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Bill Simmons Is Ready To Trade Rajon Rondo

Sounds like Bill Simmons is about ready to step off the Rajon Rondo bandwagon. (If anyone's curious, I'm still on board and have no intention of falling off).

Simmons: Rondo needs a change of scenery - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

I'm fine with leaving off Rajon Rondo (or Kyrie Irving, or the rejuvenated Brandon Jennings) because [the Eastern Conference is] loaded at point already with Rose and Williams, even if Rondo is averaging a 14-10-5, shooting 50 percent from the field and still giving us those one-of-a-kind Rondo highlights. Am I slowly coming to the realization that I've been in deep denial about the Rondo era? Yeah, a little bit. Any smart team (like the Lakers last night) plays six feet off Rondo in tight games, daring him to shoot, paralyzing Boston's offense and leading to the dreaded "Clogged Toilet" play (Pierce ending up with the ball 25 feet from the hoop with seven seconds left trying to create something). It's almost like playing with a handicap. Screw that, it IS like playing with a handicap. It's also curious that the Celtics came alive defensively when Rondo missed eight games, mostly thanks to Avery Bradley, who flashed Tony Allen/Bruce Bowen-type potential as a perimeter defender (and that's not hyperbole).5 For the first time, I find myself hoping they deal Rondo — for instance, maybe it could be a three-teamer with Pau Gasol and Keyon Dooling going to Houston; Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Kyle Lowry and L.A.'s 2012 no. 1 going to Boston; and Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal going to the Lakers. He needs a change of scenery, and really, so might Celtics fans. I can't watch another 84-82 game with his guy playing five feet off him. I really can't. Enough already.

So what do you think? Would you want to trade Rondo? Would that deal he proposed interest you?

0 recs  |  98 comments

Comments

Not for that package

Only if Gasol came back. Simmons’ own theories (you want the dollar bill, not the handful of change) should guide him.

ummm

lowry/dragic/scola >>>>>>> Pau Gasol

Scola is a whole lot better than a lot of people give him credit for. Very good defensive player.

Trading Rondo has certainly become a viable option recently, but that’s a horrible trade.

+1

Let the season play out. Trade all players off season. The more we lose the better our draft pick.

I am not excited about that deal, but I am not excited with more ball-stopping on the offensive end, bad passing judgments and poor defense. That was one of Rondo’s worst performances in recent memory last night: His unwillingness to defend and his poor decision-making with the basketball had as much to losing two substantial leads last night as the rebounding.

If the right deal is there, I’m done. Move him.

+1
What's this?

Cowardice.

1. KG goes 6-23 from the field and can’t rebound.
2. O neal can’t score or rebound.
3. Pierce has a hard time scoring on Artest
4. Lakers get 4 free throws for each free throw we get.
5. As for defense, I didn’t see Fisher score many points (but I don’t have a lot of complaints on Bradley don’t get me wrong.)

Seems like similar formula to what lost us game 7.

Rondo is shooting better than 50% from the field and this is somehow all Rondo’s fault and everyone is panicking??

I still say big 3 goes before Rondo does, but we’ll see.

If we trade Rondo, I want to see Howard or Deron coming back. not Scola and what’s his name.

whats his name

kyle lowry 14.7 ppg 5.6 rpg 7.6 apg 2 spg not to mention dragic and scola its a nice deal

Exactly

Finally someone with some sense.

Exactly

For one: Bill Simmons, though entertaining, is a moron when it comes to anything on the business end of basketball. He’s a chicken little, plain and is simple.

I am also sick to death coming to this blog after every single loss and reading 72 different comments and blogs from people saying this team is washed up and they have come up with the miracle solution to get us back on track! We have won 9 of our last 11 games, and both losses were by one point. Come off it!

Rondo was not the problem last night. KG had his worst shooting game in eight years. PP want much better. And he picked up his dribble outside the 3-pt line! One of the worst things to do in basketball!

