Even if he doesn't want to label it a slump, that's what it is.
Rajon Rondo needs to recover - BostonHerald.com
"To his credit, at halftime he said, ‘Man, I’m playing like crap.’ And I said, ‘That’s fine, but keep playing,’ " Rivers said. "Even if you don’t play well, it can’t affect your energy and your effort, because everyone is always watching on your team." The problem is Rondo only got marginally better. He wasn’t particularly effective during the Celtics’ Thursday night loss to the Lakers, either, though he didn’t want to entertain a suggestion that he’s in the midst of a slump. "That’s you guys’ opinions," he said. "In my mind it is what it is. I just didn’t play well. I think I’m physically all right. I wouldn’t be playing if I wasn’t. The wrist is fine. I’ve started to play a lot of minutes but regardless."
A lot of folks are quick to toss Rondo under the bus and/or offer him up in trade. I still see a guy that will figure things out and get back to being dominant again. I'll write more on this later, but Rondo has always been an enigma, perhaps even to himself. He'll get things going again.
0 recs | 38 comments
So Rondo is going to come back and be dominant again?
That was two years ago. For a short time. He is what he is. A very good player, even an all star. But he is not going to be consistently dominant. He lacks the complete skill set. He cannot score the ball well enough to be in the elite class of players. He actually at times hurts our offense because he won’t try to score. Plus you throw in the moodiness and playing when he feels like it. He was a key part of a well oiled machine the last four years but far from dominant.
celty86 - February 11, 2012
his just great in assist but not good in creating his own shoots especially his jumpshooting and FT shooting.
reb0undwins18 - February 11, 2012
"Consistently dominant"?
Rondo is “inconsistent.” Always was, always will be.
When he feels like it, he can be the best player in the game … for 7 minutes at a time.
As soon as his ego is satisfied, the motor turns off. He’s just another talented but inconsistent player. It didn’t surprise me when I heard he’s pals with J Smoove. Birds of a feather.
Eeyore III - February 11, 2012
His Enigma(ness) is why I would trade him if Danny can get the right players back
Not sure who those players are, though
vinnie - February 11, 2012
I think I'd give him time
He played well in the first two games after a long lay off where he reportedly couldn’t even pick up a basketball let alone practice or shoot. Everybody was willing to give Pierce a month’s worth of bad play to get back into shape. Rondo probably needs a few more games to get back to playing as well as he can.
CelticsFanNC - February 11, 2012
Huh? He played like crap his first game back against the Knicks
vinnie - February 11, 2012
personally
I thought he played pretty well in his first two games back after a long lay off but the past two he played poorly. Pierce played poorly for about a month but when anyone suggested trading him they got crucified around here. I’m just saying he probably need more time to get his game back.
CelticsFanNC - February 11, 2012
play better rondo and improve your free throw shooting and jumpshots your still a traid bait.
reb0undwins18 - February 11, 2012
trade i mean.
reb0undwins18 - February 11, 2012
Rondo simply is not elite
Rondo is a very good PG no question about it. However he is not elite which he and many others thought he would become by this point in his career. When Rondo sulked and his play dropped after the Perk trade it was definitely a sign. When Danny tried to trade him this offseason many here figured it would affect Rondo.
He just hasn’t improved in key areas enough to take his game up to being elite. He can be tremendous defensively but still gets out of position often due to his gambling style. He is a great assist man but also seems to make terrible decisions at the worst possible times. He goes through games where he seems disinterested and the offense becomes stagnant. His 3 point shooting and free shooting are absolutely horrific.
There were times when it was an interesting debate about whether Rondo was the best PG in the league, or at they very least a top 5 player. Don’t hear too much about anymore about Rondo being on that level.
warnerjohn - February 11, 2012
Amazing
Rr hasn’t improved one part of his game in the past few years
vgarcia890 - February 11, 2012
confident jump shooting, free throws, smart pass > flashy pass
I know he’s put a lot of work into improving, guy is still a trip dub threat every night. I’m starting to wonder if he’ll ever be able to correct the holes in his game, though.
