About Rondo... maybe it's Doc's call that he's fishing for steals instead of keeping his man in front of him. I think I wouldn't mind him letting his man past him as long as -and here it is- defensive rotations can make up for his gambles.
I can guarantee it's not Doc's call. In fact, this exact issue came up earlier, and Doc said he doesn't like the practice (See here.) He indicated that any time you let the opposing point guard into the paint, something bad is likely to happen. At the time, Rondo agreed, and said he was going to play more fundamental defense this year. So much for that.
Rondo's doing a significantly better job of keeping his man in front of him this year. But if Rondo does get beat or his guy gets past him because of a pick, what then? If he swipes at the ball there's a good chance he'll knock it loose. It's a smart play. Only then half the people here will claim that he let his guy get past him on purpose to try for the steal.
You're also using quotes based on Rondo's play last year. What I've seen from Doc, his comments about Rondo's defense is generally pretty favorable.
Just about everyone on this board has seen a lot of defensive lapses from Rondo early this year. We've had multiple topics on the fact that he appears disinterested and lazy, going for steals instead of the fundamental play. That's consistent with my own view, as well.
Anyway, my post was in response to the thought that maybe Doc wanted Rondo to filter guards to our big men. I guarantee that's not the case.
Watch any point guard in the league and you'll see numerous defensive lapses in 12 games. Trust me, it's true.
We've played 12 games. He's holding most of the opposing pgs to at or below their averages. They're getting significantly fewer inside shots than they did last year. His assist/turnover ratio is double what he allows. In short, he's had a few bad games but he's playing generally better than he did last year when he was 2nd team all-defense.
Will he ever be good enough for people here? I doubt it, when his game is dissected to the point that deflections he causes are discounted because sometimes the deflections go to the other team.
BBallTim's right. Rondo has improved this season in terms of keeping guys in front of him and limiting his gambling tendencies. He's had a few poor defensive games as well, but overall he's improved. That's all you can expect right now--gradual improvement.
I'd also point out (once again), that Rondo usually gambles if he sees that the big hasn't blitzed enough to stop the initial point of penetration on the pick-and-roll. He's basically trying to do too much and cover for the mistakes of his teammates. It's a problem he needs to correct, because you should never break defensive discipline simply because your teammates have done so--it just weakens the overall defensive consistency, creating a feedback loop of defensive gambling and a lack of discipline. His heart is in the right place, but those plays are the equivalent of hero shots on the offensive end. As he matures, he'll continue to do a better job limiting them.
One other thing: with the way the rules are structured (limiting hand-checking, for example), it's basically impossible to stop point guard dribble penetration, something even Doc Rivers has admitted. Some people expect Rondo to be a 'shut-down' defender at the point guard--problem is, it's impossible with the rules currently in place.
That said, relative to point guard defense around the league, Rondo's at or near the top
