Rajon Rondo: 3 Point Ace

[I Love Getting Rondod]

If there isnt already a thread about Saturday's HORSE masterpiece by Rondo, here it is!  He went against the best shooter in the league and ALMOST BEAT HIM in a 3 point contest.  Holy SH&%!!!  Don't forget he even banked a free throw.  But seeing him so comfortable hucking up those 3's shows that the skill is there, he just pees his pants whenever he gets a chance to take a 3.  But he has vastly improved over the past month.  This makes me excited to see if he can develop a decent outside set shot that will allow him to be on par with Deron Williams, Steve Nash and Chris Paul in a couple years [assuming Nash doesnt slow down until his late 60s]. 

[fairweatherfan]

Rajon's been legitimately decent at that 3 pt shot for awhile now - remember him sinking 2 in a row to keep us afloat against Cleveland in Game 5 2 years ago?  Problem is a lot of his shots are end of quarter full court heaves, so his percentages don't reflect it. 

I think we'll see Rondo use the 3 as a weapon more in the future - heck, he already puts up numbers like Jason Kidd, so why not start spotting up for 3 like Jason Kidd?  As long as he doesn't fall in love with the shot and stop looking to drive it'll be a help to the team.

[Greenbean]

Rajon's been legitimately decent at that 3 pt shot for awhile now - remember him sinking 2 in a row to keep us afloat against Cleveland in Game 5 2 years ago?  Problem is a lot of his shots are end of quarter full court heaves, so his percentages don't reflect it. 

I think we'll see Rondo use the 3 as a weapon more in the future - heck, he already puts up numbers like Jason Kidd, so why not start spotting up for 3 like Jason Kidd?  As long as he doesn't fall in love with the shot and stop looking to drive it'll be a help to the team.

Exactly. One thing Kidd never had wasa pull up game though and I think RR aspires to master that as well.

[I Love Getting Rondod]

Exactly. One thing Kidd never had wasa pull up game though and I think RR aspires to master that as well.

Well after about a decade he developed a decent pull up game, Rondo looks poised to do that within a couple more years.  We want him to develop a midrange game so that he'll stop getting hammered in mid air so much and save his body from breaking down when he hits 30 a la Kevin Johnson, who had a very similar game and talent level.

[LarBrd33]

I said it in another thread...  I use to watch Detlef Schrempf warm up before Sonics games in the mid 90s and I'd see him take around 100 shots and seem to miss 2 at most.  Professional basketball players don't usually miss shots when they aren't in the middle of a game.

Rondo hitting 8 of 11 three pointers outside of a game doesn't really impress me much.  Pressure and defense does a lot to hurt a shooter.   Maybe there was a LITTLE pressure in that silly HORSE game, but nothing comparable to an actual game situation when players are winded, time is critical, the pressure is huge and guys are running at you.

(Btw... I don't think the three point shootout gives you an accurate idea either.  There is an element of pressure and the players are rushing to shoot.   Watch these guys before a game... they don't miss)

[jambr380]

I said it in another thread...  I use to watch Detlef Schrempf warm up before Sonics games in the mid 90s and I'd see him take around 100 shots and seem to miss 2 at most.  Professional basketball players don't usually miss shots when they aren't in the middle of a game.

Rondo hitting 8 of 11 three pointers outside of a game doesn't really impress me much.  Pressure and defense does a lot to hurt a shooter.   Maybe there was a LITTLE pressure in that silly HORSE game, but nothing comparable to an actual game situation when players are winded, time is critical, the pressure is huge and guys are running at you.

(Btw... I don't think the three point shootout gives you an accurate idea either.  There is an element of pressure and the players are rushing to shoot.   Watch these guys before a game... they don't miss)

Rondo wasn't just spotting up at the top of the key during the Horse contest- before the [unfair] end, he was nailing shots from out of bounds, almost with ease. I understand that when players are just shooting around, they don't miss many shots, but to be honest, if I had never seen either player, I wouldn't know who really is the better shooter between Durant and Rondo.

And honestly, players don't hit 98/100 shots during the three-point contest- not even close. Rondo's percentage was better than everybody in the three-point contest.

[BballTim]

I said it in another thread...  I use to watch Detlef Schrempf warm up before Sonics games in the mid 90s and I'd see him take around 100 shots and seem to miss 2 at most.  Professional basketball players don't usually miss shots when they aren't in the middle of a game.

