Who would have thought two Rajon Rondo threes would save the season?

[Greg]

Man if he open his range like Gomes he will carry this team for years to come.
Man i am starting to worry less about older players

That's what I was thinking, similar to Gomes.  TP

[wiley]

It did seem like he saved the season with those two threes.....probably more so because they were so unexpected.

Did the Celtics change up their offense in the 3rd quarter and let Rondo run it more than usual??  Or did Rondo simply take things over on his own?  The Celtics are so much better when they let Rondo start the plays than when they let Ray or Paul run things.  In fact, at the very end of the game it seemed like Paul tried to take things over for Rondo and I was like:  "Don't do that Paul...let Rondo keep controlling things!!"  Paul and Ray Allen are both prone to bad turnovers when they try to be playmakers......Of course, they, along with KG are capable of playmaking, but I think the general rule should be to let Rondo do it....Not just because he's good at it, but because, As someone (Van Gundy?) pointed out, when Rondo doesn't have the ball the other team is not defending him at all (may change if he keeps hitting 3s, but for now that's the way it is).....

So my question is:  In the 3rd period and most of the 4th, did the Celtics purposely let Rondo control the ball more than usual, or did he do it on his own? (the age-old debate, I know)....

[crownsy]

you mean when paul was the point on the pick and roll with rajon right?

they botched it to a bad turnover the third time they ran it, no doubt, but the first 2 times it lead to massive penatration by rondo. They were doing it to trap dwest at the top of the circle behind pierce, since both of them were getting to the rim so easy, and it prevented a double team since rondo was the pick man.

I thought it was a good change up, the TO sucked the air out of the set, but it was intersting to see it. not a bad set when gaurds are cheating up on rajon and pierce is getting doubled. it gives you a real tough choice as a defense, either you go double paul, which means rondo gets a free run into the paint to either shoot or find kg going basket or ray in the corner, or you have to give paul a one on one drive and deny rajon the ball on the roll.

[wiley]

you mean when paul was the point on the pick and roll with rajon right?

they botched it to a bad turnover the third time they ran it, no doubt, but the first 2 times it lead to massive penatration by rondo. They were doing it to trap dwest at the top of the circle behind pierce, since both of them were getting to the rim so easy, and it prevented a double team since rondo was the pick man.

I thought it was a good change up, the TO sucked the air out of the set, but it was intersting to see it. not a bad set when gaurds are cheating up on rajon and pierce is getting doubled. it gives you a real tough choice as a defense, either you go double paul, which means rondo gets a free run into the paint to either shoot or find kg going basket or ray in the corner, or you have to give paul a one on one drive and deny rajon the ball on the roll.

Yeah, I'm not opposed to Paul starting set plays.  It's more his freelancing, and Ray's, that should be limited.  After Paul's two turnovers he got real flustered and try to do all kinds of things.  He made another turnover and got bailed out by the officials imo....I hope Paul will keep in mind that mistakes are part of the game and he doesn't have to make up for them all at once....especially in the fourth.  I basically felt that Paul and Ray were responsibe for that game becoming a free thow shooting contest instead of an easier victory.  And if he hadn't hit all those free thows we lose the game.  Way to hit your free throws, Paul!!!!

[crownsy]

you mean when paul was the point on the pick and roll with rajon right?

they botched it to a bad turnover the third time they ran it, no doubt, but the first 2 times it lead to massive penatration by rondo. They were doing it to trap dwest at the top of the circle behind pierce, since both of them were getting to the rim so easy, and it prevented a double team since rondo was the pick man.

I thought it was a good change up, the TO sucked the air out of the set, but it was intersting to see it. not a bad set when gaurds are cheating up on rajon and pierce is getting doubled. it gives you a real tough choice as a defense, either you go double paul, which means rondo gets a free run into the paint to either shoot or find kg going basket or ray in the corner, or you have to give paul a one on one drive and deny rajon the ball on the roll.

Yeah, I'm not opposed to Paul starting set plays.  It's more his freelancing, and Ray's, that should be limited.  After Paul's two turnovers he got real flustered and try to do all kinds of things.  He made another turnover and got bailed out by the officials imo....I hope Paul will keep in mind that mistakes are part of the game and he doesn't have to make up for them all at once....especially in the fourth.  I basically felt that Paul and Ray were responsibe for that game becoming a free thow shooting contest instead of an easier victory.  And if he hadn't hit all those free thows we lose the game.  Way to hit your free throws, Paul!!!!

well you kind of want those games to turn into free throw shooting contests when you have the lead, it means your staying agressive and going to the rim to draw fouls.

But i get what your saying, though i think the whole team did the prototypical "ok up 4 possesions with 3 minutes to go, use all 24 if possable" mode to close the game, as opposed to just paul which is fine as long as, as you said, you hit the free throws that you get when you drive with 6 or 7 seconds left.

I do like that style better than running your normal offense though, it slows the game down so much it makes the other team have to be perfect to get back. If you stay in your normal mode and get shots whenever there good, you go cold for three shots and all of the sudden they get a 7-0 run in 30 seconds instead of a minute or two at the earliest with you using the whole clock and trying to get to the line.