Howard takes away Rondo's greatest strength

[P2]

in my opinion if he sees howard's about to block him hes going to pass the ball to the next most open guy

Before he even starts to drive, he will already be looking who he will pass it to.

[BballTim]

Which is getting into the lane and finishing. How do we counter it?

  Rondo's a lot better at finishing a few feet from the basket with those floaters and wide bank shots. He didn't really have those shots last year.

He sure is better at those shots. Howard is such a great leaper though. I just worry about him altering a lot of Rondo's shots in the paint. Rondo is our engine. If Howard stifles him, we'll have a tough time winning. Rondo had a tough series against them last year. I'm staying optimistic that this year will be different though.

  He didn't just come off a 7 game series with 7 overtime periods, he's not playing through sprained ankles, and we have KG, who will undoubtedly draw more attention than Baby did last year. Plus, he's a better player.

[PosImpos]

Well, on the flip side, Pierce should score a lot more easily against Barnes and Pietrus.  Plus, if KG can dominate Jamison in the post, I don't see why he can't do it to Rashard Lewis.

[byennie]

Here's what I love about the matchup with Orlando.

Howard (SEASON): 18.3 PPG, 61% FG, 3.3 TO, 3.5 PF
Howard (vs BOSTON): 12.3 PPG, 47% FG, 3.8 TO, 4.3 PF

Nelson (SEASON): 12.6 PPG, 5.4 AST, 2.1 TO
Nelson (vs BOSTON): 11.7 PPG, 3.0 AST, 3.3 TO

I love how Nelson had more turnovers than assists... that doesn't bode well the way Rondo is playing in the playoffs.

Granted, Orlando won the season series and Garnett + Pierce were awful against them this year, but does anyone think those are the same C's playing now?

[kenmaine]

Great points by everyone here. In the PAST, Howard did stop Rondo's penetration, and it is definitely a concern.
But Rondo's shot has improved, the floater is better all the time, he's more experienced, and he'll have KG this year.
So, even though Howard will get his share of blocks, it should be a lot of fun to watch.