Don’t trade any of the Core Four. And never take Simmons seriously ever. Ever!

why do you think nobody else could score?

because rondo’s man could freelance and not guard him. He cant shoot to start with and under pressure its 10 times worse. Do you really think the lakers would want to trade gasol for this bum after watching last night?! LOL

This

Is the only viable post I see.

If anything, you fools should be saying “KG?!?!? Trade him!!!!” who the hell goes
6 for 23 and doesn’t get blamed for that loss. I’m sorry – don’t get me wrong I love KG but take 5 shots out of his hand and in ANY other Celtic and we woulda won. So to blame rondo – it shows you know nothing of basketball.

If I remember, I saw rondo hit 2-3 of his open jumpers, a three (didn’t count) and only miss ONE jumper. If I recall he also hit 2/2 on free throws. So to whoever blames rondo, is a fool. That play that pierce messed up (I love pierce more than any other player) was a pierce mistake. Pierce didn’t pass to a wide open Allen – again not rondos fault.

I did not see the toronto game but I don’t care, saying Rondo stalls our offense is an ill represented bandwagon not knowing fan. Rondo is the reason for our ONLY fast break points.

Now – I’m not saying done trade him if there is something worth while like d-will or d-Howard. But no one is going to do that to begin with. So as far as I’m concerned, this convo is over (BTW rondo is like 26, he can still develope his jump shot more like he has EACH year so far)

REALISTIC TRADE

RONDO, JO FOR GASOL, Laker 2012 1st
BASS, DOOLING, LA 1st, LAC 1st for DRAGIC, C.LEE, J.HILL
Starters, KG, GASOL, PIERCE, ALLEN, DRAGIC
Bench, HILL, STIEMSMA, WILCOX, JJJ, PIETRUS, C.LEE,MOORE,BRADLEY,PAVLOVIC,DANIELS

FORGOT to mention trade with bass, dooling is houston.
Dumb!

If he is not a good fit for some games then don’t play him in those games, but there will be plenty of games where you will need rondo. If you feel like he’s hurting you againt teams like the lakers, sit him out. Simple. When you need him against teams like the heat, play him. I think that trading rondo will hurt our season the same way that trading Perkins hurt our season.

We can't play him against the Heat either

Mike Bibby was doing a decent job defending him before the elbow injury. MIKE BIBBY.

trading perkins only had positive impact on last year!

I am so sick of hearing people whine about perkins. They cant stand him on OKC!

It was a mental impact

We all saw that.

Agree

With Koz and Coach above. Not against moving him, but not for that.

No way...

Yes, Rondo needs people around him to be effective. But when they’re knocking down shots and able to run with him, his team is hard to beat. It’s too bad the Big 3 are in decline while he is in his prime.

I think people will sorely miss Rondo when he is gone. I am 28, and played the position – I have never seen a point guard like him. He is a True PG and I will miss watching him in Green if they trade him.

Key is guys who run

Jeff Green would have been great. KG, Paulie and Raymond, not so much.

i love rondo ,always will ..

but kobe didnt even guard him last night trade rondo for a good big or a shooting PG

im all in for a rondo & ellis swap or a lowry & rondo swap

YA

as long as we get a point guard back as good as him but not if were gonna let a bum like bradley start

Do it with your eyes closed if...

Houston sends us their first rounder. I couldn’t agree more with Simmons. I’ve been daying the exact same thing for a while now.

saying*
However,

Don’t trade with LA! We don’t make deals with LA!

Jesus Christ!

You would think he is a horrible player! He, IMO, played a good game last night when KG was shooting bricks all night. Overreact much?

No, same old problems

They just happen to repeatedly show up against good teams and disappear against bad teams.

if KG made half the shots he took

Rondo ends up with like 15 assists, and he’s awesome.

Thank You

These people are dramatic.

Except

You forget to mention that the reason that the Big 3 struggle is because they had to shoot against double teams. Again, Bryant was playing off him and helping double team the people that can hurt them from outside.

