This is a huge part of the problem. Just because of Rondo's miraculous performance in the playoffs last year, the Celtics have effectively allowed the sports media, who all say that Rondo is the team's best player, to define the strategy and playstyle of the Boston Celtics, and it's absolutely ridiculous.
I'm more likely to lean towards Rondo's playoff performance from last year as an isolated incident, or just a sign of what Rondo can become. We should still not be basing the entire offense around this one person, it makes absolutely no sense. He is a far less proven entity than the 3 we are pretty much ignoring to groom him into some future star of the team.
A championship caliber team like the Celtics is struggling to score the ball against average teams, and even worse, against elite teams. Does that make any sense to you all?
We cannot have such a talented team be bogged down, and become so reliant on Rondo spoon feeding them the ball.
The Boston Celtics aren't playing to score the ball, quite the opposite. They are playing to rack up assists. There is a difference, and it's that difference that is causing the Celtics offense to so badly stall as much as it has since last month.
Rondo having big games should be seen as a bonus. They should not be the core defining point of this team's entire offense. And if it is, prepare to see the Celtics go out in the First Round of the playoffs. The focus is on the big three, and everyone else outside of that, is a bonus. We should make the extra pass when it makes sense, not just for the sake of saying we made the extra pass.
Say what you will about the Lakers struggling as they are right now, but it's minor mental mistakes and lack of effort that is giving them losses. It isn't an inability to turn it on and score the ball, like it is with our team. There is no inherent flaw in how they are playing the game, there is a huge flaw in Celtics' approach to offense, and it's dangerous enough to get us eliminated from the playoffs in the first round.