Is Rondo Too Worried About Assists?

[2dark]

Situations like that fastbreak pass to Ray-Ray do look weird but as my friend told me "its easier to pass than to make a lay up" specially when it ended in two handed jam by Ray.

About dribbling the ball to the shot clock...I don't mean any disrespect but at what are you people watching? Just Rondo?

Last night vs Bobcats for example, I m watching Ray fighting tru screens (its a thing of beauty), bobcats actually doing incredible job on him, switching with outside bigs to cover Ray whenever he lost his man in the traffic. Its now 9 sec on the clock, Ray ended up in the corner with a man on him, offensive rotation didn't work, and Rondo is on the top of the key, time runing out with his defender 10 deet away from him, trying to stop his penetration, one last screen on the ball handler and shoot by BBD or Rondo.

It happened at least 15 times last night, and if you are watching basketball like my dad, the football fan, does, all you saw was Rondo standing and pounding the ball for 20 sec than taking a shot.
If you are basketball fan though, you saw really nice offensive rotation and a good defence covering it.

If you need aditional proof, Ray was lights out again last night as usual, and he didn't touch the ball entire 3rd q.

I ll take Rondo pounding the ball till the shot clock expires anytime, when the alternative is seemingly more mobile but ineffective Nate runned offence with a lot of movement and screens but with end result being forced shot and general lack of creativity.

What do you prefer?

[diana5franksl]

What's his problem?  One day he plays great, the next day he plays like he's sleepwalking through the game.

I've mentioned this before, but I've noticed him walking the ball up the court, pounding the all until there's about 6 seconds left on the clock before he decides to finally pass the ball.  It's like he's waiting for someone to get open so he can pass them the ball and get the assist.  When he does this though, the defense gets set against the Celtics and by the time he passes the ball, Davis is the only one open besides himself.  He's not pushing the ball and not getting the ball to Ray or Pierce earlier in the shot clock.

And several threads about Davis's shots go up seemingly after every game, but no one mentions Rondo's part in it.  Some shots he's passing to Davis because he wants him to shoot it, but several times last night, it was given to Davis with the shot clock running out because Rondo was holding onto the ball for so long.

Not only that, he will get right under the hoop and pass it out instead of taking the easy points.

Is he worried too much about assists?

I'm not bashing Rondo or want him traded, etc.  This is just bugging the heck out of me.

Maybe his ankle is still hurting, or maybe just tired from all the games played in so little time.  Or maybe things get back to normal when KG returns, that's what I'm hoping. 

TP. I said the same thing in the game thread. It's obvious that half of BBD's shot attempts are on him, and the other half are on Rondo, simply because Rondo is failing to get the offense into it's set on time, and BBD is the last person he can throw it to before the shot clock expires. Another complaint i have with Rondo is, when he does give the ball up, he just stands there. He doesn't move. That would be fine if he could shoot, but otherwise he should be moving and cutting. Rondo was lazy last night. He has a lot of nights when he's lazy.

completely agree with you.

[Rtpas11]

To me its no worry but it is something to talk about. I've witnessed it myself far more this year than any other years (although he is a past 1st pg). My problem with Rondo is aggression thus the reason I agree he's too much into trying to stat up the assist charts instead just playing flowingly.

Rondo is a good pg, and definitely top 10, but what he does for us the other elite pg's could do also (if they were to replace) and they'll probable give us more. I don;t know if yall have league pass, but I do and watch almost every game around the league. The best 5 pg's in the league is Deron Williams, then Steve Nash, then Russell Westbrook, then Derrick Rose, then Chris Paul (in my opinion). 6-10 is Jason Kidd, then Chauncy Billups, then Andre Miller, then Beno Udrih, then Rajon Rondo.

