Scal calls Rondo the smartest he's ever played with

[JT11]

“He thinks the game like a coach. He thinks of the different types of offense that [he] can use early, that he won’t use late. He’s just on—intellectually, he’s just on a totally different level than any player I’ve ever seen.

“And that’s the thing you have to understand. He’s one of the smartest—I’m just gonna go out there: he’s the smartest basketball player I’ve ever played with, as far as understanding what he needs to do to run that position and what he needs to do for us to score in the fourth quarter. He’s not thinking about the second, he’s not thinking about the first. He’s thinking … ‘Down the stretch, where am I going to go, what am I going to pull out of my back pocket that I know I can go to to win a game?”

Pretty high praise, coming from someone who's played with the likes of Rose and Jason Kidd. I think this is something a lot of people overlook that should definitely be kept in mind, especially as a new Rondo trade surfaces every day.

[BballTim]

  Doc says pretty much the same thing about him.

[Celtics17]

Anytime you have a player that puts together the kind of game Rondo did in the playoffs last year when he scored, rebounded and had assist levels that only Wilt and Oscar have had in the last 40 years you have a very special player. I am always amazed at how many threads want to trade himi.

I know he doesnt shoot that well but so what, Ray doesnt rebound that well and for that matter noone else on the team does either, except Rondo. Rondo is far and away this teams best player and it's not really close anymore. Oh well, who cares I guess since it looks like we many not even have a season this year.

[alley oop]

...

So true, and among the many big time plays of Rondo in the playoffs last year was a win in the balance, rebound and layup, off of a close to the basket miss by Garnett, in one of the victories over the Lakers. There was a telling site immediately after of Garnett with his open hand on top of Rondo’s head.

[paulcowens]

Dwayne Wade knew what he had to do to 'beat' the Celtics.