I am very nervous about building our team around Rondo in the future

[hpantazo]

for anyone that has any doubts about how much of Rondo's success is due to the big 3, just look at how poor our team is with Nate running the point instead of Rondo. Did the big 3 make Nate look like a superstar while Rondo was out? Not even close, I was banging my head against the wall watching Nate run the point and couldn't wait for Rondo to come back. Also, look at how well our bench performs when Rondo is out there with them. Rondo is one of, if not the best floor leader in the game today and we are lucky to be able to build a team around him. In the playoffs against the cavs last year he totally outplayed Lebron the whole series.

[looseball]

You build around a superstar, not a PG. Especially when they are limited in their abilities. Players like Jordan, Bird, Kobe, Shaq, etc. If our goal is to build around Rondo then I'm cancelling my League Pass because it won't work. Rondo is a piece around PP and KG. Yes he is arguably the best player on the team right now (although I still argue that KG is right there still), but that doesn't mean that when the others retire that he becomes the central point. He is still a piece around a superstar or two, albiet a great one. He's the type of piece that allows you to be a perennial contender vs. an occasional one like a Dallas or Orlando.

"You build around a superstar, not a PG."   I agree 100%.

You can win without a great PG, or great center; it's been done often enough.  Just look at the last few championship teams.  It requires at least one superstar, another allstar or two, and good balance and depth.  The superstar's position can be anywhere on the court.

The best teams lately seem to be built around power forwards or shooting guards.

[BballTim]

The best teams lately seem to be built around power forwards or shooting guards.

  That's completely random. In the 80s most of the championship teams were built around PGs and SFs.

[looseball]

The best teams lately seem to be built around power forwards or shooting guards.

  That's completely random. In the 80s most of the championship teams were built around PGs and SFs.

Random it is.

[Mazingerz]

Im for the idea that we retain Rondo. Hell if we could acquire Dwight howard or Amare Stoudamire as a big, and have Demar Derozan as PF we could be unstoppable.

[RJ87]

Im for the idea that we retain Rondo. Hell if we could acquire Dwight howard or Amare Stoudamire as a big, and have Demar Derozan as PF we could be unstoppable.

Derozan as a PF?

But yeah, I hope we make a strong run at Dwight in 2012. I think he'd be a great piece along side Rondo. Alleyoops all game.

[Snakehead]

SO how about this Rajon Rondo guy?  I guess he is okay. 

The future looks bright.

[rondohondo]

Rondo just put up 12pts, 22asts, 10 rebs, 6 steal,1 block and a win over the team with the best record in the league without KG in the lineup.

His jump shot from the elbow seems to be improving too, he hit some big jump shots in the 4th quarter.

I am pretty sure Rondo can still be effective after the Big 3 are gone and anyone who says he can't just sounds silly.

Add a player like Josh Smith or Kevin Love  and some athletic wing scorers rondo could easily lead the C's to 50+ wins til 2020.

The C's are now 20-3 with Rondo in the lineup . The offense looked like crap without him.

[byennie]

I think the question with Rondo is not about position, but coming to grips with whether such a poor scorer can be a franchise player.

Considering he just put up 12/10/22 with 6 steals and 1 block and has a habit of averaging triple-doubles in the playoffs, I'd say yes. But it is hard to name a franchise guy who was less of a scorer than Rondo.

I'm pretty sure there are franchise players from any position. I actually had the most trouble picking out SF - lots of good ones but not a ton of #1 guys outside of Bird? Oh wait, LeBron... hrm.

[Roy H.]

If we can surround Rondo with two other all-stars, I think the team will excel.

If you put him on a team with a bunch of mediocre guys and scrubs, we'll end up back in the lottery.

To me, it's really that simple.  Very few guys can win without great teammates.  Pierce couldn't, KG couldn't, Kobe couldn't.  Rondo won't, either.

[rondohondo]

If we can surround Rondo with two other all-stars, I think the team will excel.

If you put him on a team with a bunch of mediocre guys and scrubs, we'll end up back in the lottery.

To me, it's really that simple.  Very few guys can win without great teammates.  Pierce couldn't, KG couldn't, Kobe couldn't.  Rondo won't, either.

Eric Gordon and Dwight Howard or Kevin love in 2012 .

PG: Rondo
SG: Gordon
SF: PP
PF: Love or BBD
 C: Perk or Howard

with Ray and KG coming off the bench for the vet min 

[dpaps]

Im for the idea that we retain Rondo. Hell if we could acquire Dwight howard or Amare Stoudamire as a big, and have Demar Derozan as PF we could be unstoppable.

Derozan is a 2 guard

[GreenFaith1819]

SO how about this Rajon Rondo guy?  I guess he is okay. 

The future looks bright.

Agreed.

Imagine if Rondo was fully polished.....I think if you add a "J" to his game, he'd be better than CP3 or DWill.

He's only 24? The J will come.

[EJPLAYA]

for anyone that has any doubts about how much of Rondo's success is due to the big 3, just look at how poor our team is with Nate running the point instead of Rondo. Did the big 3 make Nate look like a superstar while Rondo was out? Not even close, I was banging my head against the wall watching Nate run the point and couldn't wait for Rondo to come back. Also, look at how well our bench performs when Rondo is out there with them. Rondo is one of, if not the best floor leader in the game today and we are lucky to be able to build a team around him. In the playoffs against the cavs last year he totally outplayed Lebron the whole series.

Really hard to say anything negative about the guy tonight after that performance, however that's not what the point is. The guy is a stud however his shooting is subpar at best. There has been only one example of building a championship team around a PG and that was Isaiah, and he was a complete all around Hall of Fame PG. ONE! No one questions his ability to be a great piece of a championship puzzle. Just not the person to build "around".

Not really a legit comparison considering Nate is a 2 guard, not really a point guard. Stick any starting PG in the league out there with the Big Three and their stats will jump huge. Yes their assists won't be as high, but if they are a scorer they'd be lighting it up as teams doubled off them.

I think you're really mistaken as to his performance with the bench guys. They really struggle as does he when they are out there. He can't make mediocre players stars. He can make stars superstars maybe, but once the Big 3 are gone and no one is left he wouldn't look near as great. If we could lure 2 superstar free agents then yes we'd be contenders with him. Unfortunately no one comes here that isn't tier 2 or lower.

[Yugocelt]

This thread got Rondo'd