Anyone else looking for Rondo to score more?

[Celtics18]

I'm not too concerned about Rondo's scoring.  I expect him to average somewhere between 12 to 15 PPG with around 10 to 11 APG.  I know that after two games, he's only averaging 8.5 PPG, but I don't expect that to last. 

He'll generally score in that early to mid teens range, with a few 20+ point games sprinkled in, as well as some single digit games.

[Csfan1984]

I expected 17 pts per game this year. Still only 2 games in season.

[RJ87]

I'm not too concerned about Rondo's scoring.  I expect him to average somewhere between 12 to 15 PPG with around 10 to 11 APG.  I know that after two games, he's only averaging 8.5 PPG, but I don't expect that to last. 

He'll generally score in that early to mid teens range, with a few 20+ point games sprinkled in, as well as some single digit games.

Agreed. I've always said 15ppg, 11apg, and 5rpg was an attainable stat line for him and something he could do consistently.

Frankly, I'm not concerned about it after 2 games. He's not being shy about taking it the rim and he's taking that elbow jumper. He shot great in the first game, but having Dwight Howard in game 2 bothered his shots when he went into the paint - behold, the benefits of a bonafide rim protector.

[snively]

Yeah, I'd like to see him attack the rim more in transition instead of surveying the field every time. 

That's how he puts up points in the playoffs - aggression in semi-transition. 

[D.o.s.]

Yeah, I'd like to see him attack the rim more in transition instead of surveying the field every time. 

That's how he puts up points in the playoffs - playing more minutes.

FTFY

[Snakehead]

Yeah, I'd like to see him attack the rim more in transition instead of surveying the field every time. 

That's how he puts up points in the playoffs - playing more minutes.

FTFY

You're right overall but he has had moments where he has stepped up his scoring and you have to give him that.

I'm not wanting Rondo to take too many threes but when he scores 44 in a game we have to give him that.  It was impressive.

[TheFlex]

Nope.

The PG's role is to run the team, not score the ball.

His role is to execute Coach Stevens' plan on the floor. I'm guessing that Coach Stevens isn't asking Rondo to score the ball, but run his team.

Rondo can score just fine, but he runs the team even better.

this is just an excuse from fans of a PG who can't score.

And that's an insult for detractors for a Point Guard they want gone.

Yep, exactly.

He can't shoot.....now he can't score.

Next? Celticsblog will strip Rajon Rondo of his passing duties.....wait that's been done on here, too lol.

All of this after one game, no less.

This pro-Rondo BS is equivalent to the anti-Rondo hyperbole that you ridicule above. I never once said that he "couldn't score." Please read what I write before you put words in my mouth. Readers on this forum are beginning to assume that other members either have to be hardened pro-Rondo fans or hardened anti-Rondo haters and then react sensationally if they sense the slightest influence from the opposite camp in a post. I even said that Rondo had a good game vs. Houston before gently critiquing him after. Calm down.

What I said was that when the team can't hit the broad side of a barn, Rondo should make a determined effort to score. For Rondo to be effective he needs his teammates to not shoot historically bad percentages. That's not his fault, but a downside to his style of play.

As I suggested in the OP, in a game like that (vs. Houston), I would rather have him force the issue by looking to score every time he brings the ball up vs. force the issue by driving and dishing out to the three point line; the reason being that it's not likely that both the four guys surrounding Rondo shoot historically bad from range and Rondo has a historically bad shooting game. Even if he shoots 35% on 20 shots, that's better than shooting 40-45% on 10 shots and dishing out 10 passes that aren't converted into points due to a poor shooting night.

  Where was all the concern about scoring after the first game? We shot 1-25 on threes and still scored 90 vs the Rockets. We could have shot a well below average 5-25 on threes and broken 100 points.

If you read the OP carefully instead of freaking out every time Rondo was criticized you would know why I wasn't concerned about his scoring after the first game. His teammates were shooting a league-best FG% against Brooklyn, and thus Rondo did not need to adjust his style of play. He let the game come to him and scored when he was wide open. However in a game such as the one against Houston, Rondo's style of play was ineffective because his elite passing ability only goes so far as his teammates' ability to shoot a decent FG%. And therefore, at halftime or so, Rondo should recognize that his teammates are not shooting well, adjust, and make a more determined effort to score.

[D.o.s.]

Yeah, I'd like to see him attack the rim more in transition instead of surveying the field every time. 

That's how he puts up points in the playoffs - playing more minutes.

FTFY

You're right overall but he has had moments where he has stepped up his scoring and you have to give him that.

I'm not wanting Rondo to take too many threes but when he scores 44 in a game we have to give him that.  It was impressive.

One of my favorite moments of the Big Three's attempts at a second ring, for sure.

But we lost that game, and I'm not advocating for more scoring on Rondo's behalf because, IMO, a game where Rondo is the de facto scoring option for the Celtics is a game that the Celtics are going to lose. That was true when he had good teammates, and it could be even more true now. It's not playing to his strengths, and it's further marginalizing his (already pretty marginal) supporting cast.

I remember a couple years ago (prior to the Joe Johnson trade) when Deron Williams dropped 55 on the Bobcats and the sentiment was largely "wow, that's a nice scoring output, but the Nets might be the only team in the league that might a player to drop 55 to beat the Bobcats." They won like 25 games that year.

