Tim, I think you jinxed Rondo. Two straight triple-doubles, two straight losses.
Sadly, I think you're right about this.
The last two losses have been a great example of why I'd prefer a guy like Kyrie, though. We just don't have a guy who can consistently dominate the fourth quarter. Rondo, as great as his all-around contributions are, hasn't really been able to do that with any consistency.
I'm somewhat leery of having a point guard who's main skill is scoring. Also, while Irving's numbers may be better during his hot streak, compare his clutch numbers (per 48 minutes) from 82games to Rondo's:
Note, for shots I'm using shots + fta * .44
Irving:
42.5 points, 43.3 shots, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 11 turnovers
Rondo:
13.3 points, 15 shots, 17 assists, 10 rebounds, 5 turnovers
Clearly you get more scoring from Irving but almost all of his turnovers are ball handling or offensive fouls so he's scoring a lot but not as efficient as you'd like. Our clutch offense with Rondo playing is actually better than the Cavs clutch offense with Irving playing.