Rondo becomes non existent in the 4th

[NextCeltic34]

Rondo, for 3 quarters is aggressive, makes plays, takes it to hoop... even tonight he proved that he has that jumper... but in the 4th quarter man... it's a whole nother story...

he just gives it to Pierce, and has Pierce create the play... it's understandable at times, but now it's getting ridiculous.

Dude was going off tonight... never seen him that aggressive offensively, but what does he do in the 4th.. doesn't shoot, doesn't drive, doesn't even create plays for others... he becomes a liability on offense in the 4th...

Your best player HAS to be the one to make the plays at the end when it counts... next year if we don't have the big 3, who is going to be the one to take over the 4th if Rondo isn't comfortable enough to do it... idk man

[esel1000]

maybe hes tired from working his butt off for 3 quarters to do what the rest of the team (with the exception of Wilcox and JJJ somewhat) failed to do... be effective..

Look sure he got a bit ineffective but players like Ray and Pierce needed to step up as well and didn't... you can't put all the blame on this kid, he can't be the entire team, and for 2 games he pretty much has been

[NextCeltic34]

I understand where your coming from, but Rondo was hot all game... Ray and Pierce didn't have it at all... Rondo sat in the beginning of the 4th.. as soon as he came back in, he should of picked up where he left off... taking those jumpers and being aggressive, but he didn't...

it might be more Doc then him though... but still, it happens EVERY time a game is close

[esel1000]

I understand where your coming from, but Rondo was hot all game... Ray and Pierce didn't have it at all... Rondo sat in the beginning of the 4th.. as soon as he came back in, he should of picked up where he left off... taking those jumpers and being aggressive, but he didn't...

it might be more Doc then him though... but still, it happens EVERY time a game is close

Ok but you also have to remember... Lawrence Frank is in a huddle telling his players, "guys, Rajon Rondo is destroying you, d up on him." In other words, the heaviest defense was on the 6'1 point guard. That's the time that other players need to step up as well

[green7]

as if he didn't hit the two important free throws on sunday

[ejk3489]

as if he didn't hit the two important free throws on sunday

He also had 2 important rebounds and an assist as well...it was our defense that failed us tonight.

[stylo617617]

no no we cant put this one on rondo when a non scoring player scored 30 plus its on the other players to manage to help out what a waiste of a great night for rondo

[chambers]

You really can't blame this on Rondo.
They targeted him in the 4th and made sure that any other player beat them.
Pierce and Ray were both hopeless. Their first steps were non-existent tonight.
We won this game for 3 quarters, just needed one decent quarter out of Ray or Pierce and couldn't get it.
Them's is the breaks.

[greenlion]

as an old adage would say "you can't have 'em all"..rondo was exceptional. all the way, it was defense who failed the general cause tonight..we must be narrow to look at rondo's contribution tonight that way..

[CelticsFanNC]

  This he might be a little exhausted from carrying the entire team for 3 quarters? 

  The least the rest of the team can do is play solid defense which is didn't do and that cost the Celtic's the game.

[Celtics4ever]

****, Rondo scores 35 and it's him.   How about no shows from PP and RA.  Our bench was anemic last night too aside from JJJ.  But it is all Rondo, lol.

[Kuberski1]

I haven't even watched the replay yet, but ridiculous to blame Rondo.....so many of the others didn't show up for quarters 1-4.

Trade Rondo?  Bad idea.  If anyone gets traded, it's the Big 3...not because I don't revere all of them, but they are far more the root of our problems than RR.  If we do make trades, I say let's build with Rondo as one of the key pieces....

[CelticsFanNC]

  When the Celtics lost the lead and the Pistons took over the game early in the 4th quarter Rondo wasn't even on the floor and Pierce was running the offense.  Pierce was turning the ball over and forcing bad shots that led directly to the Pistons taking control of the game.  By the time Rondo was reinserted into the game we were down by double digits(or close to it) and we never recovered because most of the team put in no effort defensively and we couldn't get stops.

[SHAQATTACK]

Rondo ...gets us where we are going....but unlike CP3 or MJ or PP ..he can't finish the game.

Why?  FIrst , he has always had the BIG THREE to finish the game for him , to make the BIG shots and take the team on its back.

Now they are old he is the man, he brings the Celtics to the final quarter...and disappears.

Again , its his shooting, LBJ had the same problem until recently,  he couldn't finish the game at Cleveland. He came to the Heat where Wade could finish a game for him.  

Rondo , doesn't have a KILLER medium range jumper to go to , or a game winner 17 footer jumper to put the game away for the Celtics.

Rondo becomes shy , Doc wants the ball in PP hands , so its probally not all Rondos fault.

Lacking Docs confidence, his own shooting confidence and not LOOKING for his shot is KILLING the team.

The teams back off him and double up RAY and PP... only KG is tall enough to get a jumper off or Bass ...they weren't there

If we had had CP3...we would have only like 5-6 Losses this year!!

[greensquirrel]

Rondo's luckluster performance cost the C's this game. If he played 52 min and put up 50 pts, we would have won.