I have to agree with the "as goes Rondo, so goes the team" argument. Well, as long as everyone else looks healthy because Rondo was dominating earlier in the season and it lead to losses because he wasn't getting a lot of help because of the Big 3's health. When Rondo is wheeling, driving, and dealing, this team is at their best.
He seems to base his effort around who the opposing pg is. He takes the Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups matchups seriously, but I don't know if we saw the same effort vs. George Hill.