I'm done with Rondo

[GreenFaith1819]

So was this game an issue of Rondo setting up or trying to set up his teammates in the 1st three qtrs? I was not at the game.

Well at least it appeared that he came alive in the 4th quarter.

I'm not done with Rondo. The best is yet to come with this man.

[snively]

Rondo was pretty stinky in that 3rd quarter, but he was great in the 4th and solid in the first half.  Strangely he ended up with totals almost identical to his season averages: 10 pts, 7 assists, 4 boards, 2 steals and 3 turnovers on 50+% shooting, basically just one bad pass more than what he's been giving us this year.

Yes he can give us more, but the offense isn't really geared that way.  

The main area for him to improve is on D. He could do a bit better crashing the boards and keeping focused in our zone defense, as well as a bit more solid man-to-man, but I haven't been as disappointed with him in this area as most.  I think as such a scrutinized player, his defensive failings are being over-emphasized.

Again, I was at the game, where was his solid first half? I believe he ended it with 2 points, 2 or 3 assists and 2 rebounds. And at least once, the 19-year-old rookie starting point guard for Philly blew by him like he was standing still. Rondo played hard for 10 minutes tonight. And yes, he was the difference in the game. But if he gives us 25 hard minutes a night this team will be blowing out scrub teams like Philly and the Knicks..

I didn't think his defense was bad until the 3rd quarter, when he started to loaf on screens and make bad defensive decisions in the zone.  He wasn't burned by Jrue Holiday at all except for that one terrible display when Holiday got the dunk in the 3rd quarter.  Other than that basket, Holiday was 3-12 with 6 assists and 4 turnovers and two of those buckets came on drives against Eddie.  

Rond actually distributed the ball nicely in the 2nd, helping the C's to close the gap after Kapono single-handedly outscored our 2nd unit.  He did have a ball-handling miscue and a missed pass, though.  He wasn't much of a factor in the first, but he didn't really need to be.  The starters as a unit were playing well and KG was marching to the foul line.

[QuinielaBox]

haha, the i think the power button is on now

Tonight is going to give me a heart attack..and I am 19.

Oh Dear, I am 50 and did not suscribe to LP. And my blood pressure has dropped 

[vinnie]

I will try to make this my last post on the topic -- at least in this thread. I really like Rajon Rondo. He is a freakish athlete and has incredible potential. But, he does not come to play every game and some nights he comes to play for parts of the game, like tonight. He did absolutely nothing in the first half. He had 2 points, 2 rebounds and 2 or 3 assists. He drove to the basket 5 or 6 times, a couple of them where he could have made easy layups, but on all of them he kicked it out, sometimes awkwardly, or forced a bad pass or two inside. He did even less offensively in the third quarter and his defense slakced. In the 4th quarter he put on a display for about 8 minutes. He finished his drives, he played hard on defense and he had 3 or 4 nice, unforced dishes.

So all I am asking is this. Is it wrong to want the guy to play hard the majority of the time he is on the court? Is it wrong to want him to finish drives to the hoop where he is going to have an easy layup? Is it wrong to ask him to dig in on defense for most of the game? The guy is in his 4th year and just signed a large contract extention that kicks in next year. He really needs to work hard to make this team run smoothly and not sit back and hope that his freskish athletic ability will be enough.

[crownsy]

the negativity around this place absolutely sux lately.  the team is in a slump and people are acting as if it is all or nothing.  its ok to be critical, but people around here are making irrational posts, like it is life or death with each game.  not to mention the team playing less than 15 games this season.  rip me if you all want to, but it sucks around here!

TP4U, im actually very close to taking a hiatus from the blog. The outright negativity and viciousness against everyone even when we win is a big let down.

Every time i visit, the forums are exactly like they are now, 6 bash topics, and the one positive topic " I got a feeling" is being invaded as well.

People are of course entitled to criticize and the team is not playing anything approaching championship basketball, but there's no discussion going on right now, only ripping down and negativity.

Frankly it's getting to be a chore rather than fun to check the forums. I come by to see what my friends are saying, but for every one of those posts there's 20 "OMG this team sucks, trade everyone!" posts.

[Celtzfan8617]

the negativity around this place absolutely sux lately.  the team is in a slump and people are acting as if it is all or nothing.  its ok to be critical, but people around here are making irrational posts, like it is life or death with each game.  not to mention the team playing less than 15 games this season.  rip me if you all want to, but it sucks around here!

TP4U, im actually very close to taking a hiatus from the blog. The outright negativity and viciousness against everyone even when we win is a big let down.

Every time i visit, the forums are exactly like they are now, 6 bash topics, and the one positive topic " I got a feeling" is being invaded as well.

People are of course entitled to criticize and the team is not playing anything approaching championship basketball, but there's no discussion going on right now, only ripping down and negativity.

Frankly it's getting to be a chore rather than fun to check the forums. I come by to see what my friends are saying, but for every one of those posts there's 20 "OMG this team sucks, trade everyone!" posts.

