Good win last night, but I'm with Jeff...

[cman88]

I think it shows how good rondo is, that he can have what most of us call a poor game and still put up a triple double

[Yogi]

What is wrong with you people?  Seriously?  Just stop please.  I'm sure there are plenty of Jeff Teague and Evan Turner fan club where you can enjoy less production and more losses.  Do you people even realize Rondo is hands down the best player in the playoffs so far?

KG, Durant, Kobe, and Lebron beg to disagree.

Rondo 16.2p, 12.7a, 6.7r, 3.5 steals per game
Lebron 27.8p, 5.6a, 6.2r, 2.2 steals per game
Durant, 26.5p, 3.8a, 7.5r, 1 steal and 1.75 blocks per game
Kobe, 29.1p, 5.0r, 4.6r, 1 steal per game
KG, 20.1p, 1.9a, 10.6r, 1.3 steals, 2 blocks
anymore questions?

[CoachBo]

Gotta disagree.

Rondo expended a ton of energy on defense last night, hit some of the most clutch shots in the whole game in the fourth, made that extremely intelligent foul with three seconds left in the game, he also made the play at the end of the game to run the clock out and had some huge rebounds and key passes in the fourth.

I think he tried to get his team mates involved just a little too much and made some poor decisions but once he worked that out he was magnificent.

He played a great 4th quarter and a few minutes at the end of the 3rd, but other than that he was Derek Fisher for nearly 3 quarters.

Those clutch jumpers he hit at the end are the same type of jumpers that if he had missed....he would have been crucified for. And Doc would have been killed for.

"4th quarter Rajon Rondo jump shots?" "That's your offense?"

"Why, when KG is on?"

We can't hang on our hat on Rondo making jumpers, clutch buzzer beaters at the end of quarters or end of shot clocks...he has to help us dominate the whole game so we can rest KG et. al in the 4th quarters....

Totally disagree with Nick here, although Rondo's Game 3 triple-double was less significant than this one.

He played miserably on both ends of the floor, especially defensively, for three quarters.

Good initial post. Rondo MUST be more consistent or this season ends before the Finals.

[Yogi]

I love how myths get perpetuated around here.  Rondo had 12 assists in the first half when Bass, Bradley, Pierce, Ray, Pietrus couldn't BUY a shot.  Jrue Holiday had 8 points in 13 shots with 4 assists for the game.  Rondo was spectacular yesterday.  Just because you don't see him dominate or remember the one time some one blew by him (4 steals and countless deflections) doesn't mean he didn't dominate.  Go listen to Doug Collins post game to see how Rondo played.

[BballTim]

It was definitely a missed bag.

Rondo through 1:04 left in the third quarter: 3 points, 1-for-7 shooting, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 6 turnovers

Rondo in the last 13:04 of the game:  10 points, 5-for-8 shooting, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 turnover

Rondo had a poor game through the very end of the third quarter.  He then really turned it down the stretch, and helped guide us to victory.

  I missed a lot of the first quarter but from what I saw after that Rondo was playing fairly well but not great. The team was missing wide open jumpers and not convering on layups. He could have played the exact same game and had 18 assists and 4 turnovers in the first 3 quarters if the team wasn't so cold.

[ChefEricT]

If I really said what I felt right now I'd get reprimanded again...
 

[OmarSekou]

I figured this thread would be popping up today.

Unfortunately Rondo gets graded by a different standard...to the point where he's often in a no win situation. Any single mistake he makes gets criticized. This season it's gotten to the point where even when he succeeds it gets nitpicked.

Perhaps it was a bad triple double...okay, so he was only the 2nd or 3rd best player on the floor throughout most of the game (albeit a sloppy one) and the most clutch down the stretch.

The idea that Rondo is lazy or disinterested has to stop. Who runs more than Rondo on a given night? His priorities have shifted. He can't just worry about locking up his man (Bradley's role). He has to quarterback the offense. Sometimes he funnels his man to KG or tries to anticipate where he's going instead of chasing him through screens. Rondo plays space as much as he plays his man. That can be frustrating at times, but Rondo is very good at it. And that doesn't mean that Rondo didn't sprint for 5-10 seconds straight chasing Lou Williams around only to get burned on a corner 3. He's all hustle when the games on the line.

Rondo has the most thankless job in the NBA. Whenever we play well it's because other guys stepped up. Whenever we play poorly it's his fault.

[Roy H.]

The idea that Rondo is lazy or disinterested has to stop.

He has moments when he loses focus.  He's been much, much better this year than in the past, but he still occasionally goes through long stretches where he doesn't play "with speed", as Doc likes to say. 

A good example is Rondo's terrible pass to Pierce midway through the third, that was stolen and eventually led to a KG goaltend.  Rondo shouldn't be crucified for it, but when people talk about his focus, that's what they mean.

To his credit, though, Rondo adjusted, and over the last 13 minutes of the game he was excellent.

[LB3533]

My point isn't a personal knock on Rondo. I love him as a Celtic and I love that he is on our side.

My issue is that he is supposed to be our best player, supposed to be the young catalyst that drives us.

