Rajon Rondo Trade Rumors: Is the Boston Celtics' Point Guard Best in the NBA?
Published by Daniel Lewis (Featured Columnist) on December 1, 2011 at Bleacher Bleacher. Click to download article.
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Just days after a handshake agreement to end the NBA lockout, the exciting trade rumors have already begun.
Reports have said that the Boston Celtics have offered Rajon Rondo and former Thunder swingman Jeff Green for OKC’s Russell Westbrook and former Boston big man Kendrick Perkins.
From Boston's standpoint, why did Danny Ainge even propose this trade? One of their few consistent young players, Rondo has been the team's most important player over the past couple of seasons.
A deeper question: Why is Rondo continually overlooked as one of the league’s superstar point guards?
The short-list of top point guards in the NBA usually include of Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams, with Steve Nash and Russell Westbrook not far behind.
But why is Rajon Rondo continually overlooked as one of the league’s superstar point guards?
His name is certainly well known, but he has still failed to receive the respect owed to a team leader and championship point guard.
An electrifying floor general, Rondo remains one of the most underrated at his position. He is a great facilitator who helped a Celtics team to an NBA Championship in only his second year.
He certainly has the best passing ability of any player in the NBA. Time after time, his no-look and behind-the-back passes are showcased in highlight reels.
Indeed, he has the court vision, creativity, and most importantly, the unselfishness to rack up assists.
“I think that stands out the most on the court—unselfishness,” Rondo said. “It’s not necessarily ballhandling, it’s being unselfish for your teammates, sacrificing for your teammates. My situation is me giving up the ball to make somebody better.”
Perhaps one of the reasons he is often overlooked is because his style completely differs from the consensus top-tier point guards in the NBA. While CP3, Rose, and Williams impact the outcome of the game mainly by scoring, Rondo’s role remains more expansive.
Rondo is arguably the league’s best one guard because he is so well-rounded. He excels in almost every facet of the game. Not only is he a fluid passer, but he also lead all point guards in rebounding at 6’1” and made the All-NBA first defensive team.
In fact, he has been at the forefront of Boston’s defensive dominance since their 2008 championship season. A nightmare for opposing scoring guards, Rondo earned a first team All-NBA defensive honor last season and has averaged about two steals per game in his career.
That said, Rondo is not without flaws.
But his most glaring weakness, an inconsistent jump shot, has been a focal point for him this season. He is more regularly knocking down three pointers or taking the ball hard to the rim in order to punish opposing teams’ schemes that call for playing off him.
Despite his subpar shooting, he nevertheless has the ability to score. He can shoot his improved mid-range jumper or beat his opponents off the dribble with his blazing speed and strong ball fakes.
His skills draw many parallels to those of Jason Kidd in his prime. He may not have the shooting range Kidd now possesses, but he remains a triple-double threat every night against any team.
Besides, his scoring is not needed much on a team featuring three future Hall-of-Fame contributors in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.
Most importantly, though, Rondo is a battle-tested guard who knows the playoff atmosphere. He has the toughness to play through injuries when it matters most, as evidenced last postseason when he led the Celtics to victory with his left arm dangling lifelessly by his side.
In all, Rajon Rondo may not have as big a name as Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Derrick Rose, but he may in fact have a bigger game.
He knows the Celtics team, he knows the system, he knows how to win and he knows the fundamentals of the point guard position as well as anyone in the league.
The same cannot be said for Russell Westbrook.
Reports have said that the Boston Celtics have offered Rajon Rondo and former Thunder swingman Jeff Green for OKC’s Russell Westbrook and former Boston big man Kendrick Perkins.
From Boston's standpoint, why did Danny Ainge even propose this trade? One of their few consistent young players, Rondo has been the team's most important player over the past couple of seasons.
A deeper question: Why is Rondo continually overlooked as one of the league’s superstar point guards?
The short-list of top point guards in the NBA usually include of Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams, with Steve Nash and Russell Westbrook not far behind.
But why is Rajon Rondo continually overlooked as one of the league’s superstar point guards?
His name is certainly well known, but he has still failed to receive the respect owed to a team leader and championship point guard.
An electrifying floor general, Rondo remains one of the most underrated at his position. He is a great facilitator who helped a Celtics team to an NBA Championship in only his second year.
He certainly has the best passing ability of any player in the NBA. Time after time, his no-look and behind-the-back passes are showcased in highlight reels.
Indeed, he has the court vision, creativity, and most importantly, the unselfishness to rack up assists.
“I think that stands out the most on the court—unselfishness,” Rondo said. “It’s not necessarily ballhandling, it’s being unselfish for your teammates, sacrificing for your teammates. My situation is me giving up the ball to make somebody better.”
Perhaps one of the reasons he is often overlooked is because his style completely differs from the consensus top-tier point guards in the NBA. While CP3, Rose, and Williams impact the outcome of the game mainly by scoring, Rondo’s role remains more expansive.
Rondo is arguably the league’s best one guard because he is so well-rounded. He excels in almost every facet of the game. Not only is he a fluid passer, but he also lead all point guards in rebounding at 6’1” and made the All-NBA first defensive team.
In fact, he has been at the forefront of Boston’s defensive dominance since their 2008 championship season. A nightmare for opposing scoring guards, Rondo earned a first team All-NBA defensive honor last season and has averaged about two steals per game in his career.
That said, Rondo is not without flaws.
But his most glaring weakness, an inconsistent jump shot, has been a focal point for him this season. He is more regularly knocking down three pointers or taking the ball hard to the rim in order to punish opposing teams’ schemes that call for playing off him.
Despite his subpar shooting, he nevertheless has the ability to score. He can shoot his improved mid-range jumper or beat his opponents off the dribble with his blazing speed and strong ball fakes.
His skills draw many parallels to those of Jason Kidd in his prime. He may not have the shooting range Kidd now possesses, but he remains a triple-double threat every night against any team.
Besides, his scoring is not needed much on a team featuring three future Hall-of-Fame contributors in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.
Most importantly, though, Rondo is a battle-tested guard who knows the playoff atmosphere. He has the toughness to play through injuries when it matters most, as evidenced last postseason when he led the Celtics to victory with his left arm dangling lifelessly by his side.
In all, Rajon Rondo may not have as big a name as Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Derrick Rose, but he may in fact have a bigger game.
He knows the Celtics team, he knows the system, he knows how to win and he knows the fundamentals of the point guard position as well as anyone in the league.
The same cannot be said for Russell Westbrook.