Forget for a second about Rondo, they were playing on offense 4 vs 5 last night . That will make anyone struggled.

Then that is doc's fault

For not taking him out the game and putting e’twan in the game. Not a reason for him to be traded.

5 on 3, actully

Because the can sag on JO as well. Perks gone, the problem remains.

Yet rondo dropped his ...

Wide open jump shots? And missed like 1 of 3 or 4 jump shots? But yeah, the player who runs the offense and made shots and had more points than a 6/23 Garnett is to blame.

KG had to shoot from 25ft because rondo’s man was clogging the paint!

kg would shoot that anyways…… That doesn’t matter at all. That’s all KG shoots. Or did you miss his lay ups he blew inches away from the rim?

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees

We need to do something with this team and Rondo is our chip… He has been “Houdini” on the court… It breaks your heart and you want to throw something at your television or he will make an incredible play… either way… he is not the one to bring us another championship team and we need to start putting pieces together once the big 3 wave bye bye

Nobody wanted to trade Paul pierce

When he was playing like crap. How are you guys fans? One loss, by one point, and we’re back to trade him!!! Come on man!

Agreed

We all need to calm down. Even if we do trade him, it would be wise to be patient.

Rondo is not Paul... please don't put them in the same class
Not this trade.

I like Rondo but I’d deal him in the right situation. I’d deal Paul Pierce or anybody else in the right situation. That means making us better after this season.

If you believe you’re not a title contender then you should focus on whatever you need to do to get you there. I don’t believe we’re a title contender.

A team can win an NBA title with Rondo as it’s PG. It already has and had there not been injuries he might have more then one. A team cannot win a title with Rondo as it’s best player and that is the case with these Celtics. He’s not necessarily the problem. The problem to me is people around here want him to be a franchise player. That’s not him. He’s a building block not the center piece.

.

+1

Very good point.

Does the block fit?

Im not seeing that it does. His song is Born to Run, the Jurassic 3s is Slow Train through Georgia.

also....

If KG, Pierce, JO and Allen were 30 rather then 35+ Rondo wouldn’t be an issue because they’d hit enough shots created by Rondo through the first 43 minutes to make the last 5 minutes garbage time in most games against everybody in the NBA right now.

This team is more attractive to potential FA"s with Rondo(and Pierce for that matter) then it is with Avery Bradley and the old folks home.

One point loss!

Calm down! He hit his shot, in the paint, when the clock was winding down when everybody else was shooting bricks ant 40 foot three point attempts.

Better option!!

Just posted in the fan post, Not yet convinced. check it out, LMK what you think.

Only If you are blowing it up

I would only trade Rondo if i was going to blow up the rest of the season. I would not want Pau to be apart of the deal to the lakers His salary would only hurt our cap space and our chance to retool

Worst celtics fans

EVER!

let me look down at my feet before i take this 16 foot jumper

rondo is only comfortable shooting off a standing dribble move and is NOWHERE close to a true PG
watch his decision making on the break if he doesnt score going to the rim it usually ends up a turnover
this deal wouldnt bother me at all

I think Bill Simmons can read my mind.

I think Simmons needs a change of scenery
hilarious

TRADE RONDO, AND LET BRADLEY WHO CANT DRIBBLE, SHOOT, OR PASS, THE GUY AVERAGES 3 PTS AND 1 ASSIST A GAME. WHAT YOU THINKS GONNA HAPPEN WHEN HES OUT THERE. BRADLEY IS THE WORST OFFEBNSIVE POINT GUARD IN THE HISTORY OF BASKETBALL AND IVE SEEN MANY PLAYERS AND GAMES. YA WE WON BUT PP WAS RUNNING THE PG NOT THAT SORRY ASS BRADLEY. HE IF WASN’T GOOD ON DEFENSE HE WOULD NEVER SEEN MINUTES IN THIS LEAGUE. YA THATS WHO WE WANT RUNNING OUR TEAM SOMEONE 100 TIMES WORST THAN RONDO, GO CELTICS MAKE MORE STUPID MOVES LIKE YOU HAVE THE LAST TWO YEARS. COULDN’T BE WE LOST BECAUSE KG MISSED 12 STRAIGHT SHOTS, NO WAY. OR PP CAN SCORE ON THE BUMS BUT WHEN A CHALLENCE COMES HE LOOKS AS DUMB AS BRADLEY ON OFFENSE, YET ALONE THE OLDER THAN DIRT J.O. RONDO HAS BEEN FANTASTIC SINCE HE BEEN BACK EXCEPT THIS GAME.

