Rondo Can Be...

[Run_DMK]

The best PG in the NBA, and soon. Already he has shown that he has the stroke to have a smooth J. All he needs is the confidence, and that will only grow as he hits more and more. The jumper over Lewis with 1:30 to go in Game 2 has to do wonders for that confidence.

The question is, when Rondo has a jumper, how do you guard him? How is he not the best PG in the league if he starts shooting at a high clip? They won't be able to sag off him, they won't be able to put Kobe or 'Bron on him anymore to play center field on D. He's already the best defensive PG in the league, he doesn't get hurt(KNOCK ON WOOD, KNOCK ON WOOD), he'd just as much have an assist as 2 pts. Man, when he gets that jumper, there is hope for the future after the Big 3 are the Retired 3 :D

[RAH]

I agree with you - assuming his foul shooting improves along with his jumper. It seems to me (if I can remember correctly back this far) that when John Havlichek started, he couldn't shoot worth a damn (I guess he was mostly defensive, or maybe a slasher). But he improved to the point that he was one of the best shooters. So, it is possible. (Too bad Tony Allen doesn't do this, but of course, that would mean staying healthy).

[OB- wan]

He is on track to being in the conversation of best PG on the planet. I think his maturation process is going well and provided he continues, he could be the best in the league. That would definitely help the C's stay in contention longer with some of the current guys.

Hitting FT's and getting a solid J will go a long way toward him hitting top PG status. Even if he hits that level, I think you will need to have the right guys around him to win but frankly that can be said for just about any great PG. The thing is, with his style I think it might be even more necessary to have the right guys in the mix to make it work. If he doesn't raise his shooting considerably it will be imperative to stack the team around him if you want to have a shot at a title. His weak shooting will cripple the team if he has to carry a team in crunch time of a playoff game/series.

When he was "the man" for the second half of the season most Celtic fans quit the team. That's not a good sign.

[setshot33]

Cousy approves.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4674497/boston-sports-legend-interview-bob-cousy


JM: Talking about point guards and assists, Rajon Rondo broke your Celtics single season assists record, which stood for fifty years. How do you feel about that?

BC: I feel great because, frankly, it called attention to the fact that I even [laugh] had an assists record. And secondly, it happened by a player that I have great admiration for. You know, I’ve been singing Rondo’s praises literally since he joined the Celtics. Tommy [Heinsohn] and I have been very high on that kid, as far as I’m concerned, he touches every base. He rebounds much stronger than he is. He’s a tenacious defender. You know they say he doesn’t shoot well, well, hell didn’t he lead the league [among point guards] from the field at [50 percent] or something? Yeah, he lacks confidence in his perimeter shot and yet when he I see him take it, you know, his form is fine he has great release, so he’s got to convince himself, really, that he’s a decent or good shooter and that’ll come, I guess, with more experience, but he does everything a good point guard should do. He creates well he penetrates and dishes well ... what more can a point guard do?

[OB- wan]

1) We know

2) Cousy is getting pretty senile these days.

Don't you guys remember them having to kick him off of doing the limited number of games he would do with Mike and Tommy a few years back? I remember watching and hearing him complain and bitch about young players making dumb plays (I could have sworn he complained about Rondo but I don't have a link or anything). He sounded like a cranky old man and now for the past couple years he's running around telling anyone that will listen he knew about Rondo all along.....Who cares?

Anyone that is putting a lot of stock into Cousy senile-ing around about current players is mislead. Take it with a grain of salt like we do with Capt.

[setshot33]

1) We know

2) Cousy is getting pretty senile these days.

Don't you guys remember them having to kick him off of doing the limited number of games he would do with Mike and Tommy a few years back? I remember watching and hearing him complain and bitch about young players making dumb plays (I could have sworn he complained about Rondo but I don't have a link or anything). He sounded like a cranky old man and now for the past couple years he's running around telling anyone that will listen he knew about Rondo all along.....Who cares?

Anyone that is putting a lot of stock into Cousy senile-ing around about current players is mislead. Take it with a grain of salt like we do with Capt.

I'm sorry.

Guess we'll just look to you on all matters basketball from this point forward.

[RAH]

1)
Don't you guys remember them having to kick him off of doing the limited number of games he would do with Mike and Tommy a few years back? I remember watching and hearing him complain and bitch about young players making dumb plays (I could have sworn he complained about Rondo but I don't have a link or anything). He sounded like a cranky old man and now for the past couple years he's running around telling anyone that will listen he knew about Rondo all along.....Who cares?

Gee, I couldn't disagree more. I remember hearing him on those occasions, and to me he sounded like the only one who wasn't a homer. I agree - he DID complain about young players, unlike Heinsohn, who rarely criticizes anyone (except Telfair, who was so mediocre that even Heinsohn couldn't find anything good to say about him). But to me, Cousy was correct in criticizing the players he criticized, and was a breath of fresh air in the conversation.

As far as Rondo is concerned, remebering back, I don't think Cousy criticized Rondo, because at the time I was listening closely to see what he thought about him. The fact that he never criticized him was significant to me, precisely because he used to criticize other players (as you said). So instead of meaning that Cousy is getting senile, it seems to me that it indicates that Rondo is considerably better than stiffs like Mike James and Telfair.

[setshot33]

"Rondo is the best all around point guard in the league. Nobody is even close."- Magic Johnson at halftime of Game 3 tonight.


But as OB-Wan is sure to tell us, he's senile and doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

[ThroughThatDoor]

I think you could make a very strong argument that Rondo is the best playoff point guard. You don't win in the playoffs with your ball handler taking jump shots. That can work for you in the regular season, but in the playoffs you want him putting pressure on the defense to create his own scoring or for his teammates. Still we do have to sit and wonder what a healthy Paul could do if he was on a good team. He is the point guard who had the best playoff run with the worst surrounding cast a few years ago when he was spectacular against Dallas and San Antonio. It's too bad that he has two more years before he can opt out and get to a good surrounding cast.