A guy who doesn’t start, barely plays 13 minutes per game, doesn’t score or even touch the ball much is labeled by his coach as one of his team’s more valuable players.
And he’s not joking.
That’s because Wizards forward Michael Ruffin provides the Wizards what they need: inside muscle; energy and a few key rebounds.
Tuesday, Ruffin played 15 minutes, grabbed six rebounds, had a steal and got his fingertips on several other balls that landed in teammates’ hands. Washington’s 13-0 first-quarter run coincided with him coming into the game for Antawn Jamison.
“They brought me here to do what I like to do,” Ruffin said. “I enjoy making hustle plays; I enjoy playing physical basketball.”
Many times, when Washington coach Eddie Jordan was asked the difference between his first year (25 wins) and second (45 wins and the playoffs), he pointed out two players who stayed healthy: All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas and Ruffin. He calls Ruffin the Wizards’ closer, because he sometimes doesn’t play until the end of games.
The 6-foot-8 Ruffin can play center and forward. Etan Thomas’ back problems, and occasional ineffectiveness, make Ruffin even more important.
“He’s always valuable,” Jordan said. “He’s versatile, athletic and strong. He has a good defensive mindset and he’s disciplined.”
Ruffin is a career 1.8 points per game scorer in his sixth season.
“Everyone starts playing for different things,” he said. “They start playing more for individual stats. But you end up putting a lot more pressure on yourself as opposed to going out and doing whatever you can to help the team. You have to have people make key plays and it’s not always baskets but those [hustle] plays that set a tone for the game.”