YOU MUST NOT HAVE NOTICED THE STARTING POINT GUARD COMING BACK IN THE DEAL
We lost because of

Our rebounding, not boxing out, and missed shots by Kevin garnett.

Not because of

RONDO!!!

These two posts...

Are the truth. We lost because of wide open missed jumpers by KG and the like 30 tip ins by gasol and Bynum aka not boxing out.

Yes and No

Part of the reason The Fakirs were in a position to snitch the win was 1) being able to sag of Rondo 2) his walking up/ dribble down the shot clock so sets start late and 3) several egregious TOs that led to LA hoops that kept the game close. Cant say none of that mattered.

All of that has been going on for a while.

sweet

my bad for a minute i thought i read something about bradley but ok

Its bill simmons trade idea

same as hollinger’s ranking of teams— things that not worth much thinking.

If I may interject...

Simmons is wrong. Every smart team does not play six feet off Rondo. No other team besides LA does. Most teams can’t.

The Lakers can because they have Kobe covering him a lot of the time with 2 (!) very long defenders backing him up. Because of that Rondo can’t drive once the LA defense is set. Most teams don’t even have one guy as long as Gasol or Bynum.

Also, the reason this works for LA is not Rondo, it’s Jermaine. The LA center sags away from JO because he doesn’t score and lean towards taking away the drive from Rondo and Pierce.

The Celts didn’t lose that game last night due to Rondo. They lost because KG and Pierce shot unusually poorly, Pierce made a few bad decisions late, and the team only shot 5 free throws the whole game.

Give Rondo some athletes to run with and Bill Simmons will change his tune.

Thanks for being Celtics fans everybody.

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny Mike Brown didn’t defend Rondo this way his entire time in Cleveland, but suddenly figured it out when he went to LA. It had nothing at all to do with personnel. Please people move back from the ledge and get a grip.

when Lebron guards Rondo, he usually does play off him actually..
Yes.

Just like any trade, it would take the right deal. But I have to admit to thinking the same exact thing after last night’s game. In crunch time and OT, the celtics offense was awful. Rondo might as well not been on the court, and the team was playing 4 on 5 on offense. That can’t work. And maybe during the regular season, most teams won’t play Rondo like the lakers did. But come playoffs, the better teams will. Also, this team isn’t the right fit for Rondo. how many times do the celtics get a rebound or turnover, get the ball to Rondo, and you see him flying up the court with no one else running with him. I love Rondo, he is so much fun to watch, and when the game is being played a certain way, he is as good as any point guard in the league. But when the game slows down, in crunch time, he just is not effective. If the right deal is there, I would make it.

He needs runners

Jeff Green in that respect was the right idea.

I still like a trade with the Suns better

In which we send Rondo, Jermaine, and let’s add Moore and Daniels, and we get in return Nash, Gortat, Hill, and isn’t Aaron Brooks one of those free agents coming back from China? I think he’s a RFA for the Suns, so we could get him in that deal as well.

Boston: Nash, Gortat, Hill, Brooks
Suns: Moore, Rondo, Jermaine, Daniels

so you are gonna take all of the suns best players

and give them rondo and scrubs….is this…fair?

Yes

The Suns aren’t rebuilding around Gortat and Brooks. Rondo fits the run and gun offense they play perfectly and they can put pieces around him throuh the draft. We get a solid center with a great contract and we’d actually have even more money to spend this or next summer.

