It's time it was said - we have 4 future HOFers on this team

[fairweatherfan]

5 if we count Doc, who will get there someday for coaching.  But of course we're talking about Rondo here.

Rajon is not a HOFer today - he's probably still not quite there even if we get another ring and he gets Finals MVP this year.  But barring injury or some other unforeseen event, there is no question he'll make it to the Hall.  Rondo is still just 26, and could easily play at a high level for another 7-9 years.  If so, he's likely to finish with 12000+ points, 10000+ assists, 5000+ rebounds, and 2000+ steals.  He is already a 3x All-Star, 4x Defensive 1st or 2nd-teamer, with one All-NBA 3rd team to his credit.  Those numbers are all likely to grow over the years.

But it's the playoffs where he truly shines - Rondo is already in the Top 20 all-time for playoff assists, and in the top 5 for triple-doubles.  The all-time list for assists in a single playoff season reads Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson...Rajon Rondo. (then Magic, Stockton, and Magic again)  And he's climbing toward the top 10 this year as well.  He's also climbing the all-time playoff charts for steals, points, even rebounds.  And of course he's a winner - 1 ring, 1 conference championship, and at least an ECF this year - 11 series wins and counting so far.  The resume is slowly becoming undeniable.  Rondo will be in Springfield, and probably no later than his 2nd or 3rd ballot, if not 1st.

Years down the line, we'll be remembering these Celtics teams, and Rondo will be a much bigger part of the story than we sometimes give him credit for.  We've had our ups and downs with Rondo - he can be frustrating, even infuriating with inconsistency and seeming complacency at times.  But make no mistake - this is an all-time point guard wearing green right now.  Hats off to Rajon, and the brilliant career both ahead of and behind him.

[pork3]

Rondo's long term success will be predicated, to a certain extent, on the talent they surround him with when the last remnants of the big three fade away.

-Jamman

[j804]

5 if we count Doc, who will get there someday for coaching.  But of course we're talking about Rondo here.

Rajon is not a HOFer today - he's probably still not quite there even if we get another ring and he gets Finals MVP this year.  But barring injury or some other unforeseen event, there is no question he'll make it to the Hall.  Rondo is still just 26, and could easily play at a high level for another 7-9 years.  If so, he's likely to finish with 12000+ points, 10000+ assists, 5000+ rebounds, and 2000+ steals.  He is already a 3x All-Star, 4x Defensive 1st or 2nd-teamer, with one All-NBA 3rd team to his credit.  Those numbers are all likely to grow over the years.

But it's the playoffs where he truly shines - Rondo is already in the Top 20 all-time for playoff assists, and in the top 5 for triple-doubles.  The all-time list for assists in a single playoff season reads Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson...Rajon Rondo. (then Magic, Stockton, and Magic again)  And he's climbing toward the top 10 this year as well.  He's also climbing the all-time playoff charts for steals, points, even rebounds.  And of course he's a winner - 1 ring, 1 conference championship, and at least an ECF this year - 11 series wins and counting so far.  The resume is slowly becoming undeniable.  Rondo will be in Springfield, and probably no later than his 2nd or 3rd ballot, if not 1st.

Years down the line, we'll be remembering these Celtics teams, and Rondo will be a much bigger part of the story than we sometimes give him credit for.  We've had our ups and downs with Rondo - he can be frustrating, even infuriating with inconsistency and seeming complacency at times.  But make no mistake - this is an all-time point guard wearing green right now.  Hats off to Rajon, and the brilliant career both ahead of and behind him.

TP amen

[2short]

It is sad that those of us that can see his quality have to defend him to the rondo haters on the blog.  I love the line, rondo is responsible for global warming.

I did a thread awhile ago on where would people rank Rondo RIGHT NOW for best Celtic point guard ever.  He is 6 years in and I put him only behind Mr Bob Cousy.  Last night Magic was posed with a question on rondo , how he regards his game and comparable point guards.  Anyone catch that?  I mean he blended stockton, nash, isiah  , kevin johnson, jason kidd.

Enjoy the development of this young man.  I was in awe when he got his first minutes in rookie season during preseason games (as were tommy & cous) .  He is still improving and can dominate a game like a small handful of players, not just point guards.

wait...we should trade him this off season because his trade value will be high 

[OmarSekou]

5 if we count Doc, who will get there someday for coaching.  But of course we're talking about Rondo here.

Rajon is not a HOFer today - he's probably still not quite there even if we get another ring and he gets Finals MVP this year.  But barring injury or some other unforeseen event, there is no question he'll make it to the Hall.  Rondo is still just 26, and could easily play at a high level for another 7-9 years.  If so, he's likely to finish with 12000+ points, 10000+ assists, 5000+ rebounds, and 2000+ steals.  He is already a 3x All-Star, 4x Defensive 1st or 2nd-teamer, with one All-NBA 3rd team to his credit.  Those numbers are all likely to grow over the years.

