Some interesting notes on Rondos jumpshooting from ESPN

[cman88]

For all the hand-wringing about Rondo's jumper, it's worth pointing out that he shot 41 percent from 16-to-23 feet this past season (up 8 percent from the previous year, and he attempted a career-high 3.3 attempts per game from that range). Yes, Rondo graded out as merely "average" among jump shooters, according to Synergy Sports. He was 100-of-260 shooting (38.5 percent) on all half-court jump shots last season. But zoom in closer and he graded out as "good" from 17 feet to the 3-point line, connecting on 67-of-162 attempts (41.4 percent). Dial it back to the 2009-10 season and Rondo was 91-of-272 (33.5 percent) on all jumpers, while connecting on just 48-of-134 shots from 17 feet to the 3-point line (35.8 percent) showing some decent improvement last year.

so, he is improving on his jumpshot slowly but surely. and I think he will continue to improve next year. and as he gets more comfortable with making that shot, he will have to be contested, and will make it while being so

[GreenFaith1819]

Thanks for post.

Our PG will be fine. A detailed breakdown like this always shows that things are better than they seem.

[PosImpos]

part of the problem, regardless of Rondo's actual shooting ability, has been Rondo's reluctance to make opposing defenses pay when they play off him -- whether by taking a jumper or going to the hoop.

one way or another we need Rondo to look more for his own offense.  it's no longer acceptable for Rondo to score 10 ppg playing 40 minutes a night.  any way you slice it, that's below average offensive production, even if he gets double digit assists.

[cman88]

part of the problem, regardless of Rondo's actual shooting ability, has been Rondo's reluctance to make opposing defenses pay when they play off him -- whether by taking a jumper or going to the hoop.

one way or another we need Rondo to look more for his own offense.  it's no longer acceptable for Rondo to score 10 ppg playing 40 minutes a night.  any way you slice it, that's below average offensive production, even if he gets double digit assists.

ya, I agree. especially with the big 3 getting older, Rondo needs to look for his own offense more and take more shots per game to help take some of the offensive burden off of the big 3.

 hes only taking something like 9shots now..he needs to up that to about 15

[bfrombleacher]

Our whole offense hinges on Ray Allen's cuts. Towards the end of the season, Ray was less aggressive. When the offense doesn't go, because of the lack of interior options, the offense stagnates as they wait for Rondo to create. In those cases, Rondo is the only real threat who can get to the rim in four seconds. The opposing team's defense would collapse on him and, with Rondo being so small for NBA standards, he would likely get banged up. Maybe that's why he stopped going so hard towards the end of the season.

[zerophase]

The stats show the shots he took, but really the issue is with the shots he doesn't take. The shots he is wide open for but stands there looking for an assist.

[BballTim]

The stats show the shots he took, but really the issue is with the shots he doesn't take. The shots he is wide open for but stands there looking for an assist.

  He takes about as many of those long twos as the average pg. If he takes them every time he's open, he'll take 20 or so a game instead of three and the offense will go right down the toilet. It's one thing to keep the defense honest, it's another to make taking the shots the defense wants you to take a large part of your offense.

[nickagneta]

I think Rondo's outside shooting took a great step forward last year. First, his form was more fluid and consistent and he went away from that herky-jerky ball off to the side form he was shooting with a couple years back.

I think with a long offseason and the need to rehab that elbow that he will come back as an even stronger outside shooter this year. He may never be a three point shooter but if he can get his 17-23 foot shoot up to around 45-46 percent, he will become an offensive weapon as teams will have to stop dropping off him giving him the ability to drive to the hoop better.

Now if only he could become a 70% free throw shooter. I think he eventually will but it my take some time.

[ManUp]

Thats nice to see, but I'd rather him shoot at least 70% from the line.

Imagine if Rondo didn't stop driving the paint in 09 against LA in the finals(especially late in games).  Imagine if he shot 70% instead of his abysmal 26% from the line. In my opinion we would've won in 6 and he'd have been finals MVP.

