Sorry if this seems like a first-post-ever slamming of a player. I actually have been posting here during the seasons for a few years now.
I am just sick of Rondo and his lack of basic fundamental basketball knowledge. Don't get me wrong, he's a sick athlete, and he's a top-10 PG in the league, but the fundamental flaws in his game are atrocious. I thought during his first few years that he would be coached out of them, but it hasn't happened yet. Whether Doc is to blame for not teaching it, or Rondo for not listening, I don't know. But a high school coach would pull his hair out over the things Rondo does.
To wit:
1. Wait until your teammate sets a pick before you start to make your move. Rondo costs his team multiple moving screen fouls every game because he's too impatient. It happened throughout the Chicago series last year, and again last night in the 4th with Pierce. As Paul is running up to set a pick on Rondo's man, Rajon starts his move before Pierce is set and Rondo's man runs into a still-moving Pierce. Wait Rondo, wait.
Rondo's not alone in this, as Ray Allen, Eddie House, and Paul Pierce do it on occasion as well.
Further, the pick is about TIMING between the ballhandler and the picker. If either party is off in their timing, it can throw the entire play off. Instead of calling out Rondo, I'd call out both players.
2. Weak side defense. Rondo is constantly cheating off his man and hanging out near the basket hoping to get an offensive rebound. One quick ball-reversal and Mo Williams shoots a wide-open three as Rondo goes flying out after him (too late).
This might be part of the designed defense. Rondo is EXPECTED to be a help defender, and double the ball down low on occasion. And sometimes he's not going to recover in time to stop a three from going up. But I don't think I'd call it cheating--I'd call it playing team defense.
3. Boxing out. Doc apparently doesn't teach this to anyone. The only ones I've seen do this consistently are Garnett and Scal. When a jumper goes up, Rondo has NO FREAKING IDEA where his man is. He just turns and looks at the ball in flight while his man is free to come racing in unimpeded for an offensive board or tip. He got lucky last night that Mo Williams doesn't do this, but Rondo still had no idea where he was when a shot went up.
The thing is, most point guards don't hit the boards because it's there responsibility to get back on defense. What do you want Rondo to do, box out his man from the 3 point line all the way to half court?
It's pretty weird that you can call out the best rebounding point guard in the league for his lack of rebounding fundamentals, when it's Rondo who often makes the other team pay for not boxing him out.
4. Getting picked/switched on defense. Rondo gets picked last night (goes under the pick yet again even though we've read about how he's been practicing going over picks) and was standing right next to KG, Varejao, and Williams. Anyways, the ball was at the top of the key and all Rondo had to do was move around Garnett to follow Williams. Instead, in what seemed like a "I want to take on a good challenge" kind of decision, he decides to post-defend Varejao. Garnett looks at him like he's an idiot, and is forced to either follow Williams or resort to double-teaming Varejao. Just pure laziness or bravado on Rondo's part. If you don't HAVE to switch onto a PF/C, then why do it? Learn how to switch back when the two offensive players come back close to each other.
Yeah, nobody's perfect and in the midst of pick-and-roll defense a guy is sometimes going to get caught out of position. Rondo's pick-and-roll defense has improved greatly this season, in terms of fighting through picks and keeping his man in front of him, even withstanding this ONE play you spelled out that didn't even result in the basket.
5. Hero shots: With six minutes left in the game and about 16 seconds left on the shot clock, Rondo all of a sudden decides that he wants to take his man on and shoot a pull-up jumper from 20 feet out. Didn't make one pass. Just put up his "new jumper" which consisted of his elbow still sticking out like it was 3 o'clock on a grandfather clock.
Bad shot, but no worse the other 9 jump shots by other Celtics during that 4th quarter drought.
I'm not sure what you're seeing on his jumper. To me, he's keeping his elbow tucked much closer to his chest and not perpendicular to the floor as he was earlier in his career. Watch his free throws--it's obvious he's changed his form. It's now a matter of keeping that form every time he shoots.
Don't get me wrong, Rondo is a great on-the-ball defender. He's got quick hands for steals. He pushes the ball in the open court. He keeps balls alive on the offensive boards. He's an amazing finisher around the rim. But he just still hasn't learned some of the most basic fundamentals of the sport of basketball. Things that would get him benched by my high school coach.
I'll root for him, but I'll also pull my hair out doing it.
I don't think it's a question of fundamentals at all. Rondo knows what he has to do, and he does them probably 85-95% of the time. His fundamentals are fine, it's about being fundamental on a consistent basis, something he's gotten better at every year. Give him time and don't expect perfection and your hair might stay in tact.
Topic: Rajon Rondo just doesn't get it. And that's why he doesn't have a new contract. (Read 16315 times)