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July 5, 2009
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Every once in a while you have to go with your gut feeling and go out on a limb. On the Late Edition I made the statement that many of the top scorers in the NBA would want Rondo as their point guard because he gets the stars the ball in the right spot at the right time and never thinks about his own shot first ( sometimes to a fault). Basketball doctor Ryan Rusillo thinks I should be committed. There may be better point guards the league…Paul, Deron Williams..are more complete yes….I don’t want Tony Parker over Rondo. I am sorry. Rondo is the best assist man in the NBA right now period!
What do you think?
Gary, I don’t think you are as crazy as Ryan thinks you are. Rondo may never have the shooting touch of Tony Parker, the passing ability of Steve Nash or the handle of Chris Paul but he has a little bit of all those guys in him. Like Nash he is developing a unique style of passing which involves slashing under the basket, around the basket and sooner or later, probably over the basket. Rondo can get to the hole as good as anyone in the NBA and that opens up many options for the other four on the floor. In regards to Ray Allen, Rondo and him seem to have their own style of the Stockton-Malone pick and roll - only in this case it’s Rondo slashing toward the hoop and finding Allen open in the corner behind the arc. Rondo is also capable of scoring from that position which makes defenses have to commit weak side help and superstars like Kevin Garnett can have a field day in the paint off the passes.
Rondo still lets a few arrent passes go into the expensive seats but his rapport with some of the best stars of our generation is taking his game to the next level. Just last night against the Magic we saw the Celtics nearly lose the lead because Rondo was on the bench and Boston became a half court team. Rondo can push the pace with speed and agility - something a certain King James would love to have on his roster and he is the superstar of superstars.
This comment IS ludacris. In the playoffs last year Rondo found himself uncontested beyond 15 ft out allowing 5 men to guard the other 4.
Rondo needs to improve his shooting to force defenses to play him closer away from the basket, this will allow his teammates to get open more easily and allow him to use his speed to move past his man and drive.
Rondo is a good point guard but there is no way Kobe or LeBron would rather have him over someone who can pass just as well and also force the defense to pay closer attention to him on the permiter. Like C Paul, D Williams, T Parker etc.
Rondo is an elite point in many respects but hes not consistant or rounded enough to benefit a star player the same way the very best can.
First off, save the last few weeks, Rondo’s overall numbers do not fully appreciate his value. He is immensely important to the Celtics success. That said, he has played exceptionally well recently. Now, I will say that Rondo is great(yes, great) and make the offense work much more effectively. His only weakness(other than his oddly bad FT shooting) has been at times to pass when he should shoot. He has not been doing that over the last couple of weeks which is a factor in why he has been so successful. His strengths are many; he’s athletic, he’s skilled defensively and offensively and to top it all off he plays with a lot of heart and is willing to do what it takes to win(which can’t be said for all NBA players). That said, he benefits greatly from playing with 3 of the NBA’s best scorers. This is a luxury no other PG in the NBA has. In fact, there have been few, if any PG’s in history that have had the type of scorers that Rondo has at his disposal. This cannot be understated.
I went through the teams and I have him as the 7th best “true point guard” right now ( this excludes the likes of AI and B.Davis). I believe that Paul, Calderon, Nash, Billups, Rose( he may be borderline “true PG”) and Parker are better. Now, this is who I would say are the point guards that are better right now. If the question is who can you have going forward then I would take Nash and maybe Billups off this list (if only b/c Rondo is 22).
My frustration with the statement is not in recognizing Rondo’s greatness but in overstating it. Why can’t he just say he is great? Gary Tanguay makes a living, excuse me a very good living, as a basketball analyst and b/c of that he should resist the temptation to make unnecessary and egregious statements about players who “happen” to play for the team he is covering. Gary Tanguay should spend more time watching other teams play. This would ensure more concise and accurate opinions leading to better analysis for Comcast viewers.
16 points, 13 rebounds, 17 assists, not many point guards in the NBA can do that.
I think you called this one, Tang. I’ve been saying the same thing for most of the same reasons as you, but I take other things into consideration.
The size of his hands and the length of his arms are some of the intangibles that allow Rondo to excel at the more difficult parts of the game. Defense, rebounding and passing.
With the sports enthusiasts on this site, I don’t think I have to go into the whys and wherefore’s of how his physical attributes translate into physical prowess. It doesn’t always.
But with his own work ethic and coaching skills of the Celtics’ staff, he’s learning not only how to maximize his talents, but also his on-court IQ.
Obviously, the game is slowing down for Rondo and will continue to do so. So don’t be surprised when before the end of this season, “THEY” start knocking on Rondo’s door, contracts in hand….
I’m just saying…..
Rondo is the best,I agree with Gary
Where’s Troy Brown? He’s normally scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays. He wasn’t on Monday, Dec. 8.
Where’s Troy?????
You have to look at the results, and with Rondo at the helm this team won a championship. I think he is the perfect point guard for this team. I don’t think he would do as well if he were on a younger team with less of a veteran presence, but on this team he fits perfectly. I’m with you Gary, Rondo is the man in Boston.
Tanguay –You need to study English.
No one knows the Celtics like “US,” you said, Thursday night. It is “WE,” as in no one knows the Celtics as well as WE know the Celtics,” not … as well as “US” know the Celtics.
In other postings on this site, I notice absence of the ‘d’ on SUPPOSED, as in “‘it was SUPPOSED ….”
Didn’t you study English grammar? You should be in the F-League, for FLUNKING.
First off… i would like to say that tonight (decemeber 15th. utah jazz) Gary you dominated the play by play. i think its time you get promoted. maybe when mike or tommy call it a career, which may be never, but still.
As for Rondo, i think he is the best passer in the game, yes chris paul and deron williams can score like no other, but rondo is improving his offense, he is taking it to the rim better then last year, and his shot has been better, but his passing is incredible
Gary,
Great job on the play-by-play the past two home games! As for your comment about Rondo being the best passer in the league right now, I have to disagree. After being able to watch Chris Paul the other night, I’d have to say he is the best right now. He looks for his shot more than Rondo but he also is a great passer, penetrator, and makes his teammates that much better. I feel Rondo is almost there and is really becoming another threat for the Celtics.