Late in games Rondo doesnt drive as much and our offense really jams up. Imo, that has everything to do with his lack of confidence at the line. Improving his freethrows will do a lot more for his game then improving the jumper.

[Arok325]

Rondo is easily the most overrated point guard in the league. He is what he is people. He will never be a decent shooter in the NBA. NEVER. It's just not within the realm of possibilities. I've never seen anybody struggle as badly as him at putting the ball in the hoop past 10 feet. It's just absurd!

Last year his assist totals were inflated because he deliberately looked to get an assist every time he got the ball. He was just padding stats. I never thought I would say this but I thought he was downright selfish because he was passing the ball too much!

You can all say what you want but I'm sick of him. Flawed players like him do not make superstars nor are they players you build a team around. Right now he's not a top 5 pg in the league and I'm afraid he never will be. This team was exposed during the playoffs and next year will be even worse.

[PosImpos]

Rondo is easily the most overrated point guard in the league. He is what he is people. He will never be a decent shooter in the NBA. NEVER. It's just not within the realm of possibilities. I've never seen anybody struggle as badly as him at putting the ball in the hoop past 10 feet. It's just absurd!

Last year his assist totals were inflated because he deliberately looked to get an assist every time he got the ball. He was just padding stats. I never thought I would say this but I thought he was downright selfish because he was passing the ball too much!

You can all say what you want but I'm sick of him. Flawed players like him do not make superstars nor are they players you build a team around. Right now he's not a top 5 pg in the league and I'm afraid he never will be. This team was exposed during the playoffs and next year will be even worse.

I agree that he's not a top 5 point guard in the league right now, and with Westbrook, Paul, Williams, Rose, Wall, and even Curry, Jennings, and Evans looking like they'll be very good to great for quite a while, I have serious doubts that he ever will be.

That doesn't mean Rondo isn't a good player and a valuable part of our team.  It's just important to keep in mind that he is a flawed player; though he is an All-Star, he is not a superstar, and should not be expected to carry our team. 

There's no doubt that Rondo has shown the ability to carry our team for a few games at a time in the playoffs.  He has MVP-caliber play in him.  He just can't sustain that for more than a few games at a time.  He can't even do it for multiple series in a row (witness how in '10 he went largely silent in the Finals after owning the 2nd round).

[cman88]

is there such thing as a player thats not flawed?

I'd say that rondo is a top5 point guard now. Westbrook, wall and jennings? Really? Theyrenot in rondos league now and if say rondo is still getting better as well

[CelticsFanNC]

is there such thing as a player thats not flawed?

I'd say that rondo is a top5 point guard now. Westbrook, wall and jennings? Really? Theyrenot in rondos league now and if say rondo is still getting better as well

Exactly right.  Every NBA player is flawed to a certain extent including the King who tends to disappear in big games. 

Speaking of Big Games, Rondo's resume in big games rivals any PG in the NBA today bar none.  Ranking today's PG's is very difficult because it all depends on what you are looking for from your PG.  They're all different.  They all have strengths and flaws.

[nickagneta]

Rondo is easily a top 5 PG in this league. The only other PGs in this league that I think people can say they have a better all around game than Rondo is Paul, Williams and Rose in that order.

Westbrook isn't a great defender and is way too much about his offense than anyone else's. He's not better than Rondo.

Nash is too old and plays no defense.

Kidd is too old and can't guard PGs anymore.

Parker has seen his game slowly become less and less and is injury prone.

Curry doesn't have the defensive or passing or ball handling or floor general abilities that Rondo does.

Wall is so inexperienced and his game very very raw. He is not in Rondo's league yet but could be.

Jennings, well that's just a joke.

[chambers]

Rondo= top 5 PG in the league easily.

I think he's the 3rd best after CP3 and D Will.
Westbrook is no where near Rondo's level in my opinion.
Westbrook is a poor mans D Rose...

I don't look at D Rose as a PG like the other guys because he doesn't facilitate- he just looks to score like Allen Iverson. I'd call him a scoring guard and not a true point guard like the others. Westbrook and Rose are Shooting guards trapped in a PG's body.