"Then & Now & Later" is a scouting profile series that analyzes the perception, development and future potential of young players in the NBA. We first tackled New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis. Next up: Ricky Rubio.

THEN

Like most teen sensations, Ricky Rubio combined the old with the new.

Although Rubio was not even 18 when he burst onto the scene at the 2008 Olympic Games, there was something familiar about the guard from Spain. The Beatles haircut, the wizardry with the ball, the sad eyes. It was as if "Pistol" Pete Maravich was reincarnated to play in a league actually ready for him.

Time was definitely on Rubio’s side. Developing familiarity with international prospects was at one point nearly impossible -- maybe you’d see a guy in the Olympics or in one-off exhibitions, but fans were mostly living and dying with what scout Fran Fraschilla had to say.

Rubio broke that mold, in part because he had been playing professionally in Spain since the tender age of 14. Add the emergence of YouTube and it's easy to see why the basketball world fell in love with him. Rubio's creative passes and showman’s flair went "viral" before the term had really entered the lexicon. Well before the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him with the fifth pick in the 2009 NBA draft, it was clear that his star was on the rise.

But the hype quickly deflated. Rubio opted to stay two additional years in Spain before coming over for the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, and during an otherwise promising rookie campaign, he tore his ACL. But even before the injury, it was still relatively clear that Rubio came largely as advertised: a risk taker with plenty of flash and natural instincts, albeit with an incomplete skill set.

With three NBA seasons under his belt now, it’s still tough to fully comprehend the contradictions that seem to define Rubio’s career.

NOW

On offense:

Let’s not sugarcoat this: Rubio is one of the least efficient scorers we've seen in a long, long time.

In fact, in the past 35 years, no player with at least 5,500 total NBA minutes played has ever put up a worse career effective field goal percentage than Rubio's 40.1. Just think about all the challenged offensive players you’ve ever seen play in the NBA and realize Rubio has shot worse than almost every single one.

And although it may be tempting to blame Rubio’s slow-release, quasi set-shot jumper for those numbers, his primary issues stem from his inability to score at the rim. Rubio's career 32.3 percent 3-point percentage won't bowl anyone over, but it’s serviceable and somewhat indicative of what he can do with his feet set and time to fire.

It’s Rubio’s complete lack of elevation that betrays him on drives to the rim more than anything else, though you’ll see him get the yips and miss wide-open attempts quite a bit as well. A floater or runner in the paint would help tremendously to avoid challenging shot-blockers directly, but Rubio prefers to string out drives as long as possible for potential passes. It's a game of chicken with big men that Rubio navigates well, but the end results often look a lot like a car wreck.

But his offensive game has a yin and yang to it. Rubio isn’t a scorer and shows very little creativity around the rim, but it works in his favor as a distributor. Because defenders know they can give him plenty of space, Rubio’s passing windows are massive and usually pretty clean. He’s an artist with the ball working largely uninterrupted.

That's not to imply that Rubio isn’t capable of threading the needle or working in tight confines. No one can attest to Rubio's ability to fire in passes more than Kevin Love, who spent the past three seasons receiving the full attention of defenses and still finding wide-open layups because of Rubio’s vision.

With that said, it still feels like Rubio and Love were a missed connection. Rubio's seasons spent in Spain and the injuries to both players sapped up valuable time together, and when the two really began to click (Minnesota was ninth in offensive efficiency last season), it was still too late.

There’s reason to be optimistic about Rubio’s development offensively, though, even with the loss of a player with the vacuum effect of Love.

The Timberwolves had a 112.5 offensive rating when Rubio was on the court last season, which would have been the league’s best had he been able to play every minute.

Even though he can’t finish and he’s shooting blind on his jumper (31.6, 31.9, 30.1 percent in his first three seasons), Rubio has shown he can run a highly effective offense with his other senses, so long as there’s talent around him.

On defense:

For all the space his opponents grant him offensively, Rubio isn’t very gracious in return. He crowds ball handlers, making point guards turn multiple times just to get the ball upcourt. He pokes and prods, moves his feet laterally incredibly well and generally has the annoying disposition you want from your guards defensively. It is decidedly not fun to play against Rubio, which is a major asset in a league swimming in scoring point guards.

Even though his value comes almost solely as a perimeter defender, Rubio can pinch down a bit on the defensive glass and help out, which should come in handy with Love gone.

But Love's departure is not all bad news. Thaddeus Young is a big upgrade on defense, and his mobility and rim protection should let Rubio gamble a little more on the perimeter for steals in an attempt to get a younger, more athletic Wolves team out in transition. That’s a scary proposition, as Rubio already led the league in total steals last season.

Although steals is a dangerous stat to put too much stock into when evaluating defenders, it does provide insight on how capably he is playing passing lanes. Rubio is a great on-the-ball defender in the mold of Chris Paul -- his hands are lightning-quick, and he’s not afraid to take a bump. It speaks to Rubio’s effort and instincts that he’s been this effective despite his youth and a major knee injury.

Some may be sheepish to call Rubio elite on this end since he’s not an overwhelming athlete, but he’s truly been one of the best backcourt defenders in the league. According to ESPN.com, Rubio finished second among all point guards and fifth among all guards in defensive real plus-minus last season. He’s a difference-maker, particularly because he can wear down opponents over the course of a game.

LATER

As is, Rubio is essentially a specialist -- a pass-and-harass point guard.

Those players certainly have value, but having a backcourt who that can’t shoot almost mandates multiple stretch big men in the starting lineup, which can put pressure on a team that isn’t title-ready to perhaps value need over talent when filling the rest of the roster.

That’s something Minnesota will need to consider when negotiating Rubio's next deal, but you’re still paying for potential here. Even though there hasn’t been much foreshadowing in this regard, Rubio could become a much more reliable shooter. Jason Kidd shot over 35 percent from deep in just two of his first 10 seasons, after all, and the 23-year-old Rubio certainly has plenty of room for improvement.

With Minnesota mainstays Love and Rick Adelman gone, Rubio’s evolution this season should be watched with a careful eye. Losing such a well-rounded scorer and brilliant offensive mind obviously hurts, but the added athleticism on the roster will allow Rubio to work on a vertical plane as a passer -- something he’s been able to flirt with only temporarily in the past.

At least for the time being, this is Rubio’s team. Failed contract negotiations or the development of Andrew Wiggins could challenge that eventually, but Rubio will have more opportunity and responsibility than ever before.

It’s hard to predict what Rubio will do with that. His skills are very black-and-white, and his career thus far has existed largely in the gray. He’s simultaneously met expectations and disappointed as well.

But it’s easy to forget that what drew so many to Rubio in the first place can’t be taught or acquired. His vision is a rare and undeniable gift, and it’s hard to imagine he’ll squander it forever by failing to supplement it with more refined skill and scoring, even if he doesn’t need to in order to survive.

D.J. Foster is a contributor to ESPN.com and the TrueHoop Network. Follow him, @fosterdj. All stats via NBA.com, basketball-reference.com or ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.