But it's the playoffs where he truly shines - Rondo is already in the Top 20 all-time for playoff assists, and in the top 5 for triple-doubles.  The all-time list for assists in a single playoff season reads Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson...Rajon Rondo. (then Magic, Stockton, and Magic again)  And he's climbing toward the top 10 this year as well.  He's also climbing the all-time playoff charts for steals, points, even rebounds.  And of course he's a winner - 1 ring, 1 conference championship, and at least an ECF this year - 11 series wins and counting so far.  The resume is slowly becoming undeniable.  Rondo will be in Springfield, and probably no later than his 2nd or 3rd ballot, if not 1st.

Years down the line, we'll be remembering these Celtics teams, and Rondo will be a much bigger part of the story than we sometimes give him credit for.  We've had our ups and downs with Rondo - he can be frustrating, even infuriating with inconsistency and seeming complacency at times.  But make no mistake - this is an all-time point guard wearing green right now.  Hats off to Rajon, and the brilliant career both ahead of and behind him.

I love Rondo, but I think the wear and tear is going to slow him down if he doesn't suffer a major injury. I think the test of whether he gets to the hall will be when he gets older and has to adapt his game due to declining physical skills. He's certainly on pace though.

[Roy H.]

It's too early to say.  Look at a guy like Tim Hardaway, who seemed destined to be a Hall of Famer.  Or Stephon Marbury, or Steve Francis.  Or Anfernee Hardaway.

If Rondo keeps playing like this on playoff teams for the next 7 to 10 years, he's a Hall of Famer.  However, there's so much that can happen in between.

[BballTim]

But it's the playoffs where he truly shines - Rondo is already in the Top 20 all-time for playoff assists, and in the top 5 for triple-doubles.  The all-time list for assists in a single playoff season reads Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson...Rajon Rondo. (then Magic, Stockton, and Magic again)  And he's climbing toward the top 10 this year as well.  He's also climbing the all-time playoff charts for steals, points, even rebounds.  And of course he's a winner - 1 ring, 1 conference championship, and at least an ECF this year - 11 series wins and counting so far.  The resume is slowly becoming undeniable.  Rondo will be in Springfield, and probably no later than his 2nd or 3rd ballot, if not 1st.

  In the last 4 playoffs Rondo's had 7 of the 9 highest assist totals in a single game. He has 22 games of 12 or more assists, the rest of the league has a combined 24. He has the 4 highest rebounding games for point guards, 8 of the 9 games with 12 or more and 13 of the 19 games with 10 or more boards. He's also 1 of 15 players with 500 career rebounds and 800 career assists in the playoffs, is top 5 in assists/game and 3rd or so in assist%.

[BballTim]

It's too early to say.  Look at a guy like Tim Hardaway, who seemed destined to be a Hall of Famer.  Or Stephon Marbury, or Steve Francis.  Or Anfernee Hardaway.

If Rondo keeps playing like this on playoff teams for the next 7 to 10 years, he's a Hall of Famer.  However, there's so much that can happen in between.

  Give him another 5-6 playoff series in his career and he'll be close to top 4 all time in assists, comfortably in second place for triple doubles and one of 10 or so players with 1000 assists and 600 rebounds. In 7-10 more years of playoffs he'd probably come close to doubling his current totals, which would put him in very elite company.

[Senninsage]

Indeed, we definitely do have 4 future hall of famers.

[Roy H.]

It's too early to say.  Look at a guy like Tim Hardaway, who seemed destined to be a Hall of Famer.  Or Stephon Marbury, or Steve Francis.  Or Anfernee Hardaway.

If Rondo keeps playing like this on playoff teams for the next 7 to 10 years, he's a Hall of Famer.  However, there's so much that can happen in between.

  Give him another 5-6 playoff series in his career and he'll be close to top 4 all time in assists, comfortably in second place for triple doubles and one of 10 or so players with 1000 assists and 600 rebounds. In 7-10 more years of playoffs he'd probably come close to doubling his current totals, which would put him in very elite company.

Yeah, that absolutely could happen.  Or, Rondo could suffer from playing on a string of mediocre teams if Danny (or a future GM) isn't able to rebuild properly.

He's definitely on a HOF trajectory, but there's a lot that can happen between now and then. 

As an aside, in terms of where he ranks among triple doubles, I don't think it matters all that much.  Fat Lever had 43 career triple doubles -- 6th all-time -- and he doesn't get a ton of HOF consideration.  I don't think voters will really pay attention to Rondo's triple doubles.

[BballTim]

It's too early to say.  Look at a guy like Tim Hardaway, who seemed destined to be a Hall of Famer.  Or Stephon Marbury, or Steve Francis.  Or Anfernee Hardaway.

If Rondo keeps playing like this on playoff teams for the next 7 to 10 years, he's a Hall of Famer.  However, there's so much that can happen in between.

  Give him another 5-6 playoff series in his career and he'll be close to top 4 all time in assists, comfortably in second place for triple doubles and one of 10 or so players with 1000 assists and 600 rebounds. In 7-10 more years of playoffs he'd probably come close to doubling his current totals, which would put him in very elite company.

