Please Don't Ever Say Again Rondo Doesn't Turn it On and Off

[Celtics18]

Those who keep trying to pretend that Rondo plays with intensity and aggressiveness every single game only have to point to the last two. From Scrub to Superstar based on effort alone. I'm not sure if I am more frustrated with that or giving up that lead and going down 2-0 and basically ending our season...

Man that player is frustrating...

Rondo doesn't turn it on and off.

[BballTim]

OP is completely right about this.

All the Rondo defenders need to take a break and just listen to the point that is being made:

*Nobody is saying that Rondo is bad.

*Rondo is a great player when he plays at his best.

*He doesn't always play at the top level.

*If he did play at the top level more consistently he'd be one of the 5 best players in the game.

*On ANY given night he can/has outplayed the NBA's greatest superstars.

*On any given night Rondo can also be outplayed by mediocre point guards who barely deserve to be starters.

  * No player in the history of the nba always plays at their top level.

  * If any all-star caliber player played at their best most of the time they'd be a top 5 player

  * Rondo rarely gets outplayed by mediocre point guards, in fact he doesn't get outplayed by good point guards all that often. He does, however, get blamed for playing poorly when the other players on the team have bad offensive nights because of his role in the offense.

[cman88]

the problem is we watch EVERY celtics game and only see very few of other teams games.

so the weakness' are much more glaring. Not many players(especially PG's) can put out that sort of effort Every single night.

Derrick Rose did for awhile...but its caught up to him.

[KCattheStripe]

Rondo doesn't turn it on and off, he's just not good enough to be Magic Johnson every night and even Magic didn't have many games like this.

[Kane3387]

Yeah people need to lay off rondo. After tonight just give him a pass and appreciate the performance. He's evolving before our eyes. The fact he has offensively taken over in big moments is very good for our future.

[guava_wrench]

Rondo does choose to shoot less in many games because he wants to facilitate. That is what he is comfortable with so that is what he sticks to. He doesn't run full speed on breaks because he wants his teammates to be able to fill the lanes. He needs to remember that sometimes we need him to be more Westbrook because that will be more effective in disrupting certain defensive schemes.

I wonder if Doc challenged him to outdo Parker.

I had only 2 critiques of the Celtics tonight.

1) Pietrus needs to stop with the stupid defensive plays. In game 1, there was that silly swipe at Lebron taking a jumper after biting on a pump fake and getting a pass on the slight bump, and tonight there was multiple plays.

2) KG played too many minutes. He couldn't jump for rebounds any more by the end and had nothing on offense.

The missed foul call on Rondo really hurt considering that we were down by 2.

[EJPLAYA]

Rondo game 1 - Dribbling out the shot clock outside the three point line very rarely going to the basket. 2nd quarter plays like a beast getting much of those stat lines you everyone wants to post but ignoring the -15 he also posted with his lack of effort and aggressiveness.

Rondo game 2 - UNBELIEVABLE effort and intensity. From the moment they got their first possession he was attacking from every angle inside and out. One of the great performances I have seen out there.

I am NOT criticizing Rondo's game tonight. It was unreal. I AM criticizing the blatant change in his effort out there. This isn't the regular season where you take off some games because it really isn't a big deal. This is the Conference finals! You win you go to the Finals and play for another title. If you can't get yourself up for every single game in that scenario then maybe its time to rethink your commitment. Do you really think that Bird took games off?!

Also, I am not asking Rondo to produce at that level every night. I am only asking that he give that level of effort every night, or at least during the playoffs... That isn't too much to ask.

[pearljammer10]

  Rondo's effort in the first game was fine. If the rest of the team had played that hard they'd have won.

WOW! BballTim... You a usually pretty on with your comments, but how anyone can look at game one and then game 2 where he clearly gave it all he had just baffles me! Scrub to Superstar is very accurate.

Agree. Its the team play that has lead us to be down 2 - 0. Rondo is the only one showing up, game one and two. Rondo cant win it all by himself. team needs to step up and play together.

[Celtics18]

Rondo game 1 - Dribbling out the shot clock outside the three point line very rarely going to the basket. 2nd quarter plays like a beast getting much of those stat lines you everyone wants to post but ignoring the -15 he also posted with his lack of effort and aggressiveness.

Rondo game 2 - UNBELIEVABLE effort and intensity. From the moment they got their first possession he was attacking from every angle inside and out. One of the great performances I have seen out there.

I am NOT criticizing Rondo's game tonight. It was unreal. I AM criticizing the blatant change in his effort out there. This isn't the regular season where you take off some games because it really isn't a big deal. This is the Conference finals! You win you go to the Finals and play for another title. If you can't get yourself up for every single game in that scenario then maybe its time to rethink your commitment. Do you really think that Bird took games off?!

Bird had bad games.  Someone posted some fairly mediocre efforts from him in big playoff games on here recently.

Sure, he probably had a ton of excuses for his poor performances.  I would never claim that he wasn't trying because he had a bad game, though.  

Rondo played hard in game one and he was arguably the Celtics best player in that game despite a subpar performance from him.  

[CoachCowens]

Absolutely, when he's on he is as good as any point guard in the league when he is off he is only better than 90% of the point guards in the league.

[EJPLAYA]

If everyone on here is just going to keep pretending there isn't a difference between effort and results then we're all wasting our time. Results are hoped for from him. Effort should be required. Tonight he gave other-worldy effort. He happened to also have results with that. I'm pleased with the effort just as much as the results. If I were in his shoes I'd never want to have my effort and aggressiveness questioned. Just saying.

[ManUp]

I'm sorry, but this thread is just dumb.

I can't think of a response sarcastic enough so I've decided to just be honest and say it plainly.

All time great performances don't just happen because you try really hard.

[BballTim]

Rondo game 1 - Dribbling out the shot clock outside the three point line very rarely going to the basket.

  Rondo took 20 shots in game 1, 13 of them were at the rim. That's more than twice as many shots at the rim than any point guard in the league averaged this year. I don't think your opinion of his effort is very accurate.

[beantownboy171]

I'm sorry, but this thread is just dumb.

I can't think of a response sarcastic enough so I've decided to just be honest and say it plainly.

All time great performances don't just happen because you try really hard.

yes, this.

[BballTim]

If everyone on here is just going to keep pretending there isn't a difference between effort and results then we're all wasting our time. Results are hoped for from him. Effort should be required. Tonight he gave other-worldy effort. He happened to also have results with that. I'm pleased with the effort just as much as the results. If I were in his shoes I'd never want to have my effort and aggressiveness questioned. Just saying.

  I'd say that, short of scoring 40+ points, there's nothing Rondo could possibly do to stop a lot of posters here from questioning his effort.