Rondo leaves Team USA

[Roy H.]

 
On a team bursting with talent, scoring, and ego, you need a few role players with high IQ and low EGO to make things run smoothly.  Rondo was THAT guy--he's the best role player in the game.

I agree that the team needs people who are willing to embrace being a role player. 

However, I think you're the first person to ever call Rondo "low ego".  Everything we've read about this kid for the past three seasons is that he has a very, very healthy ego.

[Assassin70]

I doubt he was getting cut.

Why so?  Last night Rondo mentioned that he felt he might be the one to be cut.

As a gambling man (going to Foxwoods/MGM this weekend btw ) My guess is...Rondo was told he was at the very least on the bubble.  Instead of getting cut he decided to leave.

I would bet my next year salary against anyones .02$ that this is the real story.  Could I be 100% wrong, yes...but that is what I think.

[Finkelskyhook]

It's all good.

Collossal waste of time.

[Tai]

I doubt he was getting cut.

Why so?  Last night Rondo mentioned that he felt he might be the one to be cut.

True, but Coach K did say that he was trying out other guys to see how they played, which was why Rondo and Granger supposedly sat vs Spain. Even when you consider the quote about not wanting 2 non-shooters on the floor, assuming Odom was gonna start instead of Chandler, then Rondo would be the only non-shooter in the starting lineup. Nothing Coach K says guarantees he'd be cut. 

All Rondo did was recite his DNP.

I mean, if I wanted to speculate (which is why I have a problem with it), then for all we know, he could've told Coach K he wanted to withdraw before the game with Spain, so Coach K put out a lineup as if Team USA was moving on without Rondo. *shrugs*

[Prof. Clutch]

[dang]! I was looking forward to watching him play with guys like Durant, Iguodala, and Gay. Oh well...

[Who]

I would have been very surprised if Rondo failed to make the team given his performances + the performances of his rivals for that position.

I don't think this has anything to do with his chances of making the roster.

[BballTim]

 
On a team bursting with talent, scoring, and ego, you need a few role players with high IQ and low EGO to make things run smoothly.  Rondo was THAT guy--he's the best role player in the game.

I agree that the team needs people who are willing to embrace being a role player. 

However, I think you're the first person to ever call Rondo "low ego".  Everything we've read about this kid for the past three seasons is that he has a very, very healthy ego.

  He plays with a small(ish) ego, more interested in getting the team a win than his own stats. It's also worth noting that, with all the comments about how the team lacks in experience, he's probably played in more big games than the entire roster (aside from Billups and Odom) combined. How many players on the team have even been into the 2nd round of the playoffs?

[Assassin70]

Silver lining to this whole ordeal is Rondo cant be blamed when USA doesn't bring home the Gold this year.

Which to be honest with you all is something I didn't think they would do with or without Rondo on the team.

The team is poorly constructed for the FIBA game.  They will lose to Greece or Spain in the tourney.

Kevin Durant
Derrick Rose
Rudy Gay
Lamar Odom
Chauncey Billups
Danny Granger
Russell Westbrook
Eric Gordon
Stephen Curry
Kevin Love
Tyson Chandler
Andre Iguodala

Please!!!

A better constructed more cohesive Team USA got beat by Greece in the last world tourney.

Joe Johnson
Kirk Hinrich
LeBron James
Elton Brand
Carmelo Anthony
Shane Battier
Dwyane Wade
Chris Paul
Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard
Antawn Jamison
Brad Miller

This team would beat our current Team USA 4 years ago and if they suited up today!

Not to mention going in to that Greece game they looked and played waaay better then our current team does.  They played smarter and were more team oriented.

[Drucci]

Surprising news. I still can't decide wheter it's a "I withdraw before I get cut" move or a "I really have family issues so I withdraw".

Disappointing news since I wanted to see how Rondo fared in the FIBA game, if he could still be a very good player without a reliable jumper.

But on the other hand I'm relieved he won't take the risk of getting injured or tired before the season starts.

[Scribbles]

Didn't this happen before with a a player on Team USA a few years ago, where the player left for "personal reason's" and then a few days later it came out in the media that the player was going to get cut but they didn't want to publicly say it so they gave him the option of getting cut or saying he had off court issues to deal with and leave?

Either way, I don't care. Rondo needs the rest. 

[guava_wrench]

Didn't this happen before with a a player on Team USA a few years ago, where the player left for "personal reason's" and then a few days later it came out in the media that the player was going to get cut but they didn't want to publicly say it so they gave him the option of getting cut or saying he had off court issues to deal with and leave?

Either way, I don't care. Rondo needs the rest. 

Gilbert Arenas

[BballTim]

I would have been very surprised if Rondo failed to make the team given his performances + the performances of his rivals for that position.

  I'd agree, but then people seem to be pretty happy with Rose's game (13 points, 5/12 shooting, 3 assists, 5 turnovers) so there's no accounting for taste.

  I'm glad because I won't be trying to watch any more of that crap. Watching a team scrimmage isn't bad, but when they start talking about scrimmage mvps my interest quickly wanes.

[Celtics4ever]

I hope Rondo uses this talk for fuel for the season.  I am glad he will get some rest.

[Gomesfan]

I think he is taking the easy way out for his ego, not saying I don't like Rondo or look at him any differently than I did yesterday. But that is what I think. I think he feels like it would be public humility and the team gave him the option to do so, so his status what ever it is would not be effected ie. endorsements!

[Vermont Green]

"It's not so much what Rajon has to show, it's what our team needs. We've found a good lineup, and the international game is so different from the NBA game, you can ask any of these guys," Krzyzewski said. "Part of it is to make sure that we try not to have two non-shooters out on the court, and there's the physicality, too.

"Derrick right now being with Chauncey is a good [combination], and Stephen, he provides a different thing, because if they are going under [screens] and they keep going under on him, then he has a 3. So it forces another team to change the way they defend our team. So it's things like that, and how we feel strategy-wise what'll be best for the team."

I think Coach K is right on target with this.  He doing everything but coming right out and saying that Rondo doesn't shoot well enough to be an effective PG in the international game.  Rondo's shooting is a problem for the Celtics too.  I agree with Coach K and I would rather have Rose or Westbrook (although I am not so sure about Curry).  This doesn't mean I don't like Rondo, it is just a fair assessment of his ability in my opinion.  

When the defense can sag off your PG the way they can with Rondo, it causes problems.  It makes team defense a whole lot easier.