Prediction: Rondo's future in Boston tied to...

[33_Larry Legend_33]

Josh Smith.

One thing has become evident in watching this basketball team (the "eye test"): The Celtics do indeed play better "team" basketball without the ever-dominating-the-basketball Rondo.  I don't know if they can sustain success without him, but what this team has shown without Rondo is pretty incredible (and Sully, to boot!).

But here's what I see:

- If this team is going to keep Pierce & KG for another year or two, Rondo really doesn't seem to fit.  This team plays a motion offense, geared on passing the basketball and player movement.  It's actually fun to watch.

- However, if Danny decides to get a guy like Josh Smith, it's apparent he can't really create his own shot and NEEDS a guy like Rondo to free up the floor for him.

I believe that Rondo will be here only if the personnel Danny puts around him require a dominant ball handler to free people up.  If not, I won't be shocked to see him go, and if healthy, I think he could fetch a nice return.

Either way, I don't care...  But I'll admit I've enjoyed watching this team MUCH MORE withOUT Rondo than with him...

[BballTim]

  It's hard to imagine too many people who have been watching the Celts over the last few years feel that KG, PP and Rondo are a bad fit. A trip to the finals and another to the ecf say otherwise.

[celtics2]

Rondo doesn't have a leg to stand on.

[Evantime34]

Although Rondo has been ball dominant I think he could still thrive in the spread motion offense the C's currently run.

Rondo is extremely quick and if given a step through ball movement could drive to the basket better than any Celtic on this year's team. He rebounds well for a guard which would be an asset for the small ball teams that are most effective with.

I think with Rondo back next year we could still have the superlative triple doubles but on occasions when he doesn't have it, our other players have the ability to score and still win games. His assist number probably will diminish but the teams overall efficiency should  skyrocket.

[CoachBo]

Josh Smith.

One thing has become evident in watching this basketball team (the "eye test"): The Celtics do indeed play better "team" basketball without the ever-dominating-the-basketball Rondo.  I don't know if they can sustain success without him, but what this team has shown without Rondo is pretty incredible (and Sully, to boot!).

But here's what I see:

- If this team is going to keep Pierce & KG for another year or two, Rondo really doesn't seem to fit.  This team plays a motion offense, geared on passing the basketball and player movement.  It's actually fun to watch.

- However, if Danny decides to get a guy like Josh Smith, it's apparent he can't really create his own shot and NEEDS a guy like Rondo to free up the floor for him.

I believe that Rondo will be here only if the personnel Danny puts around him require a dominant ball handler to free people up.  If not, I won't be shocked to see him go, and if healthy, I think he could fetch a nice return.

Either way, I don't care...  But I'll admit I've enjoyed watching this team MUCH MORE withOUT Rondo than with him...

TP. Excellent post, and the point I've been making here for a couple of years.

If Ainge plans on unloading Garnett and Pierce through trade or retirement in the off-season - and I don't believe he does - then it makes sense to keep Rondo as a complementary piece going forward.

If you keep him, then there are other players who are going to have to be moved besides Pierce and Garnett who don't fit at all with Rondo's game.

If the Captain and KG stay on for another year, then you keep the other pieces you've accumulated and you dangle Rondo for a big. As another thread points out, there will be ample opportunities to obtain value for him.

To do otherwise ignores entirely the decline in Garnett and Pierce as scoring alternatives, and the lack of scoring and ball movement from the PG position, to say nothing of Rondo's growing unwillingness to attempt to defend.

If you keep Garnett and Pierce, you HAVE to find significant scoring elsewhere and it only makes sense to try to land it inside - Gasol? Cousins?

I don't know that his fate is tied to Josh Smith - who I am not particularly interested in - as much as it is to Garnett and Pierce.

If they retire, it's a different game, albeit one in which Ainge is going to have to find foundational stars. Rondo isn't it.

If they don't, then it's really quite elementary to see that Rondo's game no longer fits - at all - with them.

That's the dilemma Ainge faces. In the meantime, I am enjoying enormously the most team-oriented Celtics performance since the championship season - a fact that is pretty revealing in itself.

[nickagneta]

I don't buy it. I don't think Rondo's future is tied to Smith at all. I doubt Danny makes his decision on whether to keep Rondo based on whether Smith comes here. Rondo's future is predicated upon his past

1. He's already signed for two more years at a bargain contract.
2. His playoff performance and inability for other teams to match up against him in the playoffs is important to this team. He has been their MVP in a playoff series win at least 4-5 times. That's out of 11 playoff series wins.
3. Rondo has the defensive skills to be a great compliment to Bradley as a shut down back court. He just needs to return to those ways with the effort.
4. He is the best passer in the game with some of the best court vision in the game.