[krumeto]

The only thing I am looking for is for the Cs as a team to have a good, efficient offense. If Rondo runs the offense efficiently, I really don't care if he gets 8, 15 or 30.

In crunch time, some teams go to best player ISO, other teams run a play. There are few NBA players I trust more than Rondo to execute a play to perfection. It might just be his way of leading.

We can debate if he needs to shoot more, go to the basket or FT line more often. I guess it depends on CBS more then on Rondo if he does the above.

[igorsure]

Rondo is "83%" of his shape. And this means exactly lack of shooting confidence - looks like all other parts are on the place

[BitterJim]

Nope.

The PG's role is to run the team, not score the ball.

His role is to execute Coach Stevens' plan on the floor. I'm guessing that Coach Stevens isn't asking Rondo to score the ball, but run his team.

Rondo can score just fine, but he runs the team even better.

this is just an excuse from fans of a PG who can't score.

And that's an insult for detractors for a Point Guard they want gone.

Yep, exactly.

He can't shoot.....now he can't score.

Next? Celticsblog will strip Rajon Rondo of his passing duties.....wait that's been done on here, too lol.

All of this after one game, no less.

This pro-Rondo BS is equivalent to the anti-Rondo hyperbole that you ridicule above. I never once said that he "couldn't score." Please read what I write before you put words in my mouth.

He never put words in your mouth, he responded legitimately to Fan from VT's comment which said Rondo couldn't score

[TheFlex]

Yeah, I'd like to see him attack the rim more in transition instead of surveying the field every time. 

That's how he puts up points in the playoffs - playing more minutes.

FTFY

You're right overall but he has had moments where he has stepped up his scoring and you have to give him that.

I'm not wanting Rondo to take too many threes but when he scores 44 in a game we have to give him that.  It was impressive.

One of my favorite moments of the Big Three's attempts at a second ring, for sure.

But we lost that game, and I'm not advocating for more scoring on Rondo's behalf because, IMO, a game where Rondo is the de facto scoring option for the Celtics is a game that the Celtics are going to lose. That was true when he had good teammates, and it could be even more true now. It's not playing to his strengths, and it's further marginalizing his (already pretty marginal) supporting cast.

I remember a couple years ago (prior to the Joe Johnson trade) when Deron Williams dropped 55 on the Bobcats and the sentiment was largely "wow, that's a nice scoring output, but the Nets might be the only team in the league that might a player to drop 55 to beat the Bobcats." They won like 25 games that year.

Of course on a normal night Rondo is more effective as a facilitator. But in a game such as the one in which we played Houston, is he still more effective as a facilitator when his teammates are not scoring off of his created looks?

Nope.

The PG's role is to run the team, not score the ball.

His role is to execute Coach Stevens' plan on the floor. I'm guessing that Coach Stevens isn't asking Rondo to score the ball, but run his team.

Rondo can score just fine, but he runs the team even better.

this is just an excuse from fans of a PG who can't score.

And that's an insult for detractors for a Point Guard they want gone.

Yep, exactly.

He can't shoot.....now he can't score.

Next? Celticsblog will strip Rajon Rondo of his passing duties.....wait that's been done on here, too lol.

All of this after one game, no less.

This pro-Rondo BS is equivalent to the anti-Rondo hyperbole that you ridicule above. I never once said that he "couldn't score." Please read what I write before you put words in my mouth.

He never put words in your mouth, he responded legitimately to Fan from VT's comment which said Rondo couldn't score

You are right, I interpreted "Celticsblog will strip..." to be inclusive of all those who wanted Rondo to score more in a game like Saturday night's. Sorry GreenFaith!

[D.o.s.]

You're right overall but he has had moments where he has stepped up his scoring and you have to give him that.

I'm not wanting Rondo to take too many threes but when he scores 44 in a game we have to give him that.  It was impressive.

One of my favorite moments of the Big Three's attempts at a second ring, for sure.

But we lost that game, and I'm not advocating for more scoring on Rondo's behalf because, IMO, a game where Rondo is the de facto scoring option for the Celtics is a game that the Celtics are going to lose. That was true when he had good teammates, and it could be even more true now. It's not playing to his strengths, and it's further marginalizing his (already pretty marginal) supporting cast.

I remember a couple years ago (prior to the Joe Johnson trade) when Deron Williams dropped 55 on the Bobcats and the sentiment was largely "wow, that's a nice scoring output, but the Nets might be the only team in the league that might a player to drop 55 to beat the Bobcats." They won like 25 games that year.

Of course on a normal night Rondo is more effective as a facilitator. But in a game such as the one in which we played Houston, is he still more effective as a facilitator when his teammates are not scoring off of his created looks?

I don't know -- I wasn't able to watch the Houston game, so I can't comment on it specifically, but having watched perhaps a few games full of clanked opportunities, I think that the offensive problems are much harder to solve than having Rondo shoot more.

Nine shots in 34 minutes isn't very many, but (on paper) it doesn't seem like a huge deal, at least not compared to the team shooting four percent from beyond the arc.

[mgent]

I've been looking for it, but haven't seen it yet.

[mmmmm]

Nope.

Sure, I want Rondo to score when it makes sense for him to score.

But more than anything, I want him creating points within the offense -- whether that is by shooting or passing, I don't care.   Historically, Rondo has excelled at creating points through passing (his passes result in assist opportunities at an extremely high rate and are in turn converted into points at a very high efficiency) thus it makes sense that most of his point creation should be through passing.