Rondo Voted the 12th Best Player to Build Around

[ssspence]

Btw. I can't believe that Blake Griffin is on the list, and not Kevin Love. Griffin is one of the most fun players to watch, but he has yet to show the same killer instinct, that Love has developed tremendously this year.

I don't think they need to be evaluated as a pair. I think just "I can't believe Kevin Love isn't on that list" is probably a better statement.

And, FTR, Love's defense is still really awful. Offensively, he deserves a nickname, like 'Assassin' or something, but defensively he's got a longgggg ways to go.

not that Blake Griffin is some kind of defensive savant, I just think he's farther down that road than Love is.

I wasn't counting them as a pair. I just think that Griffin is the one on the list who has yet to prove himself to be more than a highlight reel (even though a quite efficient one), while Kevin Love by many is considered the best pf in the game.

Who considers Kevin Love to be better than Pau Gasol, Lamarcus Aldridge, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Amar'e, etc..?

He's a heck of a player, but even if I was starting from scratch I'd rather have LaMarcus Aldridge or Blake, just because of how much Blake can improve with his amazing athleticism.

I won't speak for others (tho I'm sure there are many that would agree with me), but assuming we're talking about today looking forward, I'd take Love as a building block over the players you listed above, and at the very least over Aldridge.

[indeedproceed]

Btw. I can't believe that Blake Griffin is on the list, and not Kevin Love. Griffin is one of the most fun players to watch, but he has yet to show the same killer instinct, that Love has developed tremendously this year.

I don't think they need to be evaluated as a pair. I think just "I can't believe Kevin Love isn't on that list" is probably a better statement.

And, FTR, Love's defense is still really awful. Offensively, he deserves a nickname, like 'Assassin' or something, but defensively he's got a longgggg ways to go.

not that Blake Griffin is some kind of defensive savant, I just think he's farther down that road than Love is.

I wasn't counting them as a pair. I just think that Griffin is the one on the list who has yet to prove himself to be more than a highlight reel (even though a quite efficient one), while Kevin Love by many is considered the best pf in the game.

Who considers Kevin Love to be better than Pau Gasol, Lamarcus Aldridge, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Amar'e, etc..?

He's a heck of a player, but even if I was starting from scratch I'd rather have LaMarcus Aldridge or Blake, just because of how much Blake can improve with his amazing athleticism.

I won't speak for others (tho I'm sure there are many that would agree with me), but assuming we're talking about today looking forward, I'd take Love as a building block over the players you listed above, and at the very least over Aldridge.

That's funny, because as far as being a well-rounded ball-player, I think Aldridge might just be the top of any of them.

[nickagneta]

I didn't see when they did the poll or how they did it. Did they ask just for one player's name or top 5 players or what?

I think the methodology would be good to know?

That said I read where someone said that they would trade Rondo straight up for Rubio. Why?

Rubio might be a worse shooter than Rondo and is probably a worse defender and passer than Rondo. Also, Rondo is the type of player that separates and elbow and comes back to play in the same game and Rubio is the type of player that has to have his coaches complain to the league because he is being handled too physically.

Sorry Ricky, NBA basketball is a contact sport

Rubio is 33% from three and 81% from the line.  I think it is pretty safe to say he is not a worse shooter than Rondo.  He is also a 21 year old rookie in a foreign country.

Yet he can only hit all of his FGs at a rate of 35.5%. He had seasons of FG% and 3PT% in Europe(Spain, his home country) of:

34.7 FG% 16.7 3PT%
30.0 FG% 33.3 3PT%
37.0 FG% 35.8 3PT%
31.0 FG% 22.4 3PT%

The scouting report on him is that he is a bad outside shooter and a bad finisher around the rim but can hit FTs. Nothing in his stats or that I have seen would paint a different picture. Besides the FT line he is a horrible overall shooter.

[guava_wrench]

Some guys might be on that list because they had multiple teammates vote for them. As others have said, without knowing the methodology, analyzing such polls can be pointless.

[celtsfan84]

Team building doesn't necessarily have to take a decade to complete.  Our 2008 championship team was built in one offseason.

Clearly guys like LeBron, Dwight, Durant, Rose are more desirable to build around by Kobe but I think guys like Kobe still belong on the list.  Fans sometimes get ahead of themselves trying to figure out the next best thing.  A championship now is the same as a championship five years from now. 

The last four Finals MVPs have been Dirk, Kobe, and Paul Pierce.  I'll take Kobe on my team any day.  This year's Lakers probably won't win the championship this year (the depth is atrocious) but not because of Kobe. 

My point being, you have a better chance of winning a championship with Kobe within the next 3 years than you do of winning a championship with Eric Gordon within the next 10 years.

1. Dwight Howard
2. LeBron James
3. Derrick Rose
4. Kevin Durant
5. Dwayne Wade
6. Chris Paul
7. Kobe Bryant
8. DeRon Williams
9. Dirk Nowitzki
10. Carmelo Anthony

With guys like Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge on the outside looking in.

[BballTim]

I didn't see when they did the poll or how they did it. Did they ask just for one player's name or top 5 players or what?

I think the methodology would be good to know?

That said I read where someone said that they would trade Rondo straight up for Rubio. Why?

Rubio might be a worse shooter than Rondo and is probably a worse defender and passer than Rondo. Also, Rondo is the type of player that separates and elbow and comes back to play in the same game and Rubio is the type of player that has to have his coaches complain to the league because he is being handled too physically.

Sorry Ricky, NBA basketball is a contact sport

Rubio is 33% from three and 81% from the line.  I think it is pretty safe to say he is not a worse shooter than Rondo.  He is also a 21 year old rookie in a foreign country.

  He's been p[laying pro basketball for 4-5 years.

[ssspence]

Btw. I can't believe that Blake Griffin is on the list, and not Kevin Love. Griffin is one of the most fun players to watch, but he has yet to show the same killer instinct, that Love has developed tremendously this year.

I don't think they need to be evaluated as a pair. I think just "I can't believe Kevin Love isn't on that list" is probably a better statement.

And, FTR, Love's defense is still really awful. Offensively, he deserves a nickname, like 'Assassin' or something, but defensively he's got a longgggg ways to go.

not that Blake Griffin is some kind of defensive savant, I just think he's farther down that road than Love is.

I wasn't counting them as a pair. I just think that Griffin is the one on the list who has yet to prove himself to be more than a highlight reel (even though a quite efficient one), while Kevin Love by many is considered the best pf in the game.

Who considers Kevin Love to be better than Pau Gasol, Lamarcus Aldridge, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Amar'e, etc..?

He's a heck of a player, but even if I was starting from scratch I'd rather have LaMarcus Aldridge or Blake, just because of how much Blake can improve with his amazing athleticism.

I won't speak for others (tho I'm sure there are many that would agree with me), but assuming we're talking about today looking forward, I'd take Love as a building block over the players you listed above, and at the very least over Aldridge.

That's funny, because as far as being a well-rounded ball-player, I think Aldridge might just be the top of any of them.

Sorry -- to be clear, what I was trying to say was that it'd be between the 2 of those you listed, but I'd take Love over Aldridge.

[xmuscularghandix]

So if the Celtics build around him they'll be the 12th best team in the league? That doesn't sound too good...

[guava_wrench]

So if the Celtics build around him they'll be the 12th best team in the league? That doesn't sound too good...

TP for the wit.