RONDO was the man tonight

[CelticsFanNC]

   Rondo didn't play poorly before his clutch outburst, his teammates just weren't getting open or hitting shots.  He didn't play great but no one on the floor on either team played great for the first 3 1/2 quarters due to great defense from both teams.  Rondo's job is to get the entire team involved so he depends on is teammates hitting shots which they weren't doing much of that entire series mostly due to great defense by the 76ers. 

  What #9 in green did do was make the plays we needed when it counted the most.  That is what true Celtic Superstars have always done.  Maybe for the first time in his career Rajon Rondo did that at the end of a HUGE game.  He deserves great props for that. 

[wahz]

  Rondo didn't play poorly before his clutch outburst, his teammates just weren't getting open or hitting shots.  He didn't play great but no one on the floor on either team played great for the first 3 1/2 quarters due to great defense from both teams.  Rondo's job is to get the entire team involved so he depends on is teammates hitting shots which they weren't doing much of that entire series mostly due to great defense by the 76ers.  

  What #9 in green did do was make the plays we needed when it counted the most.  That is what true Celtic Superstars have always done.  Maybe for the first time in his career Rajon Rondo did that at the end of a HUGE game.  He deserves great props for that.  

After they changed that first 3 to a two, he walked up to the ref and I was fantasizing he was saying, "Try to take THIS one away!" Have you ever seen him calling for the ball behind the line, while lining up for the shot?? He knew he had it before he took the shot.

Just a wonderful moment!

[pork3]

I think it edges out his play when he emaciated Jason Williams a couple years ago.. but maybe not.

I think you mean emasculate.

-Jamman

[LarBrd33]

Rondo was HUGE down the stretch.  That's what matters most. 

I'm surprised he struggled so much playing against Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday, though.  THose chumps almost played our superstar even through much of the series.  Is Jrue Holiday a major prospect (he's only 21) or was he just having a great series against Rondo?

[Vermont Green]

I think everyone is over reacting to what Rondo did.  Glen Davis did the same thing in a couple of playoff games.  Now I am not saying Davis is as good as Rondo but Rondo hit 2 wide open shots, a lay up, and some FT, all very well timed.

Look at it this way, do you think this will change the way the Heat cover him?  I suspect not.  I suspect the Heat will have his man leave him and double team KG just like every other team.

If Rondo consistently hits long out side shots, we can beat the Heat and Rondo probably makes the HOF.  It is possible that this could be just that sort of transending moment for Rondo.  I hope so but unfortunately, I doubt it.

The Heat has no real PG.  Rondo has a great opportunity to prove me wrong in this series.  If Rondo suddenly starts to hit clutch 3's, we might just win. 

[BballTim]

I think everyone is over reacting to what Rondo did.  Glen Davis did the same thing in a couple of playoff games.  Now I am not saying Davis is as good as Rondo but Rondo hit 2 wide open shots, a lay up, and some FT, all very well timed.

Look at it this way, do you think this will change the way the Heat cover him?  I suspect not.  I suspect the Heat will have his man leave him and double team KG just like every other team. 

  I think the real question is whether the way the Heat guard Rondo will prevent him from running an offense as well as any point guard in the league. I suspect they won't, just like other teams don't. It's true that the Heat will leave Rondo to double KG when Garnett has the ball, it's also true that containing Rondo on offense will be one of the main if not the main priority of the defense. Just like every other team.

[Vermont Green]

containing Rondo on offense will be one of the main if not the main priority of the defense. Just like every other team.

Wow, really?  And they address this main priority by not covering Rondo, leaving him wide open?

I think this overrates Rondo's contribution significantly and I hate to be the one with the cold water bucket on the morning after Rondo made some truely huge shots but if I were the coach of Miami, my worries would be in this order:

1.  Contain Pierce (easy, we have LeBron)
2.  Contain KG (double him with Rondo's man)
3.  Don't let Ray get hot (make him work covering Wade so Doc can't keep him in the game).
4.  Don't let Bass get easy buckets (all you need to do is contest).
.
.
.
?  Defend Rondo at the 3-Point line.

