2019
Rubio kicked off his ninth NBA season on a high note, recording 11 points, 11 rebounds, six rebounds and four steals in the Suns' opening night victory over Kings. He notched three more double-doubles during a four-game stretch in early November, including a 22-point, 12-assist effort in a 138-112 win over the Nets on Nov. 10. Rubio supplied a season-high 25 points on Dec. 14 in a near loss to the Spurs and quickly followed it up with a 10-point, 14-assist, 11-rebound triple-double on Dec. 16 against the Trail Blazers -- his first of the year. Rubio entered the All-Star break with excellent averages of 12.3 points, 8.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 31.3 minutes per game. When the suspended season resumed in Orlando, Rubio helped lead the Suns to a perfect 8-0 record during seeding play. In 26.8 minutes per game, Rubio averaged 12.9 points, 7.9 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals, while hitting nearly 43 percent of his three-point attempts. In an Aug. 2 win over Dallas, Rubio narrowly missed a triple-double, posting 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes. Against the 76ers on Aug. 11, Rubio went for 16 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and a block in just 28 minutes.
2018
Rubio averaged 12.7 points, 6.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 68 games (67 starts) in what ultimately amounted to his final season with the Jazz in 2018-19. The Spanish point guard scored 20 or more 11 different times on the year, finishing in double figures a total of 45 times, including 10 double-doubles. He enjoyed more success shooting on the road compared to games played at home, converting on 43.4 percent of his shots away from home compared to a 37 percent success rate in friendly confines. On three separate occasions, Rubio recorded four steals in a single game and averaged 1.3 spg -- a mark he's hit in each season of his career. His season-high in points was 28, which he reached twice -- first Oct. 28 against Dallas and then again Nov. 19 against Indiana. He was highly effective in the postseason as well, averaging 15.4 points per game over five contests, to go along with 8.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals. Rubio's 2018-19 assist rate of 32.1 was the 15th-highest in the league. As Utah's floor general, Rubio did an excellent job getting teammates involved each and every night while registering 12.5 assists per 100 possessions. His turnover percentage (17.8) was the lowest of his eight-year NBA career.
2017
Long known as one of the NBA's premier passers, Rubio's first season in Utah saw him play off the ball more than in any of his other six years in the league. While his assist numbers (5.3) remained respectable despite being the lowest mark of his career by a sizable margin, it was his increased scoring that was the most pleasant surprise. Rubio averaged 13.1 points, exactly 2.0 points better than his previous career-high mark. Rubio hit the 20-point mark on 15 separate occasions and scored 30 or more points four different times. He set a new single-game high with 34 points in a win over San Antonio on February 3. One of the main reasons Rubio saw his scoring numbers go up were due to his improved shooting range. Rubio averaged 1.2 made threes per game while hitting 35.2 percent of his shots from downtown. Both those numbers were new career-bests. Defensively, Rubio continued to rack up the steals. His 1.6 thefts per contest marked the seventh straight season he has reached that figure per contest.
2016
With the exception of five games missed early due to a sprained elbow, Rubio stayed healthy the entire 2016-17 season and had arguably his most productive year to date. He had career highs in average points (11.1) and assists (9.1), shooting percentage (40.2) and free-throw percentage (89.1). The route there was filled with several milestone performances. Rubio's fifth career triple-double came March 5 against the Spurs when he tallied 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. On March 14 against Washington, Rubio broke his own franchise record with 19 assists. He was red-hot the entire month, averaging 17.8 points and 10.4 assists through 14 March games. He ended March with a bang, scoring a career-high 33 points to go along with 10 assists in a win over the Lakers. Rubio's outstanding year also had a positive effect on his teammates, as both Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins had career scoring highs with 25.1 and 23.6 points per game, respectively. While the team improved its win total from the year before, a 31-51 record still wasn't enough to get Rubio his first postseason berth. Rumors of the Timberwolves shopping Rubio finally came to fruition less than three months after the end of the season, as he was dealt to the Jazz in exchange for a first-round pick.
