Can Ainge still build a running team around Rondo

[Evantime34]

You understand how little talent that lineup actually has?

Looks like Washington

I agree on some levels, but Rondo and Ellis are a better duo than anybody washington has.

The frontcourts of

Mcgee       Jordan
Blatche       Ibaka
Lewis       Green

Are a wash

That team is a perennial 8th seed at best. Are we really content with building a 35-40 win team and stuck in the doldrums for the next decade or two again?! The only reason we got #17 was because we stunk and got some low draft picks to allow us to get Ray and then KG followed. If that's all we are going to be then blow the whole thing up after one more attempt next year and trade Rondo and picks away for something that has a chance to become a championship contender long term instead of an also ran.

That team is an 8 seed now. However in the future that's a very good team. That has long athletic defenders at every position, and could be elite defensively. They would be about as fast as anyone in the league, right now. The defense would only get better especially playing together as a unit, the offense would come but more often than not we would get points by forcing the tempo creating turnovers and getting out on transition.

[snively]

Yeah, we could even start this year, though it's probably more prudent to squeeze one more year out of the big 3.

But a quick running rebuild could go something like this:

Trade KG and a pick for Josh Smith and Kirk Hinrich.

Trade Ray Allen for Ben Gordon and Jonas Jerebko.

Sign and trade Jeff Green for Boris Diaw.

Trade Avery Bradley and this year's pick to move up high enough to draft Kenneth Faried.

Sign Chris Wilcox and Josh Howard.



Line-up

Rondo/Hinrich
Gordon/Hinrich
Pierce/Jerebko
Smith/Faried
Diaw/Wilcox

Sort of an abomination, but it's capable of a high-speed brand of ball and it's the best I could come up with in 5 minutes.

[Chris]

Yeah, we could even start this year, though it's probably more prudent to squeeze one more year out of the big 3.

But a quick running rebuild could go something like this:

Trade KG and a pick for Josh Smith and Kirk Hinrich.

Trade Ray Allen for Ben Gordon and Jonas Jerebko.

Sign and trade Jeff Green for Boris Diaw.

Trade Avery Bradley and this year's pick to move up high enough to draft Kenneth Faried.

Sign Chris Wilcox and Josh Howard.



Line-up

Rondo/Hinrich
Gordon/Hinrich
Pierce/Jerebko
Smith/Faried
Diaw/Wilcox

Sort of an abomination, but it's capable of a high-speed brand of ball and it's the best I could come up with in 5 minutes.

I looked at that post, and went down the trades thinking other than the KG trade (which could be realistic, but I really have no clue what Atlanta would do), it all seemed about right from a value standpoint in what we could get for these guys...

Then I looked at that Roster and got incredibly depressed.  This is probably close to an optimistic scenario of what the C's could get if they blew it up this summer, and that team would be pretty terrible IMO.

I have never felt more strongly that they really should be giving it one more shot.

[toneskeet]

Rondo is not a superstar, he´s not even a first option on offense.

You can´t build around Rondo.

I disagree completely. When did being a building block mean that  you have to score? Look at the teams with PG's that everyone on this board is in love with. Bulls, Thunder, Nets, Hornets, they are no better than us right now. Point guards don't have to score! They need to manage a game and be a coach on the floor. Rondo is a top floor general, and defensive freak, not to mention his rebounds. His offensive game needs work, but that will come. J Kidd is in the finals, and look at Miami's PG problems. Rondo will be fine as one of our building blocks, what superstar player wouldn't want to get fed by Rondo? You think Durant wanted Westbrook to take a couple more shots a game?

[mostofusrsad]

You understand how little talent that lineup actually has?

Looks like Washington

i gotta agree with this...i can't believe how high people are on Jeff Green...i don't think he is good AT ALL, I say trade him!!

[Chris]

Rondo is not a superstar, he´s not even a first option on offense.

You can´t build around Rondo.

I disagree completely. When did being a building block mean that  you have to score? Look at the teams with PG's that everyone on this board is in love with. Bulls, Thunder, Nets, Hornets, they are no better than us right now.

Well, I would argue that the reason those teams are no better than us (and I am not quite sure that is actually the case anyways) is not because of Rondo, but because of the guys that many people are talking about trading away in the hopes of surrounding Rondo with younger players. 

But anyways, to your larger point, you are right, a PG can be a building block without being a scorer (although Rondo does have to improve).  Doesn't mean you don't still need to find that elite scorer (or two) if you want to make any noise though.

[wdleehi]

I hate running teams.  (Phoenix style)


Sure they are fun to watch in the regular season but come playoff time, defense and size is still king (with few exceptions)

[CFAN38]

when building a team around Rondo there is one thing that is more important that anything, SHOOTING!