Unless Rondo starts to pose enough offensive threat to force the Heat to change the way they defend him, it doesn't really matter what he does.  If he does though change the way they have to defend him, then it changes everything.

[Kane3387]

Rondo was HUGE down the stretch.  That's what matters most. 

I'm surprised he struggled so much playing against Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday, though.  THose chumps almost played our superstar even through much of the series.  Is Jrue Holiday a major prospect (he's only 21) or was he just having a great series against Rondo?

Holiday is a good prospect, yes.

[cman88]

Rondo destroyed the Heat the last 2 times we played them...they had absolutely no answer for him.

 If their gameplan is to let Rondo score, i'll take that because he should be able to get to the bucket at ease against Chalmers/cole etc...

[Celtics18]

containing Rondo on offense will be one of the main if not the main priority of the defense. Just like every other team.

Wow, really?  And they address this main priority by not covering Rondo, leaving him wide open?

I think this overrates Rondo's contribution significantly and I hate to be the one with the cold water bucket on the morning after Rondo made some truely huge shots but if I were the coach of Miami, my worries would be in this order:

1.  Contain Pierce (easy, we have LeBron)
2.  Contain KG (double him with Rondo's man)
3.  Don't let Ray get hot (make him work covering Wade so Doc can't keep him in the game).
4.  Don't let Bass get easy buckets (all you need to do is contest).
.
.
.
?  Defend Rondo at the 3-Point line.

Unless Rondo starts to pose enough offensive threat to force the Heat to change the way they defend him, it doesn't really matter what he does.  If he does though change the way they have to defend him, then it changes everything.

It's not a game of horse.  

Rondo draws multiple players away from their own man whenever he gets in the lane, which is frequently.  He then dishes off to wide open shooters.  If the opposing teams want to stick like glue to the shooters and not help when Rondo gets in the lane, he'll be getting easy layups for himself or a teammate all game long.

The "the opposition doesn't have to pay attention to Rondo defensively" argument is ridiculous.  He's the Celtics most dangerous offensive player.  Opposing coaches know that.  

[Kane3387]

I think everyone is over reacting to what Rondo did.  Glen Davis did the same thing in a couple of playoff games.  Now I am not saying Davis is as good as Rondo but Rondo hit 2 wide open shots, a lay up, and some FT, all very well timed.

Look at it this way, do you think this will change the way the Heat cover him?  I suspect not.  I suspect the Heat will have his man leave him and double team KG just like every other team.

If Rondo consistently hits long out side shots, we can beat the Heat and Rondo probably makes the HOF.  It is possible that this could be just that sort of transending moment for Rondo.  I hope so but unfortunately, I doubt it.

The Heat has no real PG.  Rondo has a great opportunity to prove me wrong in this series.  If Rondo suddenly starts to hit clutch 3's, we might just win.  

The heats strengths are much different then Philly. This will be an entirely different series. Philly beats you with 8-10 guys. Miami beats you with two.

Pierce never fouled out in any of those big baby games and not in a game 7.

Considering what was on the line with potentially the end of an era this performance was epic. We literally got to witness greatness for 4:16 and it should be appreciated.

To criticize that and overlook that seems very wrong to me.

Again those 4:16 after pierce fouled out is what greatness is all about. There was no other choice. We were going to lose without a doubt if rondo doesn't turn into Larry bird.

Simply phenomenal.

[mctyson]

I think it edges out his play when he emaciated Jason Williams a couple years ago.. but maybe not.

I think you mean emasculate.

-Jamman

though i think emaciating him would have been more impressive

[BballTim]

containing Rondo on offense will be one of the main if not the main priority of the defense. Just like every other team.

Wow, really?  And they address this main priority by not covering Rondo, leaving him wide open?

I think this overrates Rondo's contribution significantly and I hate to be the one with the cold water bucket on the morning after Rondo made some truely huge shots but if I were the coach of Miami, my worries would be in this order:

1.  Contain Pierce (easy, we have LeBron)
2.  Contain KG (double him with Rondo's man)
3.  Don't let Ray get hot (make him work covering Wade so Doc can't keep him in the game).
4.  Don't let Bass get easy buckets (all you need to do is contest).
.
.
.
?  Defend Rondo at the 3-Point line.