NYDan - February 11, 2012
rondo is absolutely an elite point guard
the problem is that he’s doing a lot to justify that injury prone label as well. it makes me nervous to think his style of play is catching up to him already at this young age.
JunkyardDawg - February 11, 2012
I just don't think you can apply the term "elite" to him
Very good, but not elite. Too many flaws
vinnie - February 11, 2012
Rondo will bounce back, maybe even on Sunday against the Bulls
He was actually playing well early in the game against the Lakers and then in the 2nd half he, along with the rest of the Celtics, could not execute at all. Saying that Rondo’s lack of a consistent jump shot was the reason they lost that game is being very selective with the blame. The Celtics not boxing anyone out and giving up so many rebounds, losing so many of the 50/50 plays was a bigger reason.
He was bad against the Raptors, no question about that. I’m confident he’ll round back into shape though. The intelligence and determination he’s shown throughout his career up until this point are the reason I’ve got faith in him as a player. He may not end up as a Celtics but people are definitely under valuing him at this moment.
I really think that his free throw shooting is the biggest weakness in his game much more so than his jump shot. Him being a reluctant shooter, pass-first PG is probably not going to change considerably. However, I think it’s definitely within his power to improve his offensive game driving to the basket and to make a higher percentage (say 70%) of his free throws when he gets fouled.
A lot of times, when he’s in the paint he’ll make a shot that you didn’t know was even in his repertoire. In the time he’s been a Celtic his own offensive game has not been a huge point of emphasis nor should it be when his teammates are Pierce and Allen and he excels as a passer.
Now the Celtics are at a stage where Rondo needs to be more of a scorer and I don’t think anyone believes this means he needs to become a knock-down jump shooter. As he showed in earlier games this season where the Celtics were struggling, he can be a scorer if he needs to be. The more time he spends carrying more of this burden the better he’ll get at it.
He’s got weaknesses in his game, true, but he’s also not earning a max contract and at his current salary he’s a steal.
BlackMass - February 11, 2012
probably he will bounce back but right now what we need is consistency.
reb0undwins18 - February 11, 2012
I think his trade value has diminished considerably, unfortunately, and I think he will need to be traded eventually.
jurrasicearl - February 11, 2012 via mobile
Rondo is a very good player, but he’s not D. Rose. However, he is an excellent player.
That said, do you guys think he’s good complement for the Big Three as they currently are (not as they were)? I mean, if Danny keeps the Three together, is RR the best pg for that dynamic?
My feeling is that, psychologically, the Big Three play lazier ball with Rondo on the floor (expecting he’ll bring the energy). When Rondo was younger (and the big three were younger) the Big Three may not have allowed themselves to be as reliant on Rondo’s energy.
With Bradley, the Big Three might step up their collective game.
In short, who gets the Big Three to play at their best?
What if we could trade Rondo for a decent second tier (just below all-star) center and a top fifteen first rnd pick?
Again, I like Rondo a lot.
avery_t - February 11, 2012
Maybe if Jeff green signs with another team Danny could trade rondo for green next year.
jurrasicearl - February 11, 2012 via mobile
Rondos only weakness is his jumper and free throws. Every year he makes the all defensive team. Every night he could have a triple double maybe 5 guards in the league can say that. There is not a more complete guard then him in the league when it comes to triple double. Also RR can score when needed he’s proved that by putting up over 30 several times this year. Don’t trade him!
Blackberry33 - February 11, 2012 via mobile
"Every night he could have a triple double"
… yet he doesn’t. That’s the problem right there.
In fact, a lot of nights his stat line is like last night: lousy. Total inconsistency. Not the player a team wants to re-build around.
Eeyore III - February 11, 2012
He averages 13 points 5 boards and 10 assists per game this year so yes every night he’s close to a triple double. Half the time he has more boards then Kg.
