I have been closely acquainted with Rajon Rondo ever since he got lucky enough for me to intensely doubt his talent, all the way back at the beginning of the 2007-2008 season.
After a string of high-quality, post-Danny Ainge point guards like Sherman Douglas, Dee Brown, Dana Barros, and Sebastian Telfair, I had grown accustomed to excellence at the 1. Especially considering we had just traded Chauncey Billups away.
Rajon Rondo had the starting point guard job thrust upon him in the summer of Ray Allen and KG. Along with Kendrick Perkins, he was the only guy Kevin McHale DIDN'T want in exchange for Kevin Garnett. It is my opinion that on that day, they (Rondo and Perkins) became some form of basketball soul mates. They were the scraps, the 2 "other" guys on this 5-man team.
Rondo had already "survived" a draft day roster purge when "we"* acquired Ray Allen, and now, he was the only person left after the KG robbery. We literally gave up our whole team for KG, and it was worth it.
Therein lies the beginning of my love for, and frustration with, Rajon Rondo. I will never forget Rondo's performance in game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals. I have never enjoyed watching NBA defense as much as I enjoyed watching Rondo vs. Kobe in the 4th quarter of that game.
Prior to that 2007-2008 season, I had little/no faith in Rajon Rondo's abilities. I was swiftly proven wrong, as Rondo began a 3-year arc (peak?) that culminated in career highs of 13.5 PPG, a .508 FG%, and a league-leading 2.3 SPG in 2010.
Something I could not possibly have realized that day in 2008, was just how much Rondo LOVES the national stage. Yes, he had performed dominantly in that game 6, but since I had no sample size, I could never have fathomed the depths of hunger and will-to-win that the 6' 3" point guard possesses.
Rondo actually GROWS whenever his team is being shown on national television. He seems to particularly relish beating the Lakers and Heat, which, whether the stats bare it out or not (I don't actually want to know), goes a long way towards endearing him to me.
This leads to the first of my Rondo theories, which I have learned I do not have sole possession of, even though I insist I did come up with it first. Rondo turns in his best performances while on the national stage. Google "Rondo National TV". This first Rondo theory has become so commonplace, that it is now accepted as fact.
So why do I have frustration? Is there an asset an NBA team can possess that is as valuable as crunch-time, big-game dominance?
Rondo's numbers, in every category but assists, have decreased since that enchanted 2010 season. You may be asking why that is a bad thing, since a point guard averaging 11.5 assists per game is nothing to sneeze at. Quite the opposite, in fact. However, if he has become so utterly dominant on the national stage, but his overall numbers have dropped, doesn't that mean his day-in, day-out performance has suffered? His FG% has never been above 45% since 2010, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if, as Coach Rivers has IMPLORED him to do, he took more shots. Rondo's commitment to passing is so intense that he actually takes it too far, passing on quality shots time and time again. A large majority of the shots he does take are ludicrously contested lay-ups, and when he actually gets good looks, it's usually because opposing defenses have backed off of him. They are practically daring him to hit 15-foot, wide open jumpers, and he often fails. Couple this with the fact that he, as a point guard, only shoots 60% from the foul line (a Shaq-esque number, to be sure), and know that cheering for Rondo on any given night can be incredibly taxing.
We continue to adore Rajon Rondo because, despite his obvious short-comings, he also leads the league this year in triple-doubles (5). This is more than TWICE the amount of triple-doubles the man who is second on the list (much to my delight, LeBron, with a mere 2) has turned in. In the last 5 postseasons (nationally televised), Rondo has achieved 8 triple-doubles, placing him atop THAT leaderboard, as well. Rajon is capable of a transcendent basketball performance on any given night, and they all seem to happen when it REALLY matters.
So I say again, Rajon Rondo is my team's most exciting player. KG may be the soul of the team, and Paul Pierce may be the best player, but Rondo is the most exciting.
Something I could not possibly have realized that day in 2008, was just how much Rondo LOVES the national stage. Yes, he had performed dominantly in that game 6, but since I had no sample size, I could never have fathomed the depths of hunger and will-to-win that the 6' 3" point guard possesses.
Rondo actually GROWS whenever his team is being shown on national television. He seems to particularly relish beating the Lakers and Heat, which, whether the stats bare it out or not (I don't actually want to know), goes a long way towards endearing him to me.
