Several years ago FIBA changed their rules to place their World Cup the year before the Olympics, not two years before, as had been the schedule since 1970.
As such, NBA players like Ricky Rubio who play for their national teams, are forced to play difficult tournaments during back-to-back summers, which congests their offseasons and prevents the necessary time for rest and recuperation which prepare them for the long grind of the NBA regular season.
Because of Rubio’s participation in both the World Cup last summer as well as the Olympics this summer, the protection of his health (and in particular his overall work load) must become a two-year issue for the Phoenix Suns that must begin to be paid attention to, immediately.