What everybody wants to know is when will Ricky Rubio return to action with the Timberwolves. Well, he doesn't know.
After surgery last March 21 to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee, Rubio has been cleared to return to full-contact practice. But, as Rubio said after a shoot-around on Friday morning, he won't know how close he is to playing in a game until he actually gets on the court for that practice.
"No idea," he said, smiling, surrounded by a mob of reporters when asked about his return date.
Rubio got the OK from Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colo., while the Wolves were finishing up a four-game road trip. So Rubio hasn't had the chance to practice with the team yet.
The Wolves, scheduled for a three-day break after Friday's game, likely won't practice on Saturday. That means Rubio's first full-out practice could come on Sunday.
"I don't know how I'm going to feel, if I'm going to feel great, if I'm going to feel weak," he said. "I don't have any idea. I have it all in my mind, 'Oh, I want to practice, I want to dunk.' But I don't think I can."
Still, Rubio is eager to return.
"The most difficult part is being patient," Rubio said. "You can't do more than they said because you can get hurt. Being patient is hard. It's hard, but it is what it is. You have to work as hard as you can."