Should Rondo be taking the last shot?

[EJPLAYA]

NEVER! I am so sick of seeing our worst outside shooter take the last shots at the end of quarters as well. What a wasted posession...

So the better shot would have been a ray allen fall away jumper over two people or a paul pierce forced iso shot?

I disagree. The open look is always the best, and rondo is actually shooting the jumper at a good clip this year.

100% YES! Rondo shoots okay when he steps into a shot off the dribble. That's not what he did. How many times have you seen Rondo hit the game winning jumper from any situation? How many times have you seen Ray knock down a fade away three for a game winner? How many times have you seen Pierce do it? MANY times. You have so many guys on that team that are good shooters. No reason to have your game winner taken by a guy who isn't. 

[CelticG1]

In the words of KG..."get the ball to Paul Pierce and get the Hell out the way!!"

I think you gotta go with Pierce handling the ball in this situation get him the ball as quickly as possible. We had plenty of time to get him the ball somehow some way. I love KG setting a pick for him an popping. Pierce either whip it back to him for KG mid range or Pierce getting to his sweet spot which I think he had going last night.

I do think if Rondo is open like that in the situation last night he has to take the shot. He isn't a 10 year old taking that shot. He is still an NBA player that is certainly capable of making that shot, especially uncovered.

My problem with Rondo handling the ball in a situation like that is that he isn't a good shooter and he is not a good foul shooter. If he decides to drive in the lane I don't see how any team doesn't just try and foul him and send him to the line. Of course he could make both free throws but I'd take that if I was an opposing team than Pierce, Ray, KG, Baby getting a decent open look.

[celtics2]

just absurd letting Rondo take the last shot.

[ToppersBsktball10]

I was yelling for Rondo to take that shot a few seconds before he even set up. He was completely open. It was a great shot. Would you be saying the same thing if Ray missed the same shot? Or what if Rondo made it? Then what would people say? It could be pure luck with either result, or it could be skill.

[JSD]

I went with no.

[Change]

just absurd letting Rondo take the last shot.

Agree.

When you have better option like 3 future HOF. The greatest shooter of all-time in Ray. Rondo should think twice taking that shots. Ill advised shot cost Celtics one game. Its a nice lesson for Rondo. Don't shoot just pass. He won't emulate it again.

[Eja117]

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take

[2dark]

I had a feeling that everything was going wrong from the inbound pass in last 11 sec.
We ve seen so many pick and roll iso plays with ray-ray and PP that I don't understand decision to have rondo deliver the ball the way he did. In a situation where team has 1 foul to give and 11 sec on game clock its wrong to go with him.
Inbound pass to PP iso with him and Ray pick n rolling if they switch PP will make mid range jumpshot over opp SG, if they try to cover normally Ray will get semi contested shot.

Either of that is better than Rondo taking 3 pointer for the win (uncontested or not, remember Rays game winner over Noah...It was not just contested it was great defence!!! But you can't guard type of player like Ray or PP on game deciding play, they will make room and will take a shot, and will make a shot with higher percentage than Rondos uncontested 3).

Should Rondo take this kind of shot? Apsolutely yes! He is NBA player and has to take those shots.
Should Rondo be in the situation to make game winning shot? Apsolutely NO! Thats what p---es me off.

Rondo is a superstar, and I love every part of his game, but if during 2000's player of Shaqs caliber was benched in closing minutes because of his weakness (FTs) I find it normal not to put our superstar in situation where he does not excel.

[Papatrichs]

A last play should begin with Rondo and ends whomever has a better look. I'm more comfortable going inside the paint instead of pulling fadeaway jumpshots.

[GreenEnvy]

Honestly, he definitely should not be taking a make-or-break shot.

Pierce is obviously a very clutch shooter, making countless game-winners. But he is hands down the best clutch ball-handler in the NBA.

I saw a stat on 82games.com that he had the most assists on game-winners to go along with very few turnovers. Couple that with his numerous buzzer-beaters, and there is no reason for Rondo to even be in the position to take that shot.

I know the defense closed Pierce out, but Rondo needs to find a way to get him the ball. He has great court vision in those moments. Isolating him gives him the opportunity to get to his spot or draw a double and find the open man. Just off the top of my head I can recall him getting open game-winning shots for players like Ricky Davis, Delonte West, Eddie House, Ray Allen, and I even think Big Baby against Orlando.

I still don't trust Rondo's jumper in that spot, and even if he drove and got fouled, does anyone really think he knocks down BOTH free throws?

Rondo is great at controlling a whole game, but when it comes to just one play, I want the ball in Pierce's hands.

[radiohead]

Ideally, i would want Ray or Paul to take the last shot. However, the defense gambled and gave Rondo the open look. I have no problem with what Rondo did as the clock was down to around 11 seconds. Yes, maybe he could have called a time out, but instead, he took the three. A lot of us here have been saying that Rondo would be an elite point guard if only he developed an outside shot. I believe taking that three was a huge step in achieving this goal. If he made that shot, maybe this thread would not even exist.

[housecall]

Absolutely Not but sometimes you don't have a choice.

[BballTim]

NEVER! I am so sick of seeing our worst outside shooter take the last shots at the end of quarters as well. What a wasted posession...

So the better shot would have been a ray allen fall away jumper over two people or a paul pierce forced iso shot?

I disagree. The open look is always the best, and rondo is actually shooting the jumper at a good clip this year.

100% YES! Rondo shoots okay when he steps into a shot off the dribble. That's not what he did. How many times have you seen Rondo hit the game winning jumper from any situation? How many times have you seen Ray knock down a fade away three for a game winner? How many times have you seen Pierce do it? MANY times. You have so many guys on that team that are good shooters. No reason to have your game winner taken by a guy who isn't. 

  That's why we won the Finals, right? We just gave the ball to PP and Ray and they scored on almost every possession in the 4th quarter...

[arctic 3.0]

last december we played down to the clips but ended the game with a chance to win it. rondo took the last shot, missed and we lost. at the time i said "no worries, rondo is the future of the team and we have to let him take that shot so that in the future he will be ready to be the last shot man."
that loss started a huge skid that lasted till near the beginning of the playoffs.
  
this time i was frustrated that rondo took that jumper. "why didn't you drive, why didn't you dish, why? then i thought about it and came to the conclusion that he should take the shot, he needs to become the go to guy if we plan on contending after the GPA era. even if we loose the next 6 games or play 500 ball for a month i believe that he made the right choice.

btw, Dallas is by far the deepest, most veteran team we've played this year, and on the tail end of a back to back and 5 games in seven nights stretch we pushed them till the closing seconds. not bad for a bunch of ensure drinking geriatrics.

we will be fresh for miami and just a little hungrier than if we had beaten dallas. so bring it on, THE HEAT ARE MEAT!

[BballTim]

last december we played down to the clips but ended the game with a chance to win it. rondo took the last shot, missed and we lost. at the time i said "no worries, rondo is the future of the team and we have to let him take that shot so that in the future he will be ready to be the last shot man."
that loss started a huge skid that lasted till near the beginning of the playoffs.
  

  We went into a season-long skid because Rondo took and missed a last second shot? I guess it's time for Danny to start rebuilding, because this season must be toast.

  Rondo's clutch scoring rate (from 82games) doubled between 08-09 and 09-10. It's not like he isn't improving. It's not like he isn't taking a  bigger role in the offense this year than last. He's not the future of the team, he's the present. He was last year as well, especially in the playoffs.