Rondo Free Throw Shooting 2011

[BballTim]

I think it is laughable that people think it is fine that this team's point guard is shooting 41 percent from the line. And the excuse that he does not take enough foul shots during games -- Please. Again, let me repeat that I think Rondo is one of the 5 best point guards in basketball. That said, there is absolutely no excuse for his free throw percentage to be 41 percent --- I don't care if he had only taken 10 shots. Botton line is he has played 22 games, taken 39 free throws and made only 16. That is awful and unacceptable.

  If it's unacceptable then what do you propose the Celts do about it? Bench him? Trade him? Cut him and eat his contract?

A guy with Rondo's talent and athleticism needs to shoot better than 41 percent from the line. Maybe the Celts need to get him a free throw shooting coach that can help him with what has to be a mental versus a physical problem.

  So do you expect him to end the year shooting 41% from the line?

No, I expect him to continue to shy away from going to the basket to avoid getting fouled and having to go to the line. And I expect him to continue to shoot poorly from the line. Maybe he will get to 60 percent, which is still not acceptable for an elite NBA point guard.

  By the way, Rondo's 5th in the league in shots at the rim for point guards and takes a higher percentage of his shots from the inside than anyone ahead of him, and he's tied with Shaq for the most inside shots per game on the Celts. This is in spite of the fact that he's played more than half his games hampered by foot/leg problems. He might not get fouled a lot but I don't know that I'd say he's shying away from the hoop.

[vinnie]

Okay -- I am done with this argument. It is fine for one of the top 5 point guards in the league to shoot 41 percent from the free throw line. I can't understand why we all just don't accept this fact. It is also fine if the same point guard rarely if ever goes to the line.

[BballTim]

Okay -- I am done with this argument. It is fine for one of the top 5 point guards in the league to shoot 41 percent from the free throw line. I can't understand why we all just don't accept this fact. It is also fine if the same point guard rarely if ever goes to the line.

  Clearly it's not an ideal situation, but the question is whether "shoots 41 percent from the free throw line and rarely goes to the line" is more important than "top 5 point guard". I'd like to see him hit more of his free throws and get to the line somewhat more often (though not as much as some, as I still recall the hard fouls on him when he drove into traffic more). I just think that, in spite of that flaw, he makes a positive impact on the game for the Celts.