I wonder If????

[KGs Knee]

I wonder if the dinner-meeting the Big 3 had towards the end of the season was about them finally realizing they had to relinquish control of the offense to Rondo?  Now that Rondo is dominating in these playoffs, we are slowly starting to hear small comments here and there from each of the Big 3 about this.  If so , then I'm glad they were able to make this kind of concession.  Each of them are leaders on this team still, but the offense definetly is in Rondo's hands for good.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I wonder myself if they were discussing Iron Man 2.

[thirstyboots18]

I wonder if the dinner-meeting the Big 3 had towards the end of the season was about them finally realizing they had to relinquish control of the offense to Rondo?  Now that Rondo is dominating in these playoffs, we are slowly starting to hear small comments here and there from each of the Big 3 about this.  If so , then I'm glad they were able to make this kind of concession.  Each of them are leaders on this team still, but the offense definetly is in Rondo's hands for good.

  Well said!

[KGs Knee]

I wonder if the dinner-meeting the Big 3 had towards the end of the season was about them finally realizing they had to relinquish control of the offense to Rondo?  Now that Rondo is dominating in these playoffs, we are slowly starting to hear small comments here and there from each of the Big 3 about this.  If so , then I'm glad they were able to make this kind of concession.  Each of them are leaders on this team still, but the offense definetly is in Rondo's hands for good.

  Well said!

Thanks.  It's really just a feeling I have, not too sure if there is any merit.

[Roy Hobbs]

Honestly, Rondo's game has picked up a bit in the playoffs, but he's not *that* much different than he was in the regular season. 

I think it's likely that there were some growing pains near the beginning of the season related to Rondo's role, but I think that by the end of the year, everyone had fully accepted Rondo's place on the team.

[Birdbrain]

About the chemistry ( not really ) issue.

Rondo in game 4 of Cavs series put Boston on his back and saved their season.

From that point forward though ironically Boston started to surge because Rondo pulled back from dominating the ball.

So in conclusion the chemistry ( not really ) issues were minor in the grand scheme of things and health and team ball are the main reasons for the turn around.... although chemistry issues do illicit way more responses I'll give you that.

[thirstyboots18]

KG'sKnee, I think it was more than the dinner, although that was probably part of it.  It has to be hard to recognize new dynamics in an already proven winning scheme, but I think that has been accomplished with Rondo.  The big three are still leaders, but actually they all are leaders, each in his own position, and the others had to come to grips with that fact.  The Jackie McMullen interview on WEEI gave reasons why that took a while...and she knows the inside stuff that you and I can only guess at. Ultimately she agreed with us.  And yes, these things are what "chemistry" and trusting your team mates are all about, IMO.

[Drucci]

I wonder myself if they were discussing Iron Man 2.

[LarBrd33]

Whether it was discussed in that meeting, I don't know... but it's now been confirmed by both KG and Pierce that what I've been speculating about all year was indeed true.   The Big 3 came to this team with 3 big egos, all stars of their team... and each decided to sacrifice to work together.  Nowhere in that plan did they expect to also let some cocky arrogant kid join their elite table and run their offense.   KG mentioned in a recent post game that there had been chemistry issues this year, but that they finally "found a way for Rondo to fit in"...  Pierce in an interview during game 2 of the Orlando series admitted that they were now letting Rondo completely control the offense from start to finish.  He pointed out that during the 08 season the ball basically ran through himself and KG.   Even during this season I'd see Rondo running the show for 3 and a half quarters and then drift off into the corner towards the end of the game as Pierce tried his isolation commando routine.

I'm not saying it was the only problem this season, but there was clearly a transitional period where the Big 3 had to accept that neither of them was now the best player on the team.  I don't know why anyone finds this far-fetched?   I remember rumors as far back as when Joe Johnson was a rookie that after Joe Johnson had a few good games, Pierce and Antoine Walker basically refused to speak to him.   I love the star vets, but I think they might have been a little slow to accept Rondo as being on their level.  I gotta figure part of that was their own stubbornness, part of it was distrust... and part of it was probably them making sure Rondo played the RIGHT WAY when he finally did get a ticket to the exclusive table.

[Birdbrain]

I don't find it far fetched at all. Common sense would tell you that Rondo taking on a bigger role with regards to 3 HOFs may ruffle some feathers.  He's hard headed and they are hard headed which is why they are so special.  So while I believe they had issues it was so understandable that I don't believe it was anywhere near the issue that some around here think it was/is.  But if you want to take some one off comments from Pierce and KG (basically talking about things every team goes through) as some sort of I told you so comments then by all means.

I'll stick with what I know and that's injuries and rhythm which is also partly due to the injuries. 

That isn't very glamorous though where as internal strife is.

[thirstyboots18]

I don't find it far fetched at all. Common sense would tell you that Rondo taking on a bigger role with regards to 3 HOFs may ruffle some feathers.  He's hard headed and they are hard headed which is why they are so special.  So while I believe they had issues it was so understandable that I don't believe it was anywhere near the issue that some around here think it was/is.  But if you want to take some one off comments from Pierce and KG (basically talking about things every team goes through) as some sort of I told you so comments then by all means.

I'll stick with what I know and that's injuries and rhythm which is also partly due to the injuries.  

That isn't very glamorous though where as internal strife is.

I agree with you, Birdbrain, and have been saying that for a couple months now.  But the great thing about this team is that now, healthy, they have been  working out what ever little disagreements and personality quirks bothered them, to come together and play at the highest level.  Effort by all and a commitment to do it as a team has caused them to leave their individual  ego's, once again, at the door and exchange that for a "team" ego.

[Q_FBE]

I just am thankfully the Celtics found their game. Now I am looking for just 6 more Celtic wins between now and Father's Day. I did wonder what was going on with the 27 and 27 Celtics team the last two-thirds of the season that had the media and blog members turned off (including me). Glad everyone stayed with it. 

[BudweiserCeltic]

I think the chemistry thing has been a bit overblown. Surely there were issues with adaptability, but Rondo's role isn't really that new. Since late 2008 he has had control of our offense. As his game improves and changes, new adaptations need to occur. But, this is not much different than what Rondo was doing in the 2009 playoffs. He's simply become more consistent.

Injuries also didn't help matters, since when our main guys got injured, Rondo had to play a bit of a different role, and when the guys returned it's a bit hard to change back to the way it was.

So more than the Big 3 having problems, I think it was more of Rondo learning how to incorporate his game as effectively as possible to our scheme.

[More Banners]

Pierce looked next to him one day at Ray and KG and thought, "These are some seriously skinny dudes.  This isn't the Ethiopian league...I've got to fatten them up if we're going to win it this year."

And they had dinner.

When Rondo develops that sort of subtle leadership touch, the team will truly be his.

[thirstyboots18]

I think the chemistry thing has been a bit overblown. Surely there were issues with adaptability, but Rondo's role isn't really that new. Since late 2008 he has had control of our offense. As his game improves and changes, new Cto play a bit of a different role, and when the guys returned it's a bit hard to change back to the way it was.

So more than the Big 3 having problems, I think it was more of Rondo learning how to incorporate his game as effectively as possible to our scheme.

Chemistry can be a huge factor (emphasis on "can be").  However, on this team, apparently the members want to win badly enough to make sure chemistry problems are met head on and handled....therefore...no real chemistry problems are allowed to fester.  If the Big 3 hadn't handled things the way they did, Rondo might not have developed into the unselfish point guard that he is.