'It's still special ... but it's not the same.' Ricky Rubio has another return to Target Center

Ricky Rubio was back in Minnesota last season, but it never really felt like he was truly home again.

A lot of that was out of his, and the Timberwolves', control. COVID-19 protocols turned it into what Rubio said was "the hardest year of my career."

"Everything that was going outside the wall, it was bigger than what was happening on the court," Rubio said. "No fans, traveling and not being able to really disconnect about basketball and go out to eat or something like that. It was a lot going on that wasn't related to what happened on the court that I think affected me personally."

Fans will be back in the building to welcome Rubio again Friday as his Cavaliers come to Target Center, with Rubio a rejuvenated player on a 14-12 team that has been one of the early surprises of the season.

COVID protocols affected Rubio's treasured preseason routine, and he wasn't able to prepare for last season the way he wanted. That bled over into his play. He had a career-low in points (8.6) despite starting 51 of 68 games played. He shot just 39% and didn't seem to mesh well with D'Angelo Russell until later in the season when the Wolves weren't playing for anything meaningful from a playoff perspective.

That led to the offseason, when the Wolves traded Rubio for Taurean Prince and a 2022 second-round pick. Rubio, who is coming off the bench for Cleveland, has seen his production increase after a strong showing for Spain at the Tokyo Olympics.

He is shooting 35% on 5.2 three-point attempts per game, a career-high, and is averaging 13.2 points per game, which also would be a career-high.

Ricky Rubio career statistics

Rubio said recently he was upset with the trade when he found out about it in Tokyo, but he acknowledged after practice Monday perhaps it was for the best.

"Things didn't work out for a year over there, so I think we were looking for a change, both of us, at the end of the day," Rubio said. "It's something that happened in a way that I didn't expect, but this is the business that we're in."

Former President Gersson Rosas then brought in Patrick Beverley in a separate trade to be the veteran point guard voice on the Wolves. Beverley has helped mold second-year guard Anthony Edwards, a role Rubio had last season. Rubio said he still keeps tabs on Edwards and joked that while he still makes some rookie mistakes, Edwards has learned a lot in a short amount of time.

"He's having a great, great season and learning and taking the next step," Rubio said. "It's something that as an old teammate and a guy who watched his first season, I'm proud of it. He's special. He's a special kid, not just on the court but overall. His attitude. His behavior. He's a true leader. It's something that we're going to enjoy watching him in the league for a long time."

Edwards and Rubio will get to light up the crowd Friday night.

Rubio said one reason it didn't feel like he was totally back in Minnesota was because fans weren't allowed in the arena. The same fan base who welcomed him with open arms 10 years was kept at arm's length.

"At the end of the day it's what feels like being home," Rubio said. "Especially seeing all your friends."

His return won't have the same weight for him as the first time he came back following his trade to Utah in 2017.

It will still be nice to see friends and catch up with old teammates. But like his second stint with the Wolves, it's going to be different.

"This time it's still special," Rubio said. "But it's not the same."