I am a huge believer in watching this team that the only thing that has changed has been the collective efforts of the players not named Rondo. Green, Lee, Terry, Pierce, Bass, Bradley, Wilcox, Collins were all playing below par, hurt, playing through nagging injuries or coming back from serious injuries.

This was supposed to be the best and deepest team since 2008. Deep they were but it never showed the first half of the year because of the collective poor play of a lot of different players. They have been able to overcome the loss of Rondo, Sully and Barbosa because they were so deep and talented and because everyone picked up their game.

Remember the barking going on around here before Rondo's injury about Pierce's, Green's, and Terry's poor play? Does everyone forget that. Now Pierce is still scoring and yet throwing up huge numbers in rebounds and assists and being the facilitator. Green has come together and is playing the best ball of his career after being an inconsistent, underwhelming player before that. Terry has shaken off his shooting woes. Bradley, Wilcox and green are healthy and playing freely.

[AshyLarry]

Although Rondo has been ball dominant I think he could still thrive in the spread motion offense the C's currently run.

Rondo is extremely quick and if given a step through ball movement could drive to the basket better than any Celtic on this year's team. He rebounds well for a guard which would be an asset for the small ball teams that are most effective with.

I think with Rondo back next year we could still have the superlative triple doubles but on occasions when he doesn't have it, our other players have the ability to score and still win games. His assist number probably will diminish but the teams overall efficiency should  skyrocket.

Truth; and if Rondo is the team player that the locker room hypes him up as, there shouldn't be many issues with this.

I think this injury is somewhat serving as a reality check, if anything, that he should trust his teammates, and not be so ball dominant (although I think he should still have more touches than anyone, and be our set up guy).

[BudweiserCeltic]

  It's hard to imagine too many people who have been watching the Celts over the last few years feel that KG, PP and Rondo are a bad fit. A trip to the finals and another to the ecf say otherwise.

I've been very critical of Rondo, as you may well know, but these arguments about "bad fit" have been blown way out of proportion, and seemingly with little thought behind them.

[Evantime34]

Although Rondo has been ball dominant I think he could still thrive in the spread motion offense the C's currently run.

Rondo is extremely quick and if given a step through ball movement could drive to the basket better than any Celtic on this year's team. He rebounds well for a guard which would be an asset for the small ball teams that are most effective with.

I think with Rondo back next year we could still have the superlative triple doubles but on occasions when he doesn't have it, our other players have the ability to score and still win games. His assist number probably will diminish but the teams overall efficiency should  skyrocket.

Truth; and if Rondo is the team player that the locker room hypes him up as, there shouldn't be many issues with this.

I think this injury is somewhat serving as a reality check, if anything, that he should trust his teammates, and not be so ball dominant (although I think he should still have more touches than anyone, and be our set up guy).

To me I think a big part of his being ball dominant was Doc running the offense through him at all times. Hopefully Doc corrects this next year due to their recent success.

[clover]

What Danny can get back for him in return.

If he can get enough of a stud for Rondo, then the combination of that stud plus the better play from the rest of the guys on the team outweighs Rondo's transcendent play during the playoffs.

[csfansince60s]

I'd like Rondo's future tied to Smith's, but in this way:

Trade Rondo to Hawks for Horford. Throw in Sully and Melo if you have to if you wanna try to get Teague back.

Hard swallow for the Hawks, but they get a real promising young in Sully, a 1st round pick (in essence)who they were interested in before in Melo AND the key to keeping Josh Smith in Atlanta, Rondo.

KG/Horford would be something for this year and probably the next two.

Teague and the other Cs are only a supplementary idea.

Rondo for Horford would be the main deal.

[connor]

Josh Smith.

One thing has become evident in watching this basketball team (the "eye test"): The Celtics do indeed play better "team" basketball without the ever-dominating-the-basketball Rondo.  I don't know if they can sustain success without him, but what this team has shown without Rondo is pretty incredible (and Sully, to boot!).

But here's what I see:

- If this team is going to keep Pierce & KG for another year or two, Rondo really doesn't seem to fit.  This team plays a motion offense, geared on passing the basketball and player movement.  It's actually fun to watch.

- However, if Danny decides to get a guy like Josh Smith, it's apparent he can't really create his own shot and NEEDS a guy like Rondo to free up the floor for him.

I believe that Rondo will be here only if the personnel Danny puts around him require a dominant ball handler to free people up.  If not, I won't be shocked to see him go, and if healthy, I think he could fetch a nice return.

