http://www.boston.com/sports/touching_all_the_bases/2012/03/dennis_johnson_rajon_rondo_cel.html
I'm sure I am late to notice this article but it is a really good perspective on Rondo.
After reading this my "we must trade him" stance is definitely lightening.
Awesome. I do see a problem of the team's centerpiece after Pierce is gone. If not Rondo, then who? Is Green up to the task of becoming this team's next carry? Or JJJ? Or the centerpiece will be Rondo...
I don't know why so many people (not just you) are of the opinion that Danny's not planning on replacing the big three with any good players.
It's just that I (and not just me) got used to 2 things: Every ****n good player refusing to play for the Celtics and having at least one, often at least two, leaders on the team. Check out Philadelphia, GSW, Sacramento... I mean they got amazing players who rely on 21 year old guys to carry their respective teams alone. Rondo will never be the captain because he'll never be a KG or Pierce type of player who knows what to say and when to say it.
Did you read the article?
DJ was the same way as a youth and helped to become a leader on those Celtic teams. Larry was a partying, beer drinking, bar fighting fool off the court when he was young and then became a leader on the court after Maxwell left and Robey (his drinking partner)left.
You don't want to trade Rondo and have him turn into the type of intelligent player that leads a team once he matures and hits his prime years, 28-32 years old. Remember, Rondo is still very young and with youth comes growing pains.
I am confident Rondo will lead the next generation of Celtic teams. Ainge just has to replace the great talent around him now with younger great talent over the next few years.
+1
I agree.
At 25 years of age Doc has said he has the highest BBIQ he has ever seen. Exaggeration....probably. Point still taken. He has a very high BBIQ. His BBIQ will allow him to be successful even after his athleticism fades due to age(much like Dennis Johnson)
He has proven he can be a vital part of an NBA title team. That's not the center piece and doesn't need to be.
He's a bargain.
He can dominate basketball games and playoff series' without being your primary scorer. This is a very rare and desirable trait.
He realizes defense wins games which is often a hard sell to a player of his talent at his young age.
He has shown the ability to come up HUGE in the biggest games on the biggest stages. This cannot be understated. He doesn't show up every night with the same intensity(who does other then KG?). This would be solved at least partially if the game plan was focused on his strength in the open court where he is a very spacial player. He seems to show up in May and June so I don't care if he takes a night off in January to be completely honest.
He has mostly thrived in-spite of playing a style of basketball that isn't one in which his skill set can be best optimized. Replace the Big Three with young athletes who can run the court and Rondo will be "good Rondo" a whole lot more often then he is now playing mostly half court basketball.
His game fits very well with other All-Star level players. That's not always the case with young All-Stars but it is with Rondo.
He's tough.
He's a winner.
Is he perfect? Absolutely not. There are very few players in NBA history who would be considered perfect and most guys with his kind of talent get better as the reach their late 20's-early 30's.
Personally I don't think Rondo is going anywhere. People around here might be willing to trade Rondo for the likes of Collison, Curry or Kevin Martin but Danny Ainge is smarter then that. Ainge wont and shouldn't trade him unless you get equal or greater value in return and that means a young All-Star.