When Rondo learns that its about being the best player for your team and not the best pg in the league then he'll have succeed over the rest 

[LilRip]

i wouldn't say he's worried about his assist stats. i don't see anything wrong with giving up a wide open layup to help get a scorer going with a freebie of his own. or maybe commentators over the years have brainwashed me into thinking that.

what does annoy me though is his lack of aggression. When we were up against the Bulls, we saw how D-Rose decided to take it to the hoop multiple times and draw the foul. I mean, Rose isn't even a guy who gets to the line all the much (considering how often he drives into the lane to score). Rose usually drives and contorts his body to avoid the contact and somehow drops the shots in. But that game, he was looking for the contact because at the time, that was what his team needed. Rondo needs to do the same. There's no one that can cover him either. Even if he goes 8-15 from the line, those 15 FTAs would've put some guys in serious foul trouble, making it easier for our other players. Of course, he might just be preserving himself for the postseason.

[YouCantHandleTheTruth!]

i wouldn't say he's worried about his assist stats. i don't see anything wrong with giving up a wide open layup to help get a scorer going with a freebie of his own. or maybe commentators over the years have brainwashed me into thinking that.

what does annoy me though is his lack of aggression. When we were up against the Bulls, we saw how D-Rose decided to take it to the hoop multiple times and draw the foul. I mean, Rose isn't even a guy who gets to the line all the much (considering how often he drives into the lane to score). Rose usually drives and contorts his body to avoid the contact and somehow drops the shots in. But that game, he was looking for the contact because at the time, that was what his team needed. Rondo needs to do the same. There's no one that can cover him either. Even if he goes 8-15 from the line, those 15 FTAs would've put some guys in serious foul trouble, making it easier for our other players. Of course, he might just be preserving himself for the postseason.

I agree. Lack of aggression is my main concern about his game as well.
Sometimes he's fun to watch: when he nails one of his genius plays, you know he's gonna try that again as soon as he can, just like a baby with a toy. The run-and-gun shot at the buzzer against Houston is a good example, he tried the same exact play last night.
And, let me tell you, yes: he worries a lot about assists.. 

[clover]

Yes, he is.

[christuffa]

I was so frustrated with one play in that CHA game...Rondo was on the break and had PP running down the lane but behind two defenders, Rondo running centre-right lane and had Ray on his outside just hanging for it at the three and had no chance of any defender getting anywhere near him. What did Rondo do?! Stupid thread the needle pass through the legs of a defender trying to get to PP instead of a 2 foot shuffle pass to Ray for the wide open dagger J. What the hell was that?

In the above case, he actually could have been almost assured of another assist if he went to Ray (he was lights out from beyond) but instead went for the highlight reel pass to PP.

[Roy H.]

i wouldn't say he's worried about his assist stats. i don't see anything wrong with giving up a wide open layup to help get a scorer going with a freebie of his own. or maybe commentators over the years have brainwashed me into thinking that.

what does annoy me though is his lack of aggression. When we were up against the Bulls, we saw how D-Rose decided to take it to the hoop multiple times and draw the foul. I mean, Rose isn't even a guy who gets to the line all the much (considering how often he drives into the lane to score). Rose usually drives and contorts his body to avoid the contact and somehow drops the shots in. But that game, he was looking for the contact because at the time, that was what his team needed. Rondo needs to do the same. There's no one that can cover him either. Even if he goes 8-15 from the line, those 15 FTAs would've put some guys in serious foul trouble, making it easier for our other players. Of course, he might just be preserving himself for the postseason.

Good post.  I agree.  Rondo's greatest asset -- even more than his court vision -- is his speed, and he doesn't utilize it enough to blow by his defender to create scoring opportunities.

[Celtics18]

The Celtics are shooting over 50% from the field to lead the league and they are shooting over 39% from 3 point range overall, putting them in the top three teams in that category.

The Celtics lead the league in assists per game and are at the top of the league in assist to turnover ratio.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are both enjoying career high seasons in both overall field goal percentage and three point field goal percentage.  KG is having the second best field goal shooting career of his career.  

The point here is that the Celtics offense has been astoundingly efficient this season, and this is due in large part to having the best playmaker in the league running the show.  

