
• Nick Gibson of Sheridan Hoops write that the Bulls' first-round draft pick, Nikola Mirotic, is finding his stride in Europe.
• The ultimate Jimmy Rodgers-ism during his stint as the Timberwolves head coach 20 years ago: "We ran into a buzzsaw tonight."
• James Harden: A man of simple needs.

• Kyle Weidie of Truth About It offers up a multimedia presentation of how Deron Williams tied the Wizards in knots with ball screens.
• The Heat posted unsightly numbers against the Celtics' zone on Tuesday night but, as Zach Lowe of The Point Forward writes, the Heat had a coherent strategy to combat it: "A great example came with about 3:30 left in the game, when the Heat flashed a key potential zone antidote they used a lot: starting a possession with one of their wing stars (Dwyane Wade on this one) as the only person on one entire side of the floor (the left side in this case). That forced the Boston defense to tilt heavily to the right, where James handled the ball on the outside, near all his teammates except Wade. As LeBron dribbled, Chris Bosh flashed from the top of the three-point arc to below the foul line, drawing the man closest to Wade (Dooling) down into the paint, and forcing him to temporarily turn his back to Wade. At that exact moment, LeBron tossed a pass to Wade, who caught it on the move toward the middle of the floor, his momentum taking him the opposite direction as Boston’s defenders, including Dooling, now tilting madly from James’ side of the floor to Wade’s. Wade did not hestitate: With Dooling wrong-footed, Wade drove into the paint, where Dooling fouled him. Without a shot, the play almost vanishes from game logs everywhere, but it represents one key way the Heat can combat a zone; both James and Wade got layups against it out of action just like this."
• Historiographers have identified the origins of sports panic -- the phenomenon dates back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th Century. Is it time to panic in Boston?
• Tony Allen kindly asks that you set up your voicemail already.
• You should buy the full 2011-12 PDF from Basketball Prospectus, but if you want the crib notes from Kevin Pelton -- a single paragraph and projected record for each of the 30 teams -- click here.
• An interview with Clippers vice president of basketball operations Neil Olshey at Yahoo! Radio.
• Be Milwaukee!
• The Trail Blazers are 2-0 and when you take inventory of LaMarcus Aldridge's versatility as a big man and the smart pieces around them, they look primed for a pretty decent season. Tom Ziller of SB Nation: "[T]he way in which the Blazers have played, mixing the tough defense you know Gerald Wallace and Wesley Matthews will bring with the smooth scoring ability of LaMarcus Aldridge and deft shooting of Matthews and Nicolas Batum, mixed with able playmaking from Raymond Felton and Marcus Camby -- despite the caveats and despite the great misfortune of losing Brandon Roy forever and Greg Oden for a while longer, Portland looks like a real contender in the West."
• The Bucks led the Timberwolves 94-84 with under 4:00 remaining. Then Minnesota ripped off an 8-0 run to close the deficit to two points. The lineup on the floor for the Timberwolves? Ricky Rubio, Luke Ridnour, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love and Anthony Tolliver. Zach Harper describes the final play call of a frustrating night for Minnesota: "Finding themselves down three with seven seconds left, they devised a play without much action away from the ball to free up Kevin Love for the game-tying attempt. Love set a down screen for Luke which enabled Luke to catch the ball roughly 35 feet from the basket. Love then set a screen for Wes near the top of the arc and then ran to the other win. Luke took two dribbles passed it to Love and he took a contested 3-pointer with four seconds left. It was one of the most basic plays you would ever find coming out of a timeout and it resulted in Love taking a contested 26-footer to try to tie the game."
• Bret LaGree of Hoopinion on Joe Johnson: "Can still get anywhere he wants on the floor, presuming where he wants to get isn't within 15 feet of the basket."
• Want to talk Pacers-Raps after tonight's game? Visit with Jared Wade and Tim Donahue on Pacers Talk Live at Eight Points, Nine Seconds.
• Ricky Davis will start his NBA comeback as a Red Claw.
• NBA commentators put Google+ hangout to use.

• Classmates of Kim Jong Il's son, Kim Jong-un, testify that the presumed successor in North Korea wasn't all that interested in politics when he was at school in Switzerland. What really got him going was basketball. "He worshipped basketball players in the NBA. A friend who visited his apartment at #10, Kirchstrasse, Liebefeld, recalls that Kim had a room filled with NBA-memorabilia. 'He proudly showed off photographs of himself standing with Toni Kukoc of the Chicago Bulls and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. It is unclear where the pictures were taken. On at least one occasion, a car from the North Korean Embassy drove Pak Un to Paris to watch an NBA exhibition game,' the [Washington Post] said. In class, Pak Un was generally shy and awkward with girls, but he became a different person on basketball court, according to his classmates. 'A fiercely competitive player,' said classmate Nikola Kovacevic. 'He was very explosive. He could make things happen. He was the playmaker.'"
• Michael Pina of Red94 composes a stellar post on the psyche of trade bait. There are those, like Kevin Martin and Chauncey Billups, who take it a little personally. Others, like Lamar Odom, are driven to tears. Then there are Luis Scola, Rajon Rondo and Pau Gasol, who are able to convey detachment -- at least publicly.
• The Heat have pledged to switch up their offense this season by incorporating more fast-break attacks and putting more of a premium on spacing. Beckley Mason of HoopSpeak exchanges with a reader who explains what "the Invert" offense in lacrosse can teach us about defending the Heat.
• Charlie Widdoes of ClipperBlog feels the Clippers gave up too much for Chris Paul, and that staying the course with Eric Gordon and the salary flexibility that would've come with Chris Kaman's expiring contract was the right call.
• Aaron McGuire of Gothic Ginobili on the composition of the reigning champions in Dallas: "So where does that leave you? A short stint with a lineup where Lamar Odom is the primary ballhandler, employing Dirk and Marion as roll men with Delonte and Carter in the wings if the play goes sour? Does the team manage a point-by-committee sort of strategy? And who defends what? Dirk’s defense has gotten better over the years, but at this point Odom is essentially the best defensive talent in the Mavs’ big rotation. Do you cross-match Odom on the opposing center and hope he can draw them out of the paint? Do you keep Dirk at center and live with the terrifying defensive results? I really don’t know, and I’m not sure anyone else does either. And that’s part of what makes this Mavs team so interesting."
• Kris Humphries chalks up impressive numbers on the Wins Produced metric, prompting Andres Alvarez of Wages of Win to ask why the power forward remains unsigned.
• When Boris Diaw was growing up in France, his mom -- a former player -- ordered him not to join the throng of kids who'd storm the scorebook immediately after the game to tally their point totals.
• Watching Al Jefferson's deliberate but effective post game drives Zach Harper to thumbing through periodicals during live play, but Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams are shiny!
• The amnesty deadline passed and Rashard Lewis is still a Wizard. Lewis is setting up house in Washington, where his daughter has enrolled at nearby Sidwell Friends, where the Obama girls attend school.
• Who would you rather be -- the Lakers or the Clippers?
• Kevin Durant's fans will scour North America for his backpack like it's an afikoman.