has rondo closed the gap with CP3?

[cman88]

I think before the season started this year, alot of fans thought it was a no-brainer to trade rondo for Cp3...you were trading a top 20player for someone who is maybe a top 5-10

after watching both through this playoff run though, I think Rondo has opened alot of eyes, especially for casual fans as well.

-he hit his free throws this post-season at a 72% clip
-He is no longer hesitant to take that jumper(and make that jumper)consistently
-hes actually knocking down the open 3 when he needs to.
-hes been 53% in clutch situations this post-season.

so, if Rondo comes back next year with a reliable jumper and can continue to hit those free throws at a 70% clip...he can be a dominant player in this league.

I think he's definitely shown this year that he can be a franchise-cornerstone.

[dark_lord]

i say no.  rondo is very good, but not great imo.  he has narrowed the gap, but i dont think he closed it.  i think rondo is a piece to a larger puzzle, where cp3 is the puzzle that needs pieces (if that makes sense, lol)

[indeedproceed]

i say no.  rondo is very good, but not great imo.  he has narrowed the gap, but i dont think he closed it.  i think rondo is a piece to a larger puzzle, where cp3 is the puzzle that needs pieces (if that makes sense, lol)

Agree with everything but the last part, these playoffs put me on the Rondo side that he can be a cornerstone you start from.

[thirstyboots18]

i say no.  rondo is very good, but not great imo.  he has narrowed the gap, but i dont think he closed it.  i think rondo is a piece to a larger puzzle, where cp3 is the puzzle that needs pieces (if that makes sense, lol)

A piece that fits a puzzle can complete the puzzle.  A puzzle that needs pieces is never completed.  (Trust me, I do puzzles.)   

[bfrombleacher]

i say no.  rondo is very good, but not great imo.  he has narrowed the gap, but i dont think he closed it.  i think rondo is a piece to a larger puzzle, where cp3 is the puzzle that needs pieces (if that makes sense, lol)

A piece that fits a puzzle can complete the puzzle.  A puzzle that needs pieces is never completed.  (Trust me, I do puzzles.)  

Wow...that's puzzling...

And our team right now would be bad fitting pieces. Hell, the existing pieces would fall apart regardless of the glue or the frame or whatever. We rely far too much on the jumpshot and defense.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I think before the season started this year, alot of fans thought it was a no-brainer to trade rondo for Cp3...you were trading a top 20player for someone who is maybe a top 5-10

after watching both through this playoff run though, I think Rondo has opened alot of eyes, especially for casual fans as well.

-he hit his free throws this post-season at a 72% clip
-He is no longer hesitant to take that jumper(and make that jumper)consistently
-hes actually knocking down the open 3 when he needs to.
-hes been 53% in clutch situations this post-season.

so, if Rondo comes back next year with a reliable jumper and can continue to hit those free throws at a 70% clip...he can be a dominant player in this league.

I think he's definitely shown this year that he can be a franchise-cornerstone.

I don't agree with that (though he is better at taking it and making)... one problem last night, the second half Wadena played way off on RR, Rondo REFUSED to shoot! Look at a replay of it... he would be standing there the entire clock, wide open, all he did was wait for someone else to get open. Had he taken the shots he was wide open on (made some of course), maybe it would not have been so difficult for others to get open or at least Wadena would have had to be honest on D... he DARED RR to shoot, he didn't of course. Maybe he was exhausted, I don't know... all I know, he hit that 3 at the end of the 3rd and I said, "okay, he is going to start shooting"... he didn't. This isn't about the loss or blaming someone, this is just my opinion of him not shooting even though he should have. It's much less this season but he still doesn't attempt to shoot at times.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Rondo is consistent mid range jump shot away from being te top PG in the league.

And when i mean consistent, I mean he's taking shots when he's open, was being given to him, and making it a a high percentage.

He's not CP3 level yet, but he's closing in. Closer than most people think. The question is will he ever grow a sack to tack those shots opponents are dating him to.