This leads to the first of my Rondo theories, which I have learned I do not have sole possession of, even though I insist I did come up with it first. Rondo turns in his best performances while on the national stage. Google "Rondo National TV". This first Rondo theory has become so commonplace, that it is now accepted as fact.
So why do I have frustration? Is there an asset an NBA team can possess that is as valuable as crunch-time, big-game dominance?
Rondo's numbers, in every category but assists, have decreased since that enchanted 2010 season. You may be asking why that is a bad thing, since a point guard averaging 11.5 assists per game is nothing to sneeze at. Quite the opposite, in fact. However, if he has become so utterly dominant on the national stage, but his overall numbers have dropped, doesn't that mean his day-in, day-out performance has suffered? His FG% has never been above 45% since 2010, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if, as Coach Rivers has IMPLORED him to do, he took more shots. Rondo's commitment to passing is so intense that he actually takes it too far, passing on quality shots time and time again. A large majority of the shots he does take are ludicrously contested lay-ups, and when he actually gets good looks, it's usually because opposing defenses have backed off of him. They are practically daring him to hit 15-foot, wide open jumpers, and he often fails. Couple this with the fact that he, as a point guard, only shoots 60% from the foul line (a Shaq-esque number, to be sure), and know that cheering for Rondo on any given night can be incredibly taxing.
We continue to adore Rajon Rondo because, despite his obvious short-comings, he also leads the league this year in triple-doubles (5). This is more than TWICE the amount of triple-doubles the man who is second on the list (much to my delight, LeBron, with a mere 2) has turned in. In the last 5 postseasons (nationally televised), Rondo has achieved 8 triple-doubles, placing him atop THAT leaderboard, as well. Rajon is capable of a transcendent basketball performance on any given night, and they all seem to happen when it REALLY matters.
So I say again, Rajon Rondo is my team's most exciting player. KG may be the soul of the team, and Paul Pierce may be the best player, but Rondo is the most exciting.
This leads to my second, and just recently-formed, Rondo Theory. Any team who's point guard leads the league in assists and triple-doubles, then goes down with a season ending ACL injury, is bound to suffer because of the loss, right? Clearly, said point guard makes his teammates exponentially better.
Rondo is that point guard, and common wisdom was that when he went down, in the cruelest of nationally-televised-against-the-Miami-Heat ironies, the Celtics would be forced to blow up the team, trading Pierce and Garnett, ending an era, and entering re-building mode.
Rondo's teammates played that game with no knowledge of his injury. They won in double OT. Paul Pierce was informed of Rondo's injury by Doris Burke during the post-game interview.
Since Rondo's injury, the Celtics have played 6 games, and are undefeated.
How can this be? Ah yes, it all comes full circle. Remember how Rondo achieved the starting point guard job in 2007-2008? How he basically backed into it? No one had much faith in his ability to succeed, and many had faith that the Celtics would essentially be a 3-man team.
Rondo's overall numbers that season were not terrible, by any means, but they were not incredibly spectacular, either. KG was (essentially) healthy the entire season, the only season since he joined Boston he has been able to accomplish that feat. Pierce became the cold-blooded, clutch-time, Bird-esque finisher Celtic's fans had always hoped he would be, and Ray Allen was the dignified elder statesmen who seemingly shot 95% from beyond the arc. KG's killer instinct and swagger wore off on Rondo, and it was a frequent sight to see KG playing the big brother, patting his head, getting in his ear, and generally firing him up.
Rondo is that point guard, and common wisdom was that when he went down, in the cruelest of nationally-televised-against-the-Miami-Heat ironies, the Celtics would be forced to blow up the team, trading Pierce and Garnett, ending an era, and entering re-building mode.
Rondo's teammates played that game with no knowledge of his injury. They won in double OT. Paul Pierce was informed of Rondo's injury by Doris Burke during the post-game interview.
Since Rondo's injury, the Celtics have played 6 games, and are undefeated.
How can this be? Ah yes, it all comes full circle. Remember how Rondo achieved the starting point guard job in 2007-2008? How he basically backed into it? No one had much faith in his ability to succeed, and many had faith that the Celtics would essentially be a 3-man team.
Rondo's overall numbers that season were not terrible, by any means, but they were not incredibly spectacular, either. KG was (essentially) healthy the entire season, the only season since he joined Boston he has been able to accomplish that feat. Pierce became the cold-blooded, clutch-time, Bird-esque finisher Celtic's fans had always hoped he would be, and Ray Allen was the dignified elder statesmen who seemingly shot 95% from beyond the arc. KG's killer instinct and swagger wore off on Rondo, and it was a frequent sight to see KG playing the big brother, patting his head, getting in his ear, and generally firing him up.