Haha isn't that what being a sports fan is all about, ripping on your favorite team when their down and claiming you always believed when they are up? 

[vinnie]

Doc says the same thing about Rondo that I said. Maybe he says it a litle more diplomatically. Here is his quote:

"[Rondo] has a gear," Rivers said. We would like him in that gear a little bit more, obviously, but he picks and chooses and sometimes in the right way.

[RJ87]

I will try to make this my last post on the topic -- at least in this thread. I really like Rajon Rondo. He is a freakish athlete and has incredible potential. But, he does not come to play every game and some nights he comes to play for parts of the game, like tonight. He did absolutely nothing in the first half. He had 2 points, 2 rebounds and 2 or 3 assists. He drove to the basket 5 or 6 times, a couple of them where he could have made easy layups, but on all of them he kicked it out, sometimes awkwardly, or forced a bad pass or two inside. He did even less offensively in the third quarter and his defense slakced. In the 4th quarter he put on a display for about 8 minutes. He finished his drives, he played hard on defense and he had 3 or 4 nice, unforced dishes.

So all I am asking is this. Is it wrong to want the guy to play hard the majority of the time he is on the court? Is it wrong to want him to finish drives to the hoop where he is going to have an easy layup? Is it wrong to ask him to dig in on defense for most of the game? The guy is in his 4th year and just signed a large contract extention that kicks in next year. He really needs to work hard to make this team run smoothly and not sit back and hope that his freskish athletic ability will be enough.

Its not too much to ask... but I think a lot of the criticism of Rondo is just sometimes ridiculous.

Yes, he could play more consistently, he's only 23 and I believe he will get it sooner rather than later. But even when the guy is playing great, fans still rip into him. When things aren't going well, Rondo suddenly becomes the only player on the team.

Just seems like some have decided to hate him no matter what, so he can't win for losing.

[crownsy]

the negativity around this place absolutely sux lately.  the team is in a slump and people are acting as if it is all or nothing.  its ok to be critical, but people around here are making irrational posts, like it is life or death with each game.  not to mention the team playing less than 15 games this season.  rip me if you all want to, but it sucks around here!

TP4U, im actually very close to taking a hiatus from the blog. The outright negativity and viciousness against everyone even when we win is a big let down.

Every time i visit, the forums are exactly like they are now, 6 bash topics, and the one positive topic " I got a feeling" is being invaded as well.

People are of course entitled to criticize and the team is not playing anything approaching championship basketball, but there's no discussion going on right now, only ripping down and negativity.

Frankly it's getting to be a chore rather than fun to check the forums. I come by to see what my friends are saying, but for every one of those posts there's 20 "OMG this team sucks, trade everyone!" posts.

Haha isn't that what being a sports fan is all about, ripping on your favorite team when their down and claiming you always believed when they are up? 

I guess for some it is.

For me, it's about supporting your team and actually analyzing why they aren't playing well, which some, including some of the more reasoned posters in this thread are doing.

But judging by the threads and ridiculous posts coming out on the blog lately, apparently for most it's about ripping your own team and making up crazy trade scenarios, along with some "we have no chance, this team is worthless" posts thrown in.

[Bahku]

the negativity around this place absolutely sux lately.  the team is in a slump and people are acting as if it is all or nothing.  its ok to be critical, but people around here are making irrational posts, like it is life or death with each game.  not to mention the team playing less than 15 games this season.  rip me if you all want to, but it sucks around here!

TP4U, im actually very close to taking a hiatus from the blog. The outright negativity and viciousness against everyone even when we win is a big let down.

Every time i visit, the forums are exactly like they are now, 6 bash topics, and the one positive topic " I got a feeling" is being invaded as well.

People are of course entitled to criticize and the team is not playing anything approaching championship basketball, but there's no discussion going on right now, only ripping down and negativity.

Frankly it's getting to be a chore rather than fun to check the forums. I come by to see what my friends are saying, but for every one of those posts there's 20 "OMG this team sucks, trade everyone!" posts.

Haha isn't that what being a sports fan is all about, ripping on your favorite team when their down and claiming you always believed when they are up? 

I guess for some it is.

For me, it's about supporting your team and actually analyzing why they aren't playing well, which some, including the OP are doing.

But judging by the threads and ridiculous posts coming out on the blog lately, apparently for most it's about ripping your own team and making up crazy trade scenarios, along with some "we have no chance, this team is worthless" posts thrown in.

I agree, Crownsy ... and I guess the rest of us need to combat this negativity by having more of these optimistic threads, as it's really the only way to silence this endless trade crap, (other than the team being perfect).

I have been so discouraged by the negativity and trade threads ... seems there's 4 or 5 on the "latest" list at any one time, and it makes me crazy. You don't save a sinking ship by making the leak bigger, you do what you have to in order to plug the hole.

This is a great team going through a down-time, and like every other team, they'll pull out of it. I think people are forgetting the kind of talent and grit and hard work that these guys have already proven they're capable of.

