Rondo Another Great Game

[BballTim]

Yeah great game...until the last 4 minutes where he deferred to Pierce FAR too much, and put up a PUTRID three pointer with 10 seconds left on the shotclock.  Getting a 2 on that possession could have cut the Magic lead to 1 with 1 min+ to go.  Instead, a TurkeyGlue 3 in transition to make it 6.

Stats and having a great game are not the same thing.  Sure, he hit some jumpers, but most where bad shots.  He was crashing the glass as usual, but I've seen him steal about 20 rebounds from teammates in this series.  It's like all he cares about is his numbers at this point.

I also notice that he's not hitting Ray off the screens.  Yes, Ray is wearing a sleeve on his leg now so maybe he's hurt, but the worst thing a PG can do to a struggling shooter is not give him the ball because of fear he'll miss a shot.

Not a great game in my opinion.

  The three pointer was blocked. And Ray wasn't getting open and not getting the ball. He needs a fair amount of seperation before he'll shoot.

[BballTim]

It's rather tough for any PG to be perfect and Rondo wasn't. However, he wasn't stagnating the offense by holding the ball at the top of the key watching the shot clock evaporate, either.

My point is he spent most of the game attacking - which has been something he really doesn't seem like he wants to do.

I'd agree in the first half - but I think he was little more part of the solution than anyone else to what I saw as brutal ball movement in the second half.  No matter who was handling the ball (a lot of Pierce, a little Rondo), it looked to me like there was plenty of standing around down the stretch, some traveling by the bigs, a couple of ill-advised offensive fouls and some bad passes all around.  The Magic were content to lay off Rondo and let him shoot, and while he hit the two threes, he had to take far more shots from outside the paint than I would have liked.  The inbounds pass late in the game was an out-and-out mess.

Great aggressiveness at times, superb job on the glass all the way through.  But I think Brick makes some valid points here as well.

-sw

  The problem in the second half wsa that Pierce had the ball in his hands too much. Doc (or Paul) was trying to force what wasn't working.

[Steve Weinman]

It's rather tough for any PG to be perfect and Rondo wasn't. However, he wasn't stagnating the offense by holding the ball at the top of the key watching the shot clock evaporate, either.

My point is he spent most of the game attacking - which has been something he really doesn't seem like he wants to do.

I'd agree in the first half - but I think he was little more part of the solution than anyone else to what I saw as brutal ball movement in the second half.  No matter who was handling the ball (a lot of Pierce, a little Rondo), it looked to me like there was plenty of standing around down the stretch, some traveling by the bigs, a couple of ill-advised offensive fouls and some bad passes all around.  The Magic were content to lay off Rondo and let him shoot, and while he hit the two threes, he had to take far more shots from outside the paint than I would have liked.  The inbounds pass late in the game was an out-and-out mess.

Great aggressiveness at times, superb job on the glass all the way through.  But I think Brick makes some valid points here as well.

-sw

  The problem in the second half wsa that Pierce had the ball in his hands too much. Doc (or Paul) was trying to force what wasn't working.

No question that Pierce was the primary ball-handler for much of the second half, and the offense stagnated on his watch as much as anybody.

That said, I can't say I was thrilled with Rondo's decision-making at certain points in the half.

He did plenty of good last night - the rebounding remains excellent, and in the first half, there was plenty to like.  But I wouldn't give him a complete pass for how things went down the stretch.

-sw

[bopna]

The kid should have easily had 10 or 12 assists had money Ray A. not stunk up the place....I have counted what, 3 or 4 good passes from Rondo to Ray that had Allen good shots at the basket and all clanged the rim...He was even given a one last look by RR in the C's final possession to get Ray off his slump but hell no, it still clanged off the rim...

Its a shame that the C's lost last night because our multi million $$$ HOFers arew a no show...When are we ever goin to have a game when all 5 starters click on all cylinders....last night, only Perk and RR showed up...PP was sluggish again, not to mention missed 2 bunnies...and don't start about RA.

[BballTim]

Stats and having a great game are not the same thing.  Sure, he hit some jumpers, but most where bad shots.  He was crashing the glass as usual, but I've seen him steal about 20 rebounds from teammates in this series.  It's like all he cares about is his numbers at this point.

  Most of the jumpers he's taken were late in the shot clock. And I've seen teammates "steal" at least that many rebounds from Rondo. Do they only care about numbers?

[BrickJames]

Sorry, it's hard for me to say our PG had a "great" game when we lost the game, largely on his accord in the 4th quarter.

Wow, some people need to relax.

[crownsy]

Sorry, it's hard for me to say our PG had a "great" game when we lost the game, largely on his accord in the 4th quarter.

Wow, some people need to relax.

you just accused the kid of stealing rebounds from his teammates to pad stats instead of playing team basketball, some people are probably going to defend him on that one don't you think?

I agree with you that he didn't have a great game, i though he was good, but his decisions late hurt us, but I don't see how its shocking that people turn out to defend him from the above claim.

[BrickJames]

Sorry, it's hard for me to say our PG had a "great" game when we lost the game, largely on his accord in the 4th quarter.