Rondo works so well with the big 3 because KG,RAy and Paul all space the floor and hit open shots. A future team designed around rondo has to have 3 great shooters to be a great team.

[PosImpos]

Building around Rondo is not a good idea. 

So yeah, Ainge could do it.  But we'd be the Golden State Warriors at best.

[CelticG1]

when building a team around Rondo there is one thing that is more important that anything, SHOOTING!

Rondo works so well with the big 3 because KG,RAy and Paul all space the floor and hit open shots. A future team designed around rondo has to have 3 great shooters to be a great team.

I'm sure it will be a breeze finding 3 HOF's and the greatest shooter of all time  

[Mr October]

I hate running teams.  (Phoenix style)


Sure they are fun to watch in the regular season but come playoff time, defense and size is still king (with few exceptions)

I like the idea of assembling a running team for the sake of entertainment, if the Celtics are a lottery team.

That way we can still be entertained watching the "potential guys" run with Rondo. All the while you acquire and develop pieces, waiting for the next opportunity to get a superstar.

And I agree, that long term, a running team isn't going to win a title. A talented team wins a title, especially when led by a superstar or 2.

[CFAN38]

I'm sure it will be a breeze finding 3 HOF's and the greatest shooter of all time  

definetly not easy shoes to fill,

no idea how this could ever happen but this team would model what type of player rondo needs in the future to compete for a championship

C  (long athletic defender) oden,Robin lopez
PF Kevin Love
SF Jeff Green
SG Eric Gordon
PG Rondo

This unit could grow into a championship team

[Casperian]

Rondo is not a superstar, he´s not even a first option on offense.

You can´t build around Rondo.

I disagree completely. When did being a building block mean that  you have to score? Look at the teams with PG's that everyone on this board is in love with. Bulls, Thunder, Nets, Hornets, they are no better than us right now. Point guards don't have to score! They need to manage a game and be a coach on the floor. Rondo is a top floor general, and defensive freak, not to mention his rebounds. His offensive game needs work, but that will come. J Kidd is in the finals, and look at Miami's PG problems. Rondo will be fine as one of our building blocks, what superstar player wouldn't want to get fed by Rondo? You think Durant wanted Westbrook to take a couple more shots a game?

The number of championship teams built around a superstar PG is really short, just as short as the number of championship teams with a pass-first PG...and Rondo isn´t a superstar.

In theory, it sounds great to build around a PG, but it just doesn´t work in the NBA, that´s for highschool and college ball. No PG is that clever that he can outsmart his opponents on a regular basis, one player´s ability to facilitate is secondary to a well-run team offense.

What we need, with or without Rondo, is a player who can create his own shot, and we have to build around that guy, not Rondo.

[Vegas Green]

The problem is people are either too far right or too far left (no, not politically) We can't trade all our vets for young athletic guys or vice versa.  You MUST imo have a number of vets to win a championship.  That's why OKC is out, that's why Chicago is out.  You need to have the Big 3 a primary part of the team next year.

I'd hate to have Ainge's job right now....actually it would be kind of fun as long as when I screwed the whole thing up, people wouldn't ask for my head!!

[EJPLAYA]

You understand how little talent that lineup actually has?

Looks like Washington

I agree on some levels, but Rondo and Ellis are a better duo than anybody washington has.

The frontcourts of

Mcgee       Jordan
Blatche       Ibaka
Lewis       Green

Are a wash

That team is a perennial 8th seed at best. Are we really content with building a 35-40 win team and stuck in the doldrums for the next decade or two again?! The only reason we got #17 was because we stunk and got some low draft picks to allow us to get Ray and then KG followed. If that's all we are going to be then blow the whole thing up after one more attempt next year and trade Rondo and picks away for something that has a chance to become a championship contender long term instead of an also ran.

That team is an 8 seed now. However in the future that's a very good team. That has long athletic defenders at every position, and could be elite defensively. They would be about as fast as anyone in the league, right now. The defense would only get better especially playing together as a unit, the offense would come but more often than not we would get points by forcing the tempo creating turnovers and getting out on transition.

Why? How come they have to "only get better" defensively by playing together. Why isn't the Wizards team any better defensively after playing together? Or the Suns after those years, or the Sixers, etc. Just because they play together doesn't mean they can be elite defensively. We were elite defensively because KG is elite defensively. Surrounded by Perkins who was better than average defensively, TA the same, Rondo the same, and a couple of extremely talented Hall of Famers who bought into playing team defense we became elite. A bunch or potential usually is just that. potential... Give me a couple elite players and then you can have them grow to an elite team. A bunch of nobodies at best will be pretty good. If they had elite defensive ability you'd see it now. Without 2-3 Hall of Fame level guys you will be an also ran. Take the big three out of the team and we have none of those. Only one very limited borderline consistent all-star PG who can't shoot. At best that is an 8 seed team.