And we get Nash, and a PG in Brooks who’s had success in the NBA before.

right i see every way this works for you

its the suns being shafted that i dont think is fun. You have literally taken the 3 most productive players off that team, a young possible future pg in brooks, and give them rondo and expect the suns will say “Hey sure, its not like we ever wanna win or anything”.

You would at least have to throw in like a a future pick or something…..sort of like, suns you help us win now, and we give you a pick so you can win later….thats kinda how these things are supposed to work…u know….in the interest of being fair…

Nash and Hill are old!!

In the long run, this trade will end up being a Gortat for Rondo swap. But if they nclude Brooks, then it’s fair for both sides. They gotta let Nash go and blow it up, rebuild through the draft, Rondo is an all-star caliber player who fits their systemperfectly, it’s fair.

so it will be fair in two years

Its definetly not fair now, and yea, the suns system is steve nash, unless rondo suddenly learns how to spread the floor with his jumper hes not going to fit right into the system. Steve nash is playing as good as he was during his mvp year, grant hill is regarded as one of the better wing defenders. I agree they gotta rebuild and let nash go, but they are better off keeping brooks and gortat and building from their as opposed to aquiring rondo and scrubs….

When is the trade period?

Silly question, but when is the trade period/deadline?

i got you

Feb 26:th All-Star Game (in a shortened All-Star weekend)
Mar 15:th at 3 PM ET Trade Deadline (thanks to Brizzle)
Apr 26:th End of the Regular Season
Apr 28:th Start of the Playoff
May 30:th Draft Lottery
Jun 26:th Last possible NBA Finals date
Jun 28:th The Draft (thanks to Brizzle)
July 1st – 10:th 2012 Moratorium Period
July 11:th Team may begin signing Free agents

naaaahh...

not gonna happen guys..at least for this season i guess…

Not for the deal Simmons is proposing

And although I am starting to allow myself to criticize Rondo, but I still have no agenda for trading him YET. He’s still incredibly valuable, and much more valuable than a top half’s team 1st rounder.

how's rondo doing tonight against the raptors?

dann tried to trade him and no one wanted him. he plays occasional defense and he can’t shoot. he can rebound and pass the ball and when he puts his mind to it he can be the best player on the floor but right now he’s not that guy

He's playing awful

3 pts and 5 to’s.. Not to good. I don’t want to trade him, but if we want to make it to the finals, he’s our only trading chip, so we may need too… He won’t be shit when the big three are gone.

Oh

And ony 3 assists….

I don't want to trade him

But I would for the right deal, and that deal is awful. I would want one or two solid players instead of 3 or for fill ins.

Move him

Rondo is so overrated on this blog. He played out of his mind in 09, especially in the playoffs and everyone wants to put him in the Rose, Williams, Paul category. Sorry, not happening! He is good, he is quick, when he wants to be, long arms, steals and boards, when he wants to, but he has no significant offensive go to move. This is something this years team needs more than ever and he can’t supply that. We need a big that will offensive board and that you can run offense through in the post. We get killed on the glass, we forget about offensive rebounds and have no inside game whatsoever. We may have been able to win with jump shots and terrific defense 4 years ago but we don’t have that anymore. We need to be able to work it inside and to do that Ainge has to get the personnel. Rondo is his best asset to move. Plus now it seems he is in one of his moods since he wasn’t picked for the all star game. As an aside, Scola is very underrated and Lowry is becoming a superb all around point. Just saying. If I was looking at Nash, I would want Phoenix pick unprotected in the upcoming draft and pray it could end up top 4.

only way i trade rondo

is if deron williams and dwight howard are already signed as celtics. then id trade rondo for best young player(s) i could get

Has he Checked Out?

If he feels the team is going nowhere, he may decide to coast, in which case he’s a liability. Not to mention the water already gone under the bridge. No idea what his value is, but it might be time to think about working the phones.