Unless Rondo starts to pose enough offensive threat to force the Heat to change the way they defend him, it doesn't really matter what he does.  If he does though change the way they have to defend him, then it changes everything.

  Haha. Here's what Collins said about Rondo a few games ago:

A lot of coaches say they want to make life difficult on Rajon Rondo. But Doug Collins said Thursday that if his Sixers don’t do a better job of putting up a fight against the superstar point guard in Game 4, his team essentially has no shot. “We never got Rondo stopped all night long,” Collins said of Rondo. “He took the ball wherever he wanted to take it on the floor. We have to take that challenge. We have to take on the challenge that he’s the guy that going to push on the [fast] break, he’s going to get the ball up the floor, he’s going to make the passes, he’s going to be the guy who’s initiating most of their stuff. We have to take the challenge of doing a better job on him.”

   And here's something Thibs said about him last week:

  “There’s really no defense for [Rondo],” Thibodeau told the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday. “He’s an offense unto himself. You can defend him perfectly, you can defend their team perfectly, and he’ll still find a way to create a good shot for somebody. He’s a great decision maker, he has great vision, he’s very smart, he knows how to read defenses, he knows what you’re trying to take away, he knows where the holes are"


  I don't think either of those sound remotely like "pay no attention to Rondo and guard everyone else". If the Heat follow your advice and put defending Rondo at the bottom of their to-do list we'll be far enough ahead to get Moore and JJJ some decent playoff minutes. Rondo's passing poses more of an offensive threat than anything else on the team and opposing coaches realize that.

 

[cman88]

honestly, those last 4minutes was one of those performances that just goes down in celtics lore.

the captain/the truth/the closer gets ejected with 4 minutes to go in a close game. and Rondo just says "I got this"

a guy who supposedly "cant shoot" hits 2 big shots...a guy who supposedly "cant hit freethrows" makes all of them to put the sixers away...thats clutch

[Vermont Green]

I get it.  It is hard to be real without seeming critical sometimes.  Rondo had a big moment in game 7 and even beyond the last 4 minutes or so played a good overall game.

What I liked about the game was that the ball was moving on offense.  No Rondo just standing there dribbling, waiting to make the perfect pass.  He gave up the ball early, the ball moved, often coming back to him.  And I liked his movement without the ball.

One thing I think he has figured out recently is that when his man is off double-teaming, he can be a weapon on the offensive boards.  I really like that because that has the potential to force the defense to adjust which is the whole point in my opinion, make the other team adjust to you to open something up for someone else.

The way all teams play Rondo now, backing off, etc., Rondo can get to the basket and teams don't worry.  Defenders are not sagging off Pierce or anyone else.  Eventually Rondo gets to a big man and he has two choices, try to score over the big man or make a pass.  Usually the pass option at that point is a very difficult high risk pass which Rondo is good enough to execute many times.  Many other times, the high risk pass results in a turnover.  Against Phili, they had enough interior defense that Rondo was not hurting them so much with penetration scoring.

There are few adjustments that Doc can try to have Rondo make to get the other team out of this defense.  One of course would be for Rondo to continue hitting shots like he did in the 4th of game 7.  This is what I like about Rondo giving up the ball and hitting the offensive boards.  I think most teams would rather give up a few Rondo tip-ins over allowing Pierce to go 1 on 1 but this is a way to force the defense to at least think about an adjustment that will cover Rondo but open up something else.

This Miami series could be the movement for Rondo.  They don't have a Brand or Hawes (or even a Lavoie Allen) for Rondo to shoot over on his layups.  They also don't have great talent or offensive threats at PG.  We are the underdog and Rondo just had a very big moment in game 7.  He could do it all and be the difference; score on penetration, get the OReb tip-ins, make some timely outside shots, and get his assists on under control passes (ie low turnovers).  I think we need all of the above from Rondo to beat the Heat and I think he has the ability to put it all together, so let's see.

Go Rondo, Go Celtics.