2015
Rubio was again bit by the injury bug in advance of the 2015-16 season, as he battled a quad issue for most of the preseason. That was hardly noticeable in the season opener, however, as Rubio dropped a career-high 28 points (10-17 FG) in a narrow win over the Lakers, chipping in 14 assists as well. He averaged 9.0 assists for the first six games of the year before missing four contests due to a hamstring injury. Rubio eventually got back on track and even flirted with a quadruple-double in a Dec. 16 matchup against the Knicks, falling just one point and two steals short. He was back to his regular self from then on, starting every game from Dec. 1 to the end of the year. Rubio even matched his career-high assist total (17) on two separate occasions. With nearly a full season (76 games) in tow, Rubio finished fifth in the league in total assists (658) and third in total steals (162). He also showed some improvement from distance with 62 three-pointers made, a personal career high that was good for second on the team. The addition of rookie Karl-Anthony Towns gave him another formidable offensive option to run with, and it also likely played a role in Rubio setting a career-high Player Efficiency Rating (17.6). The Timberwolves made strides from the previous season, but Rubio and company still fell short of the postseason with a 29-53 record.
2014
Rubio entered the 2014-15 season with a fresh four-year contract and picked up right where he left off to begin the year. He even matched his career-high assist total with 17 in the third game of the season Nov. 1 against the Bulls. Two games later -- a week after signing his extension -- Rubio suffered a severely sprained ankle that kept him on the sidelines all the way up until Feb. 2. Once his minutes restriction was lifted after returning, Rubio started to heat up once again. In a five-game stretch that started Feb. 27, the point guard recorded five consecutive double-doubles, averaging 13.8 points, 11.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds over that stretch. That run included his fourth career triple-double in a March 2 loss to the Clippers. The magic was short-lived, however. Rubio tweaked his ankle and missed two games in mid-March, but returned and played 30 minutes in a loss to Toronto on March. 18. That proved to be his final game of the season. Rubio missed another long stretch of games before the Timberwolves ultimately elected to shut him down April 2.
2013
A shortened 2012-13 season allowed Rubio to fully recover from the ACL injury he suffered two years earlier, and he entered the year with a clean bill of health. Rubio even played for the Spanish National team in the 2013 Euro Championships, leading the team to a bronze medal. He went on to play and start all 82 games that season for the Timberwolves, posting career-highs in assists (8.6 apg) and shooting percentage (38.1). The first major highlight for Rubio came early, as he posted his second career triple-double with 12 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in a victory over the Lakers. He also added five steals in that contest for good measure. Rubio proceeded to record his third triple-double in a March 19 matchup against Dallas, posting 22 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. His 2013-14 campaign also saw Rubio set new career highs in points (25 on Feb. 8) and assists (17 on Feb. 19). At the end of the year, Rubio finished second in the league in steals per game for the third consecutive season, and led the league in total steals with 191. The latter also shattered Tyrone Corbin's previous franchise record of 175. Despite the individual success, Rubio's Timberwolves finished with a record of 40-42, finishing 10th in the Western Conference and narrowly missing the postseason.
2012
In his second season in the Association, Rubio played in 57 games for Minnesota. Given his rookie season ended with a torn ACL in early-March, Rubio was expected to miss some time to begin the 2012-13 campaign. He sat out the year's first 20 games, but made his return to the court Dec. 15 against the Magic, registering eight points and nine assists across 18 minutes off the bench. Rubio came off the bench nine more times before re-entering the starting five Jan. 17, and never looked back. The Spaniard was in prime form by February and had six double-doubles in a nine-game stretch from Feb. 4 to Feb. 24, averaging 14.4 points and 9.6 assists over that span. His first career triple-double came Mar. 12 against the Spurs, when Rubio recorded 21 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Rubio also set a new career high when he scored 24 points (8-18 FG) Apr. 13 against the Suns. Despite starting the season late, Rubio still led the Timberwolves in total assists (418) and total steals (137).
2011
Despite being selected fifth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, Rubio stayed overseas and did not make his NBA debut with Minnesota until December of the 2011 season. His official debut date came a day after Christmas, when Rubio had six points, six assists and five rebounds across 26 minutes off the bench in a loss to the Thunder. He recorded his first career double-double two games later with 12 points and 12 assists against the Heat. For the season, the rookie registered 12 double-doubles. Rubio made his first career start Jan. 13 in a victory over the Hawks, and he never left the starting five after that. The Spaniard went on to win Rookie of the Month in January. His career high came Feb. 19 against the SIxers, when he scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting. Rubio's season was derailed Mar. 9, however, when he suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Despite the shortened season, Rubio made the 2011-12 NBA All-Rookie team.