After that glorious 2008 Finals series, and having spent a year under the tutelage of the Big Three, version 2.0, Rondo began to grow in confidence. KG and Doc both publicly stated, by 2010, that the Celtics were Rondo's team. Those doubts about Rondo's abilities had evaporated. He was the future of the franchise, the superstar on a squad full of them, the prototypical point guard that made his teammates better.
So how is it possible that the aging Celtics, who were a sub-.500 team this season while Rondo played, are now 6-0 in his absence, and have an overall winning percentage above .500?
Because we were wrong about Rajon Rondo. He is NOT the prototypical point guard that makes his teammates better.
Think about it. When you have guys like Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce at the receiving end of your passes, you are bound to have high assist totals. When Kevin Garnett, 2008 Defensive Player of the Year and multi-time 1st Team All-NBA Defensive Team member is orchestrating the defense behind you, you are bound to look better than you otherwise would on that end.
My second Rondo theory is this: Rondo is made better by Paul Pierce and KG, not the other way around. How else could the Celtic suffer this supposedly team-crippling loss and go 6-0 since? Because the Celtics still have their best player and their heart and soul on the court. I would go so far as to say that Rondo was created by KG. He is KG's point guard, warts and all.
We were just wrong about Rajon Rondo. He is an excellent point guard, but we were putting him in the discussion with Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Steve Nash for best point guard in the league. This simply isn't so. Those guys make their teams better, Nash's current season notwithstanding. What would happen if Rondo was traded to Indiana, for example? Would they immediately improve? Honestly?
Don't get me wrong. I love Rondo, in all his triple-doubling, ref-bumping, trick-shooting glory. I would be absolutely crestfallen if he were traded. Part of his charm lies in his flaws. He may not be the best point guard, but he is our point guard, and we* feel like he loves being a Celtic.That counts for a lot. I am completely convinced that we could not get equal value for him in a trade, and believe that it would literally KILL Kevin Garnett if Rondo were to be traded.
Rajon Rondo is probably my team's most exciting player. This causes me tremendous pain.
*a term used as a synonym for the Dodgers, the Celtics, and the Vikings. I have earned the right to call us "we", even though I have no membership on any of those teams, nor can I make any impact on any of their games. Except that I can. If you don't get it, you never will.
So how is it possible that the aging Celtics, who were a sub-.500 team this season while Rondo played, are now 6-0 in his absence, and have an overall winning percentage above .500?
Because we were wrong about Rajon Rondo. He is NOT the prototypical point guard that makes his teammates better.
Think about it. When you have guys like Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce at the receiving end of your passes, you are bound to have high assist totals. When Kevin Garnett, 2008 Defensive Player of the Year and multi-time 1st Team All-NBA Defensive Team member is orchestrating the defense behind you, you are bound to look better than you otherwise would on that end.
My second Rondo theory is this: Rondo is made better by Paul Pierce and KG, not the other way around. How else could the Celtic suffer this supposedly team-crippling loss and go 6-0 since? Because the Celtics still have their best player and their heart and soul on the court. I would go so far as to say that Rondo was created by KG. He is KG's point guard, warts and all.
We were just wrong about Rajon Rondo. He is an excellent point guard, but we were putting him in the discussion with Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Steve Nash for best point guard in the league. This simply isn't so. Those guys make their teams better, Nash's current season notwithstanding. What would happen if Rondo was traded to Indiana, for example? Would they immediately improve? Honestly?
Don't get me wrong. I love Rondo, in all his triple-doubling, ref-bumping, trick-shooting glory. I would be absolutely crestfallen if he were traded. Part of his charm lies in his flaws. He may not be the best point guard, but he is our point guard, and we* feel like he loves being a Celtic.That counts for a lot. I am completely convinced that we could not get equal value for him in a trade, and believe that it would literally KILL Kevin Garnett if Rondo were to be traded.
Rajon Rondo is probably my team's most exciting player. This causes me tremendous pain.
*a term used as a synonym for the Dodgers, the Celtics, and the Vikings. I have earned the right to call us "we", even though I have no membership on any of those teams, nor can I make any impact on any of their games. Except that I can. If you don't get it, you never will.
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