Solid article. It's been a lot of fun watching Rondo get to where he is right now. There are few players I would rather have leading this team come playoff time than Rajon Rondo. When he's wired in and his teammates are hitting shots, he can put up some incredible performances.
The cool thing about Rondo is that I don't think he's done maturing. You know, I don't think there was a better possible situation for him to come into than this one. His GM is a former allstar point guard. His coach is a former allstar point guard. As a rookie he had to prove himself and earn his minutes... playing backup to both Delonte WEst and Sebastian Telfair as our 3rd string PG.
His second year, we added Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Combined with Paul Pierce, you can't possibly have better role models on a team. It's every end of the spectrum. Ray, the obsessive compulsive consummate professional who is all about preparation, routine and perfection. Then you have KG who is all about intensity, leadership, focus. Pierce is the more laid back of the three with his own unique approach, but seriously can you ask for three better mentors for a young PG with potential? THen late in the season we added Sam Cassell... another veteran former allstar point guard. I'm sure Sam gave Rondo some additional perspective and taught him some lessons. Celtics, of course, go on to win the title with Rondo has the 4th best player. Playoff experience under his belt in a low-pressure situation where the Big 3 carried the majority of the burden.
In year three later we go out and sign Stephon Marbury... a guy who had been an allstar just a couple years. Initially there was some concern that this would rattle Rondo. The thought was, if Rondo struggled he could lose the role to Marbury and that it might bother him to see a vet "allstar calibre" PG breathing down his neck. In actuality, the Marbury signing acted more as a cautionary tale for Rondo. Here's what happens if you don't remain focused and take this game seriously... at any moment you can go from allstar to nobody. I'm sure Rondo managed to pick up a few tricks from Marbury, nonetheless. And it secured his starting position. The franchise (Kevin Garnett) goes out with an injury and an undermanned Celtic team, lead by Rondo, manages to overachieve in the playoffs nonetheless. In that playoff run, Rondo got to assume a leadership role in a low-pressure situation. Once KG was out, nobody really expected the Celtics to do much. More great experience under the kid's belt.
I mean seriously... those first 3 years of his career... you simply can't ask for a better situation for a young PG. I don't think he becomes the star he is today had he merely been drafted by the Warriors or Wizards. It's fantastic to see him on this latest assist streak... seeing him tapped in and focused during the regular season. He'll always be a flawed and limited player due to his shooting ability, but he sure as heck makes up for it in several other ways. Excellent leader on the court. It will be fun to see what happens to his career from here on out. Will he continue to mature? Will the questions about his attitude problems go away? I hope some day he ends up a coach.
Topic: Great Rondo article (Read 1336 times)