Tell us how you feel about Ricky Rubio with the Phoenix Suns!

Here’s your chance to vote on the deal that brings the Suns a pass-first-can’t-shoot point guard to lead the young troops out of the depths of the Western Conference.

The Phoenix Suns signed 28-year old point guard Ricky Rubio for $51 million over three years ($17 million annually).

As we mentioned yesterday, that puts Rubio at or about 18th in salary among NBA point guards. It is a $2 million per year raise over his last contract — somewhat a product of the market. By late evening, the 30 NBA teams had committed more than $3.1 billion in total salaries over the next five years to less than 50 of the league’s 450 players. On the Suns, Rubio’s contract is higher than Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe got in recent years.

Rubio is a very different point guard than any point guard the Suns have run out there in the past. He’s a wonderfully creative passer and plays effective defense but cannot shoot and often does everything he can to avoid it.

For those who have only watched Suns games in recent years, you will immediately recognize he’s the best passer they’ve had since Steve Nash, and slightly better in that department than Elfrid Payton. Rubio is like a better, smarter version of the moppy-haired Payton, and one who can actually play defense.

Watch some highlights of our new point guard’s passing skills:

On the downside, Rubio is only a career 38.8 percent shooter who’s been known to blow layups on the regular, though he has improved in recent years to 41 percent (and 58 percent at the rim) the last two years with the Jazz.

He is 28 years old, has started nearly all of his 8 years in the league and has performed well in crunch situations both in the NBA and in Spain.

Time to vote, Suns fans!

Are you excited to see the most creative passing for the first time since Nash?

Or are you horrified that opponents completely ignore him as a shooting threat, often dropping off him 10-plus feet to cut off passing lanes?