Blackberry33 - February 11, 2012 via mobile
Don't trade Rondo
I agree with the post. It’s ridiculous no one has ANY patience this year for ANYONE. He didn’t play very well for two games inside of one 24 hour period, that’s all.
p-peazy - February 11, 2012
It's not about just two games
I’ve been slowly losing patience with him for a while now. I used to love Rondo but at this point I’ve had it with him. I don’t see how you can not be sick of him. He’s been doing the same annoying stuff for ages now. It’s also different now the Cs now have Bradley and Moore to step in.
garz - February 11, 2012
Just make him come off the Bench for a couple of games. Make him earn his worth again. It usually takes adversity and trials to bring put the best in people. If he fails to live upto that challenge the trade him. Keep a close eye on the knicks I have a feeling they are going to look for a way to unload Melo if he doesnt fit into Jeremy Lin’s Knicks.
The green mamba - February 11, 2012 via mobile
Jeremy Lin’s Knicks... lol
Sad, but true. Lin is the Knicks right now and he’s riding the Tim Tebow wave right now. His somewhat rise to relevancy is great, but as the season moves and the Knicks play better defensive teams, Lin’s fire will flame-out.
KWW - February 11, 2012
So your telling me youd rather have the knicks without Lin but with Melo? Hmmmmm….someone doesnt watch a lot of basketball. Yes Lin’s isnt goit to score 38 pts a game all the time thats going to be because Amare’s going to carry some of the scoring load due to teams will be putting double teams on Lin which would open up everybody else. But what boggles me is your logic that seems your downplaying the kids skill set. Lets see you play the Lakers and score 38.
The green mamba - February 11, 2012 via mobile
And exactly how do you know that Lin will flame out??
missyP - February 11, 2012
Team plays with no urgency
The Celtics are currently 14-12 and starting to look like the same team from the beginning of the regular season. They must know they’re in Ainge’s dog-house as far as trade bait and they’re playing as if there’s no problems. You can see it in their body language no sense of urgency.
I get this a veteran team, but is it difficult to compete every night. Grab rebounds, box-out opposing teams, reduce turnovers, stop settling for jumpers and drive to the hoop that’s all we’re asking for at least I am.
KWW - February 11, 2012
Its hard if your coach keeps playing the vets like they were 23 years old. Trust me when you hit 30 your body dont bounce back the same when you were in you 20’s. All we need is doc to trust the bench a little more.
The green mamba - February 11, 2012 via mobile
Not the right time to pick on him really
His career as a whole putss him one of the top group of pg’s.
The issue with Rondo is he can’t hit outside shots and is weak at the line.
It doesn’t matter what we think…it matters what opposing coaches DO. They study the films of rondo and this is what they do:
They don’t cover him. Watch the games or, read the commentators who do.
Laker’s Jackson and now Brown build the LA defense against the Celtics by “giving” Rondo all the outside shots he wants.
This hurts the Celtics in the long run and is why Ainge may trade him.
The opposing defense collapses on the remaining 4 Celtics. Hey, they’ve won a ton of games with the guy but, this puts a lot of weight on the rest of the team.
He has come out of these slumps before and will again.
tstorey1 - February 11, 2012
Rondo plays excellent for a guy with his flaws
I remember three years back when other GMs and players around the league (CP3 for example) would critique Rondo and say he does well because of the HOFs who surround him, otherwise the guy can’t shoot to save a team…and we would take offense here on Celticsblog.
So lately I have tried to put all passion aside and look at Rondo like I am an opposing player who is going to guard him.
Rondo is an excellent one man fast break, and can see every corner of the court..and those are his ONLY strengths.
As long as he is not penetrating the key and dishing, you have nothing to worry about. He still can’t make a jumper to make anyone pay for playing off of him. He can’t make his free throws. And on a night when those HOFs are missing their jumpers (which has become their style of play lately).. Rondo become useless.