Despite all this, many of you are complaining that Rondo passes the ball too much.  What?  We wish he were more like Derrick Rose, a point guard who looks to score rather than setting up teammates and getting everybody else going.

The answer from my perspective is a resounding no; Rajon Rondo is not too worried about assists.  He's the perfect point guard for this team, and he's quarterbacking this team to near perfection.  

Keep those assists coming, Rajon!

[Celtics18]

I was so frustrated with one play in that CHA game...Rondo was on the break and had PP running down the lane but behind two defenders, Rondo running centre-right lane and had Ray on his outside just hanging for it at the three and had no chance of any defender getting anywhere near him. What did Rondo do?! Stupid thread the needle pass through the legs of a defender trying to get to PP instead of a 2 foot shuffle pass to Ray for the wide open dagger J. What the hell was that?

In the above case, he actually could have been almost assured of another assist if he went to Ray (he was lights out from beyond) but instead went for the highlight reel pass to PP.

On the play you are referencing, I'm pretty sure that it was Marquis who Rondo was trying to find with that through the legs pass on the break.  If it had been Paul running the break, he probably would have caught the ball and laid it up for two.

[Who]

So far this season, in 28 games, Rondo has only five 15+ point games and only one twenty point performance. So in 18% of Rondo's games, he has gone for 15+ points.

Last season, in 81 games, Rondo had 41 games of 15+ points and fourteen 20+ point games ... which meant he went for 15+ points in half of his games and went for 20+ points in 17% of his games.

[nba is the worst]

1st TP for new poster diana5 just for the smile!

[BballTim]

So far this season, in 28 games, Rondo has only five 15+ point games and only one twenty point performance. So in 18% of Rondo's games, he has gone for 15+ points.

Last season, in 81 games, Rondo had 41 games of 15+ points and fourteen 20+ point games ... which meant he went for 15+ points in half of his games and went for 20+ points in 17% of his games.

  Last season he scored more points because KG and PP had injury issues. I think that showed that he can score, not that it's our best option.

  Not sure if anyone's brought it up yet, but when Rondo's been out we were 7-4. When he has less than 10 assists we're 3-3. When he has 10 or more assists we're 20-2, with the only losses coming to Dallas (on the road, 5th game in 7 nights) and the Houston game.

[pearljammer10]

So far this season, in 28 games, Rondo has only five 15+ point games and only one twenty point performance. So in 18% of Rondo's games, he has gone for 15+ points.

Last season, in 81 games, Rondo had 41 games of 15+ points and fourteen 20+ point games ... which meant he went for 15+ points in half of his games and went for 20+ points in 17% of his games.

  Last season he scored more points because KG and PP had injury issues. I think that showed that he can score, not that it's our best option.

  Not sure if anyone's brought it up yet, but when Rondo's been out we were 7-4. When he has less than 10 assists we're 3-3. When he has 10 or more assists we're 20-2, with the only losses coming to Dallas (on the road, 5th game in 7 nights) and the Houston game.

Wow great stat. It truly shows that when he's passing the pass and penetrating and dishing the Celts are at their best.

[quidinqui33]

I don't think it is that Rondo is trying to rack up assists.  I think it comes down to the simple fact that Rondo is afraid of going to the free throw line.

This is why he pounds the ball at times, or passes out of a potential and one layup.

Last night's game is perfect example.  Rondo did not take a free throw until very late in the game.  For someone who handles the ball as much as Rondo, and can drive as well as he can, this is totally unacceptable.

Parker could not shoot when he got in the league.  Rose was the same way.  But they got over their fears and became decent shooters and foul shooters and more importantly, do not fear getting fouled.

People think Rondo needs to work on his shot, but that is not the case.  He needs to work on his confidence in his shot.  If he can do this, Chris Paul and Deron Williams can hand the best PG in the league status to Rajon.

The more important side effect will be that we will no longer see Boston's offense go into the pooper like it does at times.