Either way, I don't care...  But I'll admit I've enjoyed watching this team MUCH MORE withOUT Rondo than with him...

TP. Excellent post, and the point I've been making here for a couple of years.

If Ainge plans on unloading Garnett and Pierce through trade or retirement in the off-season - and I don't believe he does - then it makes sense to keep Rondo as a complementary piece going forward.

If you keep him, then there are other players who are going to have to be moved besides Pierce and Garnett who don't fit at all with Rondo's game.

If the Captain and KG stay on for another year, then you keep the other pieces you've accumulated and you dangle Rondo for a big. As another thread points out, there will be ample opportunities to obtain value for him.

To do otherwise ignores entirely the decline in Garnett and Pierce as scoring alternatives, and the lack of scoring and ball movement from the PG position, to say nothing of Rondo's growing unwillingness to attempt to defend.

If you keep Garnett and Pierce, you HAVE to find significant scoring elsewhere and it only makes sense to try to land it inside - Gasol? Cousins?

I don't know that his fate is tied to Josh Smith - who I am not particularly interested in - as much as it is to Garnett and Pierce.

If they retire, it's a different game, albeit one in which Ainge is going to have to find foundational stars. Rondo isn't it.

If they don't, then it's really quite elementary to see that Rondo's game no longer fits - at all - with them.

That's the dilemma Ainge faces. In the meantime, I am enjoying enormously the most team-oriented Celtics performance since the championship season - a fact that is pretty revealing in itself.

Given how excited Ainge was about the way this team was put together at the start of the season do you really expect him to make such a significant change? Especially since this year was derailed so greatly by injuries to Rondo and Sully (and to a far lesser extent Barbosa).

I can see how moving Rondo for a Big who can provide scoring (and I'd assume less possession oriented pg) would be appealing. But if he was so excited about this year's team based on its depth, veteran leadership and young potential, would he really go in a such a different direction? Its not like Rondo's game has drastically changed, he's always been ball dominant. 

I'd think he would be more interested in seeing how to incorporate Rondo into the team that we've seen be so successful since the all star break and making whatever minor upgrades he can to the front court. And even if that fails he would probably look to move KG and PP again since it will most likely be the last year of their careers and he would prefer to hold onto the talent that will be around longer.

I'm not saying he should or shouldn't keep Rondo, just referring to his past of choosing to stand pat with this crew and Rondo. Obviously it will come down to how far we can get this year and whatever deals are available when he makes his calls. But Danny seems to think Rondo can work with this crew (otherwise he would have already agreed to one of the many Rondo deals he had discussed previously).

[scaryjerry]

  It's hard to imagine too many people who have been watching the Celts over the last few years feel that KG, PP and Rondo are a bad fit. A trip to the finals and another to the ecf say otherwise.

I've been very critical of Rondo, as you may well know, but these arguments about "bad fit" have been blown way out of proportion, and seemingly with little thought behind them.

Yeah, rondo is a great fit with kg...however I don't think he's the greatest with Paul but they've made it work

[LarBrd33]

  It's hard to imagine too many people who have been watching the Celts over the last few years feel that KG, PP and Rondo are a bad fit. A trip to the finals and another to the ecf say otherwise.

Tim I actually agree with you.  I think those guys found a happy balance, but also Ray Allen was one of our top scorers and he wasn't really a guy who could create his own shot.  He was a key part of our offense, though... spreading the floor, letting Rondo do his thing and waiting for kickouts. 

I think this year in particular, we have multiple guys who can create their own offense.  Terry, Jeff Green, Barbosa/Crawford ... even Bradley and Lee have shown the ability to create a little.  I think when you have players like that, you don't necessarily need a ball-dominating passer.  This year is different than previous years.  Had Rondo been injured last year... we wouldn't be playing as well as we are right now.   I've said it like a dozen times... if Rondo were to get injured, this was the best year for it to possibly happen, because his ball-dominating was holding back some of our offensive weapons.

[LarBrd33]

  It's hard to imagine too many people who have been watching the Celts over the last few years feel that KG, PP and Rondo are a bad fit. A trip to the finals and another to the ecf say otherwise.

I've been very critical of Rondo, as you may well know, but these arguments about "bad fit" have been blown way out of proportion, and seemingly with little thought behind them.

Yeah, rondo is a great fit with kg...however I don't think he's the greatest with Paul but they've made it work

Paul Pierce is our best offensive weapon and can do pretty much anything on the court.  When we won a title, the ball flowed through Pierce.  At present, the ball is flowing through Pierce.  I always felt like having a shooter next to Pierce (like Steph Curry... or even Jose Calderon) would have been more effective than having a passer.