Really guys? I love Rondo and would love to see him be a career Celtic. However, do you really think it's a mythology on this board that players would be tripping themselves to play with Paul and not Rondo? Or do you think it's rather your green tinted glasses that are telling you otherwise?
Listen, I'm as big of a homer as anyone on this board and would love to be wrong and see Rondo blow up. But it's really a pretty big stretch to say that Rondo and Paul are even equals given the talent Rondo has played with over his career here. Like I said, even if we put on our greenest tinted glasses and go with it, no one else is going to think that, including other players.
Boston is already at a disadvantage given its climate and perceived history of racism (despite having the first black coach and first all-black starting give). Getting someone like Paul puts on the map.
Could Howard come here to play with Rondo? Sure. But by sticking with him over Paul (assuming we get such a choice), you're taking what's already a very remote chance of landing Howard and making it even remoter.
And as a side note, I'm hoping you guys are right. I really don't think we're getting Paul and that Rondo is going to be here for the long term. However, I think you have to take the chance on Paul if given the opportunity.
Here are some counterarguments:
You say that Boston is cold and is perceived to be racist. Those things may be true (living in New England, I know that at least one of those things is true, but I like the weather and I can't even afford to have someone shovel my driveway or have someone drive me around when it's really nasty), but the Boston Celtics also has the legacy of being one of the most storied franchises in sports history. Thanks to the recent crew of Celtics, this legacy is back in the limelight, and not just represented on grainy old footage of guys playing in short shorts before any of the current superstars where born.
We've had championship teams in the past decade, not just with our basketball team, but in all four major American sports. I think this could be a factor, too. There's a larger community of sports success. Boston is a town for winners.
We have a point guard who is known for being a pass first player. If I was an NBA superstar and knew that I had a chance to play with a guy who would look to get me the ball before scoring himself, I might consider that pretty attractive. If I also knew that this point guard was a winner who has already won a title and knows what that's like and what it takes that may influence my decision, as well.
In addition, he knows how to be a winner and a leader while at the same time showing that he has the ability to sublimate himself to other older and more established superstars. The same can't be said for Chris Paul.
We have a coach who I think is highly admired and respected by players around the league. He's an ex-player who is known as a player's coach.
We, of course, also still would have Paul Pierce for at least two more seasons which everybody seems to forget when talking about the long-term and immediate future of the Boston Celtics.
Finally, if we keep Rondo instead of trading him for an upwards of twenty million dollar a year point guard, that gives us an added 8 to 9 million dollars to spend on building the rest of the pieces to make a contender around Rondo and, say, a Dwight Howard. Really, I think this could be the biggest deciding factor, and that it is way overlooked. I don't care that Rondo's cheaper because I'm dying to save Wyc and company a few bucks. Rather, I care because I think his price tag gives us a better opportunity to build the pieces around him. I think another high quality NBA player may recognize this, even if the majority of the fans don't.
So, yes, I say it is mythology that any and all NBA superstars would only come to Boston if Chris Paul was the point guard and wouldn't even consider it if Rajon Rondo was the point guard.