His 10 or so assists in the 1st half or whatever the number was based on his skill, not something extra.

The whole team played awful in the 1st half. It wasn't just Rondo.

If you are going to be the best player on a team with championship aspirations....you better get used to being held to a higher standard.

Case in point...Lebron James also had a triple double in last year's Finals, but he got killed...crucified for not having the "impact" that he "should" have had.

The difference between Lebron last Finals and Rondo last night was Rondo busted out in the 4th quarter. Lebron didn't.

[Yogi]

My point isn't a personal knock on Rondo. I love him as a Celtic and I love that he is on our side.

My issue is that he is supposed to be our best player, supposed to be the young catalyst that drives us.

His 10 or so assists in the 1st half or whatever the number was based on his skill, not something extra.

The whole team played awful in the 1st half. It wasn't just Rondo.

If you are going to be the best player on a team with championship aspirations....you better get used to being held to a higher standard.

Case in point...Lebron James also had a triple double in last year's Finals, but he got killed...crucified for not having the "impact" that he "should" have had.

The difference between Lebron last Finals and Rondo last night was Rondo busted out in the 4th quarter. Lebron didn't.

The difference is a W.

[BballTim]

My point isn't a personal knock on Rondo. I love him as a Celtic and I love that he is on our side.

My issue is that he is supposed to be our best player, supposed to be the young catalyst that drives us.

His 10 or so assists in the 1st half or whatever the number was based on his skill, not something extra.

The whole team played awful in the 1st half. It wasn't just Rondo.

If you are going to be the best player on a team with championship aspirations....you better get used to being held to a higher standard.

Case in point...Lebron James also had a triple double in last year's Finals, but he got killed...crucified for not having the "impact" that he "should" have had.

The difference between Lebron last Finals and Rondo last night was Rondo busted out in the 4th quarter. Lebron didn't.

  The bigger difference is that, while he busted out in the 4th quarter and carried his team to victory, Rondo's still getting the criticism than LeBron would have escaped if he'd done the same.

[LB3533]

Win or loss, both Lebron and Rondo received criticism because they both did not play to their natural capabilities.

Despite producing big numbers, both players did not play up to their standards.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Win or loss, both Lebron and Rondo received criticism because they both did not play to their natural capabilities.

Despite producing big numbers, both players did not play up to their standards.

This. I don't care what anyone says, no one can critique Rondo here, it's like if you don't call RR God, people will lay into you! Rondo was asleep out there most of the game!! I'm not saying it's the worse trib dub b/c frankly I could care less that he got one... if we didn't win, people would be more honest about his triple double! We win and all of a sudden his stats at the end say he had an amazing game. Watch the game, not the stats... if you look at the game and not pay attention to stats or the commentators, at the end you probably wouldn't think he had one... you'd say he had a great 4th Q but other than that you'd probably be shocked! Most every time they mic up Doc, he is in the huddle upset we are just walking the ball up and getting into sets too late! When we play better, second halves, what is ALWAYS the difference? We pick up our pace/effort! No RR can't be great every game and every quarter but if he didn't play so lackadaisical for most of the game we wouldn't have to have so many come-backs and late game rally's! More effort throughout the game is all I want... he is the leader (so I hear)!

[nickagneta]

I'm sorry I didn't see this disinterested thing in the first half. I saw an entire team except KG come out flat. I saw Rondo making passes and everyone missing. I then saw him trying too hard to get his team the best passes possible and causing turnovers because of them.

Yeah I saw some bonehead plays to but everyone has them. Every game.

Philly came out with energy as a team. Boston came out flat as a team. Boston's best scorer was awful. Boston's three point shooting was awful. And when that happens the opposition sits back making it tougher for Rondo to drive.

Its no coincidence that the middle didn't open up to Rondo until people started hitting outside shots.


BTW, to the OP...you are complaining that when the Celtics rebound so well they should win by more than one and say its Rondo's fault they didn't win by more than one but you also fail to admit that Rondo led the team in rebounds.

He had 17 assists and the Celtics shot the ball like crap most of the game.

How many PGs in the league can get 17 assists when their team shoots less than 40% for most of the game?

[Celtics18]

I'm sorry I didn't see this disinterested thing in the first half. I saw an entire team except KG come out flat. I saw Rondo making passes and everyone missing. I then saw him trying too hard to get his team the best passes possible and causing turnovers because of them.

Yeah I saw some bonehead plays to but everyone has them. Every game.

Philly came out with energy as a team. Boston came out flat as a team. Boston's best scorer was awful. Boston's three point shooting was awful. And when that happens the opposition sits back making it tougher for Rondo to drive.

Its no coincidence that the middle didn't open up to Rondo until people started hitting outside shots.


BTW, to the OP...you are complaining that when the Celtics rebound so well they should win by more than one and say its Rondo's fault they didn't win by more than one but you also fail to admit that Rondo led the team in rebounds.

He had 17 assists and the Celtics shot the ball like crap most of the game.

How many PGs in the league can get 17 assists when their team shoots less than 40% for most of the game?

Nice post.  To add a little more perspective on that game, Rondo scored or assisted on 23 out of 36 Celtic made field goals.