[ChefEricT]

I think both are great players, but very different.  Paul is a better scorer, but Rondo is the best current NBA player at setting up his teammates.  I see people on here debating over if Rondo can be built around and I think it's funny because Rondo is the exact player I would want to build around.  If you surround him with a variety(shooters, slashers, rebounding bigs) of athletic players, he can make them play like stars.  There will be a bit of a learning curve because when playing with Rondo you always have to be ready to receive the ball(even when it doesn't seem possible).  He truly is a Maestro on the court.  Even when he doesn't have great statistical games, he is still driving the bus.  With another PG on this team we wouldn't have Been as successful in the Big 3 era.  From the beginning he distributed the ball in a way that kept everybody happy and the team winning.  Stats can sometimes be misleading, he is a great PG(especially in the current NBA).  He will only get better and more mature and will be great to build around(a la Steve Nash in Phoenix, but with Rings).  Watching Rondo play reminds me of watching a great Quarterback in the NFL.  Sometimes Tom Brady will run in a Touch Down, but more likely he's going to get the ball to one of his many offensive weapons for a big gain or a score.  Watching Chris Paul play is like watching a Great college Quarterback play.  More QB sneaks/bootlegs/option plays, etc.  I hope that made some sense.  Again, they both are great, just different.  We have the one I would pick on our current roster.

[get_banners]

cp3 is a better shooter than rondo, but rondo is closing that gap. cp3 does not play defense like rondo, and is not the playmaker rondo is (the only pg i would rate with rondo on this front is nash). rondo also doesn't have terrible knees that won't get better. so...yeah...i think cp3 is overall MAYBE better right now, but not moving forward.

[Tr1boy]

cp3 is overall better. The shooting is the key adv

[vlad_cruz]

I think before the season started this year, alot of fans thought it was a no-brainer to trade rondo for Cp3...you were trading a top 20player for someone who is maybe a top 5-10

after watching both through this playoff run though, I think Rondo has opened alot of eyes, especially for casual fans as well.

-he hit his free throws this post-season at a 72% clip
-He is no longer hesitant to take that jumper(and make that jumper)consistently
-hes actually knocking down the open 3 when he needs to.
-hes been 53% in clutch situations this post-season.

so, if Rondo comes back next year with a reliable jumper and can continue to hit those free throws at a 70% clip...he can be a dominant player in this league.

I think he's definitely shown this year that he can be a franchise-cornerstone.

I don't agree with that (though he is better at taking it and making)... one problem last night, the second half Wadena played way off on RR, Rondo REFUSED to shoot! Look at a replay of it... he would be standing there the entire clock, wide open, all he did was wait for someone else to get open. Had he taken the shots he was wide open on (made some of course), maybe it would not have been so difficult for others to get open or at least Wadena would have had to be honest on D... he DARED RR to shoot, he didn't of course. Maybe he was exhausted, I don't know... all I know, he hit that 3 at the end of the 3rd and I said, "okay, he is going to start shooting"... he didn't. This isn't about the loss or blaming someone, this is just my opinion of him not shooting even though he should have. It's much less this season but he still doesn't attempt to shoot at times.

I think he was fine in the 4th, could have been better but still pretty good. I can't really find fault when the guy kept us in the game in the 3rd (scored 10) and accounted for 40% of our offensive production in the 4th (scored 6 compared to everyone who combined for 9). I think he just got caught up in trying to get paul and ray going that period instead of looking for his own offense. Can't really blame him since thats  his role, to orchestrate the offense and get the big 3 shots. Unfortunately for us, they weren't able to convert.

As for the OP. I think he definitely closed the gap. The only thing you could say that cp3 is better than rondo is shooting and coming up in the clutch. I think we can all agree he has shown that he's capable of doing both, particularly in the clutch (which kind of surprised me).

[KGs Knee]

Close the gap?

Rondo has passed him.

They lost, and it's all that really matters.  Rondo did have a trip dub (21/14/10) in a  game 7 last night though.  His only downfall last night, was his reluctance to take over the game in the 4th qtr.  He'll learn.

[Change]

Nobody guards Rondo. Answer is NO! Until teams start respecting Rondo, that gap will be wide.

[Q_FBE]

We needed Rondo to step up and shoot the ball more in the 4th Q yesterday. We probably would of lost the game but it would have been much closer. Ray, Paul, and KG lacked energy in the 4 th Q

[greenpride32]

Nobody guards Rondo. Answer is NO! Until teams start respecting Rondo, that gap will be wide.

C's could not score in the 4th Q last night when Rondo was left completely unguarded.  5 on 4 defensive, all passing lanes cut; lots of turnovers and no good shots.  In this case Rondo has to attack the rim, because he is not a good outside shooter.  If he does not attack the rim then he's a huge liablity as we saw.  He may have piled up the individual stats last night, another trip-dub, but it was one of the quietest I ever saw.  And again his inability to shoot or take initiative to drive really hurt the team.

Now I am not trying to pin blame on Rondo for last night's result.  The point I'm trying to make is he has some major liabilties that bring him a notch or two down from the top players like CP3.