I honestly think a championship contender can be built around Rondo

but I like the trade. Lowry is almost as good as Rondo, and Dragic + Scola is a huge boost.

R.Rondo for J.Lin :D
What I really dislike about Rondo is

He hasn’t improved in 3 years. During that time, you can at least improve your FTs significantly. If anything, he’s regressed. This guy has reached his ceiling. Trade him and get something good in return while you still can.

Regressed?

I didn’t know shooting above 50% was regressing… I didn’t know that rondo has always been able to go 2/2 at the line like he did against the lakers.. I remember when we were lucky to get rondo to make a free throw.. Or willing to take one jumper… Yet now he takes 2-3 a game and hits 2-3 a game instead of taking none… Hm that’s not an improvement at all, your right.

but, it's a problem when

Your point guard is not a threat. It does handicap the team. Compound that with hit or miss passing efficiency and we might as well be playing with the moore/bradley combo. Now if Rondo would make it up in his mind that he’s gonna take over the game at certain points, so with a couple of minutes left, this team would be fearsome. Sometimes its like theres too many hands in the pot for this team

I don't read this blog

………as often as I used to and it has nothing to do with Jeff. I get so tired that after every loss, it’s time to trade someone. ……………………… fill in the blank with a name and ………… fill this with a complaint and let’s trade the bum. BUM?? Yes, a Celtic poster actually refered to Rondo as a bum! Another thinks he has regressed in his talents. Are you kidding me?? I think we need to ship him off to LA for 73 year old Derek Fisher. Rondo? NO, I MEANT THE PERSON WHO POSTED SUCH NONSENSE!!!!!!!!

Agreed my friend.

+100000

Wait a second....

When did Bill Simmons become relevant again? Who cares what he thinks.

Rondo not backing up his words that much is clear

Anyone remember these Rondo gems???

“I feel I’m the best at what I do, and that’s how I play it," Rondo told the Boston Herald. "People know who I am, but that’s not why I play. I play to be the best.

"I’m the best, hands down. There’s no speculation. Not top three or top five, I’m the best."

Doc Rivers isn’t as worried about motivation. "He’ll always have a chip,’’ Rivers said. "People still want to see him make shots. He didn’t make the Olympic team this year. He probably wants to do that. He’s so young, Rondo has a lot of things to prove.’’

Rondo agrees. "This team, it’s impossible to get comfortable,’’ Rondo said. "You’ve got plenty of All-Stars on the team, four future Hall of Famers. I made one All-Star appearance. I haven’t done anything. Maybe if I was the only guy on the Celtics that made the All-Star team I could maybe relax a little bit, but on this team, it’s impossible.’’

"I’m not looking to be the best one year or to have people think you’re the best one year,’’ Rondo continued. "You’ve got to prove it every night. Every night somebody’s going to be gunning for that spot.’’

Bill Simmons is a whiner

Whenever he talks about being a Celtics fan it always seems very rehearsed and self conscious, like it’s just part of his schtick being on the radio. He’s entertaining to listen to I’ll give him that, but definitely not someone who I put a lot of stock in his opinions on the Celtics

RONDO IS ONE OF THE BEST POINT GUARD IN THE NBA PRIOR TO HIS INJURIES. LATELY WHEN EVER HE RUN THE GAME ITS SEEMS THAT HE LACK VITALITY AND VIGOR SO AS HIS OTHER TEAM PLAYERS.HE IS SECOND TO STEVE NAS IN ASSISTS BUT AWFUL IN OUTSIDE SHOOTING AND FREE THROWS. MAYBE DOC RIVERS SHOULD GIVE AVERY BRADLEY THE CHANCE TO BE THE STARTING POINT GUARD AS EVIDENCED BY THE 5 WINS THE CELTICS HAD WHEN RONDO WAS INJURED. ITS TIME DOC TO GIVE BRADLEY ONE MORE CHANCE TO BE THE STARTING PG .WITH RONDO AND MOORE AS RESERVE.

Utah

is the logical place for a trade

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