Blog

Rajon Rondo knows it.  This team is his, his time is now, and it is incumbent upon him to take the leadership reins and set the tone for the Boston Celtics from the moment training camp opens.  It’s good to hear that he’s been proactive, arranging offseason activities in Los Angeles to start building team chemistry.  And by all accounts, the activities were a huge success.

The next step for Rondo is building on that momentum.  He knows that he needs to be a leader, but will he be able to get his teammates to buy into his leadership?  He doesn’t have to be vocal to lead, but he needs to be consistent in how he behaves and what he values.  The brooding needs to be a thing of the past.  Going after referees?  As valuable as Rondo is to this team, the Celtics can’t afford to lose him to suspension because he can’t control his emotions.  A leader needs to be bigger than the situation, and able to walk away.  Sure, it’s hard sometimes, especially in a league where officiating is so subjective.  But Rondo has to understand that bad calls even themselves out over time.  Just play through it.  Rondo needs to epitomize self-restraint and not do silly, foolish things.

That’s how leaders roll.

And if Rondo can merge a newfound maturity with his scintillating play on the court, our Celtics will have a real shot at big things this season.