Yeah, that absolutely could happen.  Or, Rondo could suffer from playing on a string of mediocre teams if Danny (or a future GM) isn't able to rebuild properly.

He's definitely on a HOF trajectory, but there's a lot that can happen between now and then. 

As an aside, in terms of where he ranks among triple doubles, I don't think it matters all that much.  Fat Lever had 43 career triple doubles -- 6th all-time -- and he doesn't get a ton of HOF consideration.  I don't think voters will really pay attention to Rondo's triple doubles.

  I meant playoff triple doubles, which seem to catch everyone's eye. But you were talking about his needing 7-10 more years of playoffs to get to the HOF, keep in mind that this is only his 5th year of playoffs and he's already accomplished quite a bit.

[ballin]

It's too early to say.  Look at a guy like Tim Hardaway, who seemed destined to be a Hall of Famer.  Or Stephon Marbury, or Steve Francis.  Or Anfernee Hardaway.

If Rondo keeps playing like this on playoff teams for the next 7 to 10 years, he's a Hall of Famer.  However, there's so much that can happen in between.

  Give him another 5-6 playoff series in his career and he'll be close to top 4 all time in assists, comfortably in second place for triple doubles and one of 10 or so players with 1000 assists and 600 rebounds. In 7-10 more years of playoffs he'd probably come close to doubling his current totals, which would put him in very elite company.

Yeah, that absolutely could happen.  Or, Rondo could suffer from playing on a string of mediocre teams if Danny (or a future GM) isn't able to rebuild properly.

He's definitely on a HOF trajectory, but there's a lot that can happen between now and then. 

As an aside, in terms of where he ranks among triple doubles, I don't think it matters all that much.  Fat Lever had 43 career triple doubles -- 6th all-time -- and he doesn't get a ton of HOF consideration.  I don't think voters will really pay attention to Rondo's triple doubles.

  I meant playoff triple doubles, which seem to catch everyone's eye. But you were talking about his needing 7-10 more years of playoffs to get to the HOF, keep in mind that this is only his 5th year of playoffs and he's already accomplished quite a bit.

^I'd just like to reference was Roy said above, and also add that injuries can totally derail a career as well. At various points, both Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady were considered future HOF candidates.

[fairweatherfan]

It's too early to say.  Look at a guy like Tim Hardaway, who seemed destined to be a Hall of Famer.  Or Stephon Marbury, or Steve Francis.  Or Anfernee Hardaway.

If Rondo keeps playing like this on playoff teams for the next 7 to 10 years, he's a Hall of Famer.  However, there's so much that can happen in between.

How many rings do those guys have?  None.  How many Finals appearances?  One for Penny, and he got swept.  Otherwise, I think Tim Hardaway's the only other guy to even make a conference final.  Same with Grant Hill and T-Mac - not much playoff success there.  (EDIT:  And Hill will probably make the Hall anyway - 2 college chips, Olympic gold, and being well-respected will get him over the top).

Playoff success goes a long way toward bolstering HOF consideration, and Rondo already has one of the best playoff resumes of any current player, and the best of any PG currently in the league (Fisher has more rings of course but no where near the production). 

Like I said, if his play falls off a cliff he won't make it.  But he's a lot closer than 7-10 good seasons and playoff runs away. 

[BballTim]

It's too early to say.  Look at a guy like Tim Hardaway, who seemed destined to be a Hall of Famer.  Or Stephon Marbury, or Steve Francis.  Or Anfernee Hardaway.

If Rondo keeps playing like this on playoff teams for the next 7 to 10 years, he's a Hall of Famer.  However, there's so much that can happen in between.

  Give him another 5-6 playoff series in his career and he'll be close to top 4 all time in assists, comfortably in second place for triple doubles and one of 10 or so players with 1000 assists and 600 rebounds. In 7-10 more years of playoffs he'd probably come close to doubling his current totals, which would put him in very elite company.

Yeah, that absolutely could happen.  Or, Rondo could suffer from playing on a string of mediocre teams if Danny (or a future GM) isn't able to rebuild properly.

He's definitely on a HOF trajectory, but there's a lot that can happen between now and then. 

As an aside, in terms of where he ranks among triple doubles, I don't think it matters all that much.  Fat Lever had 43 career triple doubles -- 6th all-time -- and he doesn't get a ton of HOF consideration.  I don't think voters will really pay attention to Rondo's triple doubles.

  I meant playoff triple doubles, which seem to catch everyone's eye. But you were talking about his needing 7-10 more years of playoffs to get to the HOF, keep in mind that this is only his 5th year of playoffs and he's already accomplished quite a bit.

^I'd just like to reference was Roy said above, and also add that injuries can totally derail a career as well. At various points, both Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady were considered future HOF candidates.

  The OP said "barring injury".

[Neurotic Guy]

I think the fairest thing to say is that Rondo sits among the maybe 10-15 young players in the league who appear to be potential hall of famers.  Among that group some will falter, and among the rest of the league a few will blossom or achieve greatness through longevity.