Obviously if he was on a lesser team, Rondos team wouldn't enjoy as much success, but what D'Antoni is alluding to (and I'm agreeing with), is that Rondos individual production would also fall. I don't think he'd have better assists, because no other team runs so many sets solely through their PG, AND has as good finishers. I don't think he'd be as efficient a scorer, because he would actually have to score against pressure defense, since his supporting cast wouldn't be as good (which subsequently creates the spacing he enjoys on his shot and drives).
Basically, it would put Rondo in a situation, where he had to be able to either create his own shot, or drive through traffic, to be effective. If he had the same shooting ability and FT capabilities as the PGs that most people prefer to him, then yes...he'd become almost like them. Unfortunately he doesn't, and that's where I think D'Antonis point lies.
The only aspect of Rondo's performance I'd expect to fall with lesser teammates would be his FG%. His work in the 2009 playoffs with a mediocre/weak front line and only Ray and Pierce to help was indicative of what he can do with a less than stellar supporting cast.
It showed us how he could do when he was 23 or so, played a boatload of minutes in every (or almost every) game of the Chicago series and sprained his ankle a couple of times in the playoffs.
Wasn't that when Big baby earned the nickname "ticket stub" for how well he played in KGs spot? And Rondo still had PP/Ray, and a center (perk) who was top 3 in the league in FG%. That scenario says nothing to the arguement that Rondo would play worse with a lesser supporting cast. The whole point (as I see it), is that if he's on a team where the players around him don't demand consistent attention, then the D can collapse on him, and he would have to create his own shot or drive through multiple defenders to score.
If he really was the "second coming of Jason Kidd", then he'd be shooting 80% FTs instead of 56%. If he was on a lesser team where more of the scoring load fell to him, and he got to the line 10x a game, that percentage would be extremely costly. It's not like Shaq where you can take him out the last 2 minutes so they can't foul him. For a PG who's responsible for running the offense, it'd either be finish the game with a PG (shooting 56% at the line) who will consistently be put on the line to shoot pressure FTs, or take out your starting PG, and close the game with a backup PG...neither is conducive to winning close games.
I think if Rondo was on a bad team, his shooting would single handedly lose them as many games as his defense/speed won them. He'd be a 15/8 guy (with poor shooting percentages) on a bad team, and no one would care about him at all. How many Kyle Lowry Jerseys sold this yr? lol.
Haha. So now Rondo's been benefiting from playing with the offensive powerhouse Kendrick Perkins? Yeah, put him in with Baby in your list of players that other teams have to pay extra close attention to on offense.
You're ignoring the fact that playing with Rondo will lead to easier shots for his teammates. Their scoring rates and shooting percentages are likely yo go up when they play with Rondo, just like the big three's do. You're ignoring the fact that other teammates would be more likely to shoot and less likely to pass than the big three. He'll still get his assists. You're ignoring the fact that he's on a slow paced team. He'd get more points simply by running the break in an uptempo offense.
And, gee, while you were quick to notice that Kidd's a better foul shooter than Rondo, did you happen to compare the rest of their shooting percentages? Rondo's TS% in 2 of the last 3 years was higher than anything Kidd put up in his career before he was 35 years old.
Topic: D'Antoni on Rondo : "I'd like to see him play on Minnesota and see how he does." (Read 33326 times)