This is a temporary funk, and I'm honestly not very worried about it ... they'll do what they need to and be back on top very soon. (TP)

[Chris]

the negativity around this place absolutely sux lately.  the team is in a slump and people are acting as if it is all or nothing.  its ok to be critical, but people around here are making irrational posts, like it is life or death with each game.  not to mention the team playing less than 15 games this season.  rip me if you all want to, but it sucks around here!

TP4U, im actually very close to taking a hiatus from the blog. The outright negativity and viciousness against everyone even when we win is a big let down.

Every time i visit, the forums are exactly like they are now, 6 bash topics, and the one positive topic " I got a feeling" is being invaded as well.

People are of course entitled to criticize and the team is not playing anything approaching championship basketball, but there's no discussion going on right now, only ripping down and negativity.

Frankly it's getting to be a chore rather than fun to check the forums. I come by to see what my friends are saying, but for every one of those posts there's 20 "OMG this team sucks, trade everyone!" posts.

Haha isn't that what being a sports fan is all about, ripping on your favorite team when their down and claiming you always believed when they are up? 

I guess for some it is.

For me, it's about supporting your team and actually analyzing why they aren't playing well, which some, including some of the more reasoned posters in this thread are doing.

But judging by the threads and ridiculous posts coming out on the blog lately, apparently for most it's about ripping your own team and making up crazy trade scenarios, along with some "we have no chance, this team is worthless" posts thrown in.

I kind of take offense to this.  This is kind of a "real fan" post, and those drive me nuts.  Everyone here is a real fan, and always support their team.  But at the same time, we sometimes look for solutions to percieved problems, or just need a place to vent about them playing so far below their potential.  To me, this site (or any forum like it) is not just about "supporting" your team, it is about discussing the team you love (or hate) with other fans, to share our opinions.  

[greenwise]

the negativity around this place absolutely sux lately.  the team is in a slump and people are acting as if it is all or nothing.  its ok to be critical, but people around here are making irrational posts, like it is life or death with each game.  not to mention the team playing less than 15 games this season.  rip me if you all want to, but it sucks around here!

TP4U, im actually very close to taking a hiatus from the blog. The outright negativity and viciousness against everyone even when we win is a big let down.

Every time i visit, the forums are exactly like they are now, 6 bash topics, and the one positive topic " I got a feeling" is being invaded as well.

People are of course entitled to criticize and the team is not playing anything approaching championship basketball, but there's no discussion going on right now, only ripping down and negativity.

Frankly it's getting to be a chore rather than fun to check the forums. I come by to see what my friends are saying, but for every one of those posts there's 20 "OMG this team sucks, trade everyone!" posts.

Haha isn't that what being a sports fan is all about, ripping on your favorite team when their down and claiming you always believed when they are up? 

I guess for some it is.

For me, it's about supporting your team and actually analyzing why they aren't playing well, which some, including some of the more reasoned posters in this thread are doing.

But judging by the threads and ridiculous posts coming out on the blog lately, apparently for most it's about ripping your own team and making up crazy trade scenarios, along with some "we have no chance, this team is worthless" posts thrown in.

TP for you. Too many negative threads and anxiety.

[Chris]

This is a temporary funk, and I'm honestly not very worried about it ... they'll do what they need to and be back on top very soon. (TP)

That's your opinion though.  There are a lot of people on here who clearly feel (or at least fear) that it is not the case, and want to discuss that.  I don't see how complaining about people having a different opinion than you helps anything.

[RJ87]

This is a temporary funk, and I'm honestly not very worried about it ... they'll do what they need to and be back on top very soon. (TP)

That's your opinion though.  There are a lot of people on here who clearly feel (or at least fear) that it is not the case, and want to discuss that.  I don't see how complaining about people having a different opinion than you helps anything.

but even though they're not playing great, they're still winning. If you didn't know the Celt's record and just came to this board, you'd think it was 06-07 again and we were back in the middle of the 24 game losing streak.

Its one thing to be concerned and discuss it, but people are acting like the ship is sinking fast so they need to jump off...

[Chris]

This is a temporary funk, and I'm honestly not very worried about it ... they'll do what they need to and be back on top very soon. (TP)

That's your opinion though.  There are a lot of people on here who clearly feel (or at least fear) that it is not the case, and want to discuss that.  I don't see how complaining about people having a different opinion than you helps anything.

but even though they're not playing great, they're still winning. If you didn't know the Celt's record and just came to this board, you'd think it was 06-07 again and we were back in the middle of the 24 game losing streak.

Its one thing to be concerned and discuss it, but people are acting like the ship is sinking fast so they need to jump off...

Ummm, no, it was completely different in 06-07.  It wasn't all negative like it is now.  Right now, the majority of things I see here are people looking for ways to fix this team that is floundering, and playing below their potention.  In 06-07, after the first 7 or 8 losses, everyone had moved on, and was more focussed on tanking for the draft than anything else.  The overall mood was completely different.