Rondo hitting 8 of 11 three pointers outside of a game doesn't really impress me much.  Pressure and defense does a lot to hurt a shooter.   Maybe there was a LITTLE pressure in that silly HORSE game, but nothing comparable to an actual game situation when players are winded, time is critical, the pressure is huge and guys are running at you.

(Btw... I don't think the three point shootout gives you an accurate idea either.  There is an element of pressure and the players are rushing to shoot.   Watch these guys before a game... they don't miss)

  He's made like 9 out of his last 20.

[ScoobyDoo]

Does anyone have video of that shootout with Durant? I think I erased it if it was the friday night segment. I'd liek to see it though.

[LarBrd33]

I said it in another thread...  I use to watch Detlef Schrempf warm up before Sonics games in the mid 90s and I'd see him take around 100 shots and seem to miss 2 at most.  Professional basketball players don't usually miss shots when they aren't in the middle of a game.

Rondo hitting 8 of 11 three pointers outside of a game doesn't really impress me much.  Pressure and defense does a lot to hurt a shooter.   Maybe there was a LITTLE pressure in that silly HORSE game, but nothing comparable to an actual game situation when players are winded, time is critical, the pressure is huge and guys are running at you.

(Btw... I don't think the three point shootout gives you an accurate idea either.  There is an element of pressure and the players are rushing to shoot.   Watch these guys before a game... they don't miss)

Rondo wasn't just spotting up at the top of the key during the Horse contest- before the [unfair] end, he was nailing shots from out of bounds, almost with ease. I understand that when players are just shooting around, they don't miss many shots, but to be honest, if I had never seen either player, I wouldn't know who really is the better shooter between Durant and Rondo.

And honestly, players don't hit 98/100 shots during the three-point contest- not even close. Rondo's percentage was better than everybody in the three-point contest.

You didn't read what I said.  I said that the three point contest was different, because it involves pressure, and the players are being rushed. 

But yeah... players in warmups will hit pretty much every shot. 

[pengaloo]

Does anyone have video of that shootout with Durant? I think I erased it if it was the friday night segment. I'd liek to see it though.

It's up on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-LKYhuO7aM

[jpd985]

If he is wide open I have no problem with him taking the shot. I just don't want him to make a habit of it though.

[BASS_THUMPER]

yeah jpd985..

he can hit it but dont make it his first option..

[ForexPirate]

love it - rondo sending a message to the rest of the league - won't be his first all star game!!!

[jambr380]

I said it in another thread...  I use to watch Detlef Schrempf warm up before Sonics games in the mid 90s and I'd see him take around 100 shots and seem to miss 2 at most.  Professional basketball players don't usually miss shots when they aren't in the middle of a game.

Rondo hitting 8 of 11 three pointers outside of a game doesn't really impress me much.  Pressure and defense does a lot to hurt a shooter.   Maybe there was a LITTLE pressure in that silly HORSE game, but nothing comparable to an actual game situation when players are winded, time is critical, the pressure is huge and guys are running at you.

(Btw... I don't think the three point shootout gives you an accurate idea either.  There is an element of pressure and the players are rushing to shoot.   Watch these guys before a game... they don't miss)

Rondo wasn't just spotting up at the top of the key during the Horse contest- before the [unfair] end, he was nailing shots from out of bounds, almost with ease. I understand that when players are just shooting around, they don't miss many shots, but to be honest, if I had never seen either player, I wouldn't know who really is the better shooter between Durant and Rondo.

And honestly, players don't hit 98/100 shots during the three-point contest- not even close. Rondo's percentage was better than everybody in the three-point contest.

You didn't read what I said.  I said that the three point contest was different, because it involves pressure, and the players are being rushed. 

But yeah... players in warmups will hit pretty much every shot. 

Yeah, I guess I didn't read the last part of your statement, but I disagree with it anyway. In the shootout during the Horse competition, there was a good amount of pressure. It determined who won and who lost. Also in a three point competition, players can get into a flow, unlike the Horse shoot out where players take turns shooting (like a shoot out in hockey). I guess it all depends on how much of a 'competition' Horse really is.

[twinbree]

I really do like the idea of Rondo getting the 3 pointer down. To me it just looks so much smoother and less herky jerky than his mid-range. It helps the sagging off him problem because his defender at least will think twice about losing track of him.