I agree with you that the offense with and without Rondo on the court is night and day and that that is because of the lack of a good point guard coming off the bench but honestly, that is true with just about every team in the league and is not a problem singular to the Celtics. most benches aren't loaded up with guys that are good passers. Quite the contrary.
That problem is then compounded here because Doc so loves to play a bench five together rather than stagnating players in and out while keeping 2-3 starters on the floor at one time. Therefore when Rondo is off the floor, Eddie House is usually playing with only one or no starters with him. None of those guys are exception passers or even offensive players. So your assertion that the offense runs better when Rondo is in lacks teeth because it is inherent through the league that backup PGs don't run there offense as well as the starting PG and because in the Celtics case the second team sucks compared to the five guys Rondo is out there with on a regular basis.
I also think that Rondo's recent upswing in quality play has nothing to do with being agressive and everything to do with playing intelligently. There's a huge difference. Rondo's decision making over the last 5 games has been excellent regarding when to shoot and when not to and where and when he is getting players the ball. Aggression has nothing to do with it.
And having been at the last game and seen all the others you are wrong that Rondo is running the offense and controlling the offense. As many times as Rondo has initiated plays or been the main man atwith the ball on offense, Pierce and Allen have too. Sorry but as I said this is a neccessary evil given the quality of the players involved and the versatility it provides to the team. It makes defending this team extremely difficult. A team with Rondo controlling the offense primarily is too predictable and easier defended.
The difference in Rondo's production has everything to do with what is happening between Rondo's ears and very little to nothing to do with any changes that Doc has made to this offense. Doc is just teaching Rondo when to and how to play better by playing smarter.
Now once Rondo displays that he is playing confidently does Doc run more plays Rondo's way? Of course he does. Going with the hot hand is always the right move but changing the offense to have the ball centered around his play would be a huge mistake for this club.
Kind of funny how Rondo's hand suddenly became hot when K.G. had to sit out a game, and Doc had to run offense through him. The same thing happened last year, too. We have already been down this path.
Lest you forget, our bench was our strong point for most of this season. That was where the offense was coming from. Our starters were stuck in a morass, while our bench was lighting people up, and as you said with either Pierce or Ray in the mix. Over the last 5 games, though, it has been the starting unit which has been putting up the fireworks. The fact that Doc is trying to give Paul and Ray more rest, and has Scal out there instead has certainly played into it, but even when Paul and Ray are out there it isn't going so well.
I actually think that ity isn't so much that the bench has fallen off of the map as it has to do with the starters playing so well. The energy level is going DOWN when the starters go out. Early on in the season it went UP. The bench is playing at the same overall level, but the starters have done a 180.
You seem to not understand what I mean by "control". I keep explaining it, I give examples (Billups), and say "I don't want Rondo to dominate the ball", but you are stuck on the idea that Rondo controlling the offense means that he is dominating the ball. What it means is that he is calling the shots out there. If Paul and Ray are initiating a set, it is Rondo's choice, not theirs. If he goes pick and roll it is his call, not theirs. That is what Billups has done for years. Just check out 82games.com's Nugg page. The defensive rating that Billups has is identical to Iverson's with the Nuggs. The offensive rating is not.
To be in control of the offense is to be like a traffic cop. Let the traffic flow one way, then let it flow another. The same is true for Rajon. He chooses (with Doc's input, of course) for the team to run it one way, then changes it up when that doesn't work. The guy who has benefitted the most, over the last 5 (four for him actually), is Garnett. He went 9 for 23 in this last game, but he could have gone 17 for 23 taking those shots. They were HIS shots. His turnovers have plummeted, and his assists have gone up. Ray is shooting over .517 from the field, and about.450 on threes. Perk is shooting .679 scoring 9 per game in only 25 minutes per game. The only one who has struggled is Paul, and that is because HE is forcing things in very much the same way that Rajon was before.
I'll illustrate two possessions from the last game which may illustrate what I'm talking about. On the first, and I'm not absolutely positive about this point, but Paul didn't give the ball up to Rondo when he wanted it and decided that he was going to run a possession. Rondo cleared out to the right, and K.G. tried to set a pick for Paul. The Warriors clooged up the middle and attacked Paul's dribble. His ONLY outlet was to Rondo, who was waving his hands on the right side. Paul, instead, decided to drive to the hoop, got swallowed up, and then passed the ball to no one, out of bounds on the right wing.
On a possession near the end of the game, and what was ultimately the dagger shot, Rondo was bringing the ball down the right side. He read the defense, and actually waved Paul up the court to give him the ball. This time Paul takes K.G.'s screen, but his outlet is a wide open Ray Allen for a three.
In essence these are the same plays, but one was Paul's call, and the other was Rondo's. Paul made a bad read, forced the issue, and made a horrible turnover in one. On the second Rondo made a good read, pushed paul's button, and Paul got a good assist. Control.