I would say TRADE him before his value goes too low, or play E’Twaun Moore at end of games where opposing players have to guard him.
missyP - February 11, 2012
There are clearly deficiencies in Rondo's game but his value is only going to increase
that is, until he hits the age of the big 3 currently.
People who say that Rondo will never improve and trade him now because his value will only decrease are mistaken. The truth is, no one knows how he’ll be able to improve as he matures and no one knows to what degree he’ll be able to remedy the deficiencies in his game.
I think it’s undeniable that he’ll be a better player in 3 years time, just by virtue of the added experience in the NBA. I think it’s also safe to say that he won’t become a 3 point sniper in the mold of Ray Allen.
If people want to talk about trading Rondo to acquire Derron Williams, I understand that.
If Rondo is traded in a package deal for some transcendent player then I understand that too. These are remote possibilities, yes.
Otherwise, there really is no better available option at the point guard spot if you intend to build a team with a future. Signing Steve Nash for a year to play with the big 3 would be fun to watch I’ll admit that but our long term future would be much more grim.
And unlike Derron Williams, or Chris Paul, Rondo’s salary is modest by comparison and will allow the Celtics the ability to afford one or two max contract players to build the future roster.
To me, it makes little sense to talk about how weaknesses in Rondo’s game make the Celtics as a whole worse without also acknowledging the fact that the old age and lack of athleticism of the big 3 contribute to this more often.
If a team can shut down every player on the floor outside of Rondo and force him to be a jump shooter, which he isn’t, Is that completely Rondo’s fault?
If Rondo can beat almost every player on the opposing team up the floor on a fast break but the big 3’s age prevents them from joining him and helping him turn this into a bucket, is that completely the fault of Pierce, Allen and KG?
I think people are exaggerating just how easy it is to beat the Celtics, by playing off of Rondo and forcing him to be a jump shooter. The Lakers won Thursday’s game by one point in overtime, after the Celtics had a terrible rebounding night and poor shooting night. Most of the teams who’ve beaten us this year have not needed to use this strategy and a lot of the teams who have used this strategy we beat them anyway.
BlackMass - February 11, 2012
Outstanding post, I forgot to comment on RR contract and how it is much better then most guards
Blackberry33 - February 11, 2012 via mobile
This
Says exactly what I’ve been saying about Rondo these last two days. I’m glad I’m not the only celtics fan who knows something about basketball and players value.
Your post sums this up perfectly, the only thing I would add in is, Rondo has developed his FT and jump shot a bit little by little. In that lakers game, rondo went 2/2 at the line and drained 2/3 of his jumpers. The kid can shoot and is getting better. He’s just not perfectly consistent is all.
Keep in mind, players PEAK at 28-29 typically. Rondo still has like 2-3 years until he is where experts say you wont get any better.
If you think this “peak” concept is BS, look at joe Johnson, 2 years ago the dude drained shots like he was one of the best shooters ever. He’s now 30 going on 31 I believe and his talent is dipping.
Point is – rondo has time to pick up his game, this prev. Off season rondo lost A LOT of practice time he needed to practice his shooting. That is a huge issue, rondo couldn’t get better from last year like we all want because of this lockout and no time for rondo to practice his shooting with the team.
Give him time, he’ll get better.
RR_The_Future - February 11, 2012 via mobile
Thank God we dumb fans have guys like you who know something about basketball
vinnie - February 11, 2012
Let's not blame RR
his game has improved (shooting) from last year + he has been banged up; no, the major problem with this team is Lack of consistent presence in the middle. DA must get help here or this year will end like last year.
gocanes1 - February 11, 2012
the last game was no slump or lack of a jumper or bad free throws. it was a head case game. he was not in it mentally. maybe he had bad news – who knows? doc either punished him by keeping him in or just was exhibiting poor coaching. the 2 of them deserved each other. if there is external stuff going on, doc needs to talk to this guy and either support him or wake him up. where the heck was stiemsma as well- we needed height and he has it. danny- talk to doc and wake him up as well.
nazzbo - February 11, 2012
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