Wow, some people need to relax.

you just accused the kid of stealing rebounds from his teammates to pad stats instead of playing team basketball, some people are probably going to defend him on that one don't you think?

I agree with you that he didn't have a great game, i though he was good, but his decisions late hurt us, but I don't see how its shocking that people turn out to defend him from the above claim.

I'm not "accusing" or "claiming" anything.  I am pointing out that it happens.  I said "it's LIKE all he cares about are numbers", not that it IS all he cares about.  Rondo is a great player and if you look at any of my posts since I've joined this site you'll see that's what I've been saying all along.  I just think he is still immature and he's trying to be everywhere at all times instead of just doing what he ought to be doing.

I do say he's rebounding very, very well, but I also point out that he has fought for what should've been uncontested rebounds with Perkins, House, and Pierce on many occasions in this series.  Instead of seeing that a rebound is clearly going to be secured by a teammate and getting out in transition, he's running and jumping over the top of his own teammate to grab boards sometimes.

Coupled with the facts that he did not pass to a wide open Ray Allen on several occasions, that he's taking ill advised jumpshots with far more regularity than going to the hoop, and that he's turning the ball over on inbound passes in key situations, it annoys me.

If you guys think the kid can do no wrong, then so be it. But to post things like "nonsense" and "you don't know what you're talking about" with the only backup being "he had 16 boards!"...I will remind you all that we lost the game.

That is all.

[BrickJames]

please delete this.  i meant to modify and i quoted myself.

[EJPLAYA]

The only thing I had a problem with last night was Rondo's continued lack of hustle getting out on Rafer Alston as he is shooting a three. That final one was a dagger to us and he turned and looked at him and made absolutely no attempt to run out there. He just can't do that. I know he floats at the top there trying to double, but once it is kicked out he has to make an attempt to pressure the shooter.

[crownsy]

The only thing I had a problem with last night was Rondo's continued lack of hustle getting out on Rafer Alston as he is shooting a three. That final one was a dagger to us and he turned and looked at him and made absolutely no attempt to run out there. He just can't do that. I know he floats at the top there trying to double, but once it is kicked out he has to make an attempt to pressure the shooter.

I still wonder if its the sprained ankles slowing him, He hasen't looked right to me the entire post season. I know he's putting up numbers, but he seems to lack that "burst" to start getting up to speed/ closing out he normally does.

[EJPLAYA]

The only thing I had a problem with last night was Rondo's continued lack of hustle getting out on Rafer Alston as he is shooting a three. That final one was a dagger to us and he turned and looked at him and made absolutely no attempt to run out there. He just can't do that. I know he floats at the top there trying to double, but once it is kicked out he has to make an attempt to pressure the shooter.

I still wonder if its the sprained ankles slowing him, He hasen't looked right to me the entire post season. I know he's putting up numbers, but he seems to lack that "burst" to start getting up to speed/ closing out he normally does.

I hope so, because if it is for lack of effort I would be very nervous. He does some things he really shouldn't do in other areas of the game, so it makes me wonder though. (like letting his man get past him and trying to swipe the ball from behind)

[BballTim]

Sorry, it's hard for me to say our PG had a "great" game when we lost the game, largely on his accord in the 4th quarter.

Wow, some people need to relax.

  Rondo is no more to blame for the loss than anyone else, including the coaches.

[BrickJames]

Sorry, it's hard for me to say our PG had a "great" game when we lost the game, largely on his accord in the 4th quarter.

Wow, some people need to relax.

  Rondo is no more to blame for the loss than anyone else, including the coaches.

Agree to disagree.  See what I said a few posts above.

Also see what Doc and Ray had to say:

"They are playing good defense," Rivers said. "They're doing a terrific job. We're trying to get him more space. We certainly have to get him more shots. Even if he doesn't get more shots, he has to touch the ball more. That's on us. But give them credit though, I think they're doing a great job."

Said Allen: "We have to make them pay. There is somebody open. We just have to find them."

[BballTim]

Sorry, it's hard for me to say our PG had a "great" game when we lost the game, largely on his accord in the 4th quarter.

Wow, some people need to relax.

  Rondo is no more to blame for the loss than anyone else, including the coaches.

Agree to disagree.  See what I said a few posts above.

Also see what Doc and Ray had to say:

"They are playing good defense," Rivers said. "They're doing a terrific job. We're trying to get him more space. We certainly have to get him more shots. Even if he doesn't get more shots, he has to touch the ball more. That's on us. But give them credit though, I think they're doing a great job."

Said Allen: "We have to make them pay. There is somebody open. We just have to find them."

  Neither of those quotes are really blaming Rondo for anything. Almost everything I've heard Doc say about Ray not getting shots this series isn't about Rondo not hitting him when he's open, it's about the bigs not doing a good job of setting picks for Ray so that he can get open. That's why he's saying they need to get Ray more space. That's why Ray's saying there must be someone open and we have to find them, not that he was open.

  But I'm not saying everything Rondo did was perfect. I'm saying that everyone else made mistakes. You blame Rondo for deferring to Pierce late in the game. I don't think that it was Rondo's decision, I think it's what the coaches wanted. You blame him for too many jumpers but most of them came when Rondo was given the ball late in the shot clock with no other decent options.