22 year old Rondo vs 22 year old Bradley

[LarBrd33]

Who do you think is more impactful?...  22 year old Rondo who was the 4th best player on our 2008 championship team?... or 22 year old Avery Bradley right now... who is basically our 4th best player behind KG, Pierce and Green? 

22 year old Rondo averaged 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.7 steals 49%/26%/61%

In 26 playoff games, Rondo averaged 10.2 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals 40%/25%/69%

Rondo was pretty much a role player that year... ball flowed through Pierce, KG... and Ray was a huge part of our offense as well. 

His stats that year are more impressive than Bradley's this year, though...   Bradley post all-star break has averaged:  11.5 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 1.2 steals 45%/41%/70% ... but as we know, Bradley's impact isn't felt on the stat sheet. 

Who do you think is more impactful?  Role player Rondo or Role Player Bradley?

[CelticConcourse]

Does it really matter? I don't really see why it could have importance (not to sound snotty or anything). I would say Bradley is far more important in Year 2/3 than Rondo days.

[ManUp]

I'd say Bradley.

Rondo wasn't advanced enough offensively to give him the edge over Bradley's game changing defense. I'd would even go as far as to say the 08 team might've been scarier with a 22y/o Bradley.

[lightspeed5]

this is arguing for the sake of arguing. Some players develop faster than other players.

[nickagneta]

Who do you think is more impactful?...  22 year old Rondo who was the 4th best player on our 2008 championship team?... or 22 year old Avery Bradley right now... who is basically our 4th best player behind KG, Pierce and Green? 

22 year old Rondo averaged 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.7 steals 49%/26%/61%

In 26 playoff games, Rondo averaged 10.2 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals 40%/25%/69%

Rondo was pretty much a role player that year... ball flowed through Pierce, KG... and Ray was a huge part of our offense as well. 

His stats that year are more impressive than Bradley's this year, though...   Bradley post all-star break has averaged:  11.5 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 1.2 steals 45%/41%/70% ... but as we know, Bradley's impact isn't felt on the stat sheet. 

Who do you think is more impactful?  Role player Rondo or Role Player Bradley?

When I was watching a 22 year old Rondo in the playoffs that year, I was getting the feeling of watching the first few fireworks blow up on July 4th, knowing that a huge, spectacular finale was coming up very soon.

When I watch a 22 year old Bradley this year, I get the feeling I am watching  new Toyota Camry. Oh, its a great car but its not an eye popping sports car like a Lamborghini or a classic 67' Vette, but its a good reliable car that will be that very good for another decade or more.

Does that make sense because it kind of best explains how I feel about the two. Love them both, just viewed them differently at that age.

[LarBrd33]

Who do you think is more impactful?...  22 year old Rondo who was the 4th best player on our 2008 championship team?... or 22 year old Avery Bradley right now... who is basically our 4th best player behind KG, Pierce and Green? 

22 year old Rondo averaged 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.7 steals 49%/26%/61%

In 26 playoff games, Rondo averaged 10.2 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals 40%/25%/69%

Rondo was pretty much a role player that year... ball flowed through Pierce, KG... and Ray was a huge part of our offense as well. 

His stats that year are more impressive than Bradley's this year, though...   Bradley post all-star break has averaged:  11.5 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 1.2 steals 45%/41%/70% ... but as we know, Bradley's impact isn't felt on the stat sheet. 

Who do you think is more impactful?  Role player Rondo or Role Player Bradley?

When I was watching a 22 year old Rondo in the playoffs that year, I was getting the feeling of watching the first few fireworks blow up on July 4th, knowing that a huge, spectacular finale was coming up very soon.

When I watch a 22 year old Bradley this year, I get the feeling I am watching  new Toyota Camry. Oh, its a great car but its not an eye popping sports car like a Lamborghini or a classic 67' Vette, but its a good reliable car that will be that very good for another decade or more.

Does that make sense because it kind of best explains how I feel about the two. Love them both, just viewed them differently at that age.

So you are saying that your perception of rondo was that he had more potential... Even though Bradley is arguably better/more important to our team than rondo was at the same age?  Interesting...

I say this as someone who has been extemely slow to jump on the Bradley train... Just find it interesting that he might be better than rondo was...

I also find it really ironic that people are using "some players develop slower than others" as a defense for how slowly rondo professed... And yet seem to be dismissive of the possibility that Bradley might be slow to develop his point guard skills as well. 

[jambr380]

I don't know that Rondo developed slowly. He had a very solid rookie campaign where he was the starting point guard for a championship team. In the playoffs, in his second year, he exploded. The series against the Bulls was his coming out party and he showed his potential for becoming a future potential superstar.

While I love what Bradley brings to this team, he is no alpha-dog like Rondo, and I don't see the superstar potential. I hope they are both with this team for years to come as there isn't a combo like those two anywhere else in the league.

[Celtics18]

Why's it got to be versus?

I see a modern version of these two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L99CblbLqQ

The future:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSKIq3siHHI

[CelticsFan9]

Why's it got to be versus?

I see a modern version of these two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L99CblbLqQ

The future:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSKIq3siHHI

I'm not sure Rondo and Bradley could put up the same scoring numbers as Thomas and Dumars

Defensively, they could be very similar.

Overall, pretty decent comparison.  Obviously, we'd need to see improvement from both Rondo and Bradley, but I see both of them stepping their respective games up a notch down the road.

[timobusa]

With all that said, I think they are both special once in a blue moon type of players.
And we both have them on the same team.

They are both important in this teams future.

And yes I agree that they are the modern day Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars.

[LarBrd33]

I don't know that Rondo developed slowly. He had a very solid rookie campaign where he was the starting point guard for a championship team. In the playoffs, in his second year, he exploded. The series against the Bulls was his coming out party and he showed his potential for becoming a future potential superstar.

While I love what Bradley brings to this team, he is no alpha-dog like Rondo, and I don't see the superstar potential. I hope they are both with this team for years to come as there isn't a combo like those two anywhere else in the league.

I hear what you're sayin... 2008 wasn't Rondo's rookie year, though. 

In 2006-07, Rondo played a total of 1830 minutes.

Just for comparison's sake... Bradley has played a total of 1500 minutes in his first two seasons... so it's pretty much a fair comparison.  Same age and have roughly the same amount of experience under their belt. 

And I really don't see Bradley as a SG.  IF he's going to be successful in this league... it will be as a point guard.  He's tiny.  I also don't see him having enough offense to play SG.  Best off as a role playing defensive PG. 

[ejk3489]

Or, for a more accurate comparison, you could look at Rondo's third season in 08-09 (at age 22 BTW) to Avery's third/current season.

Rondo:
Regular- 11.9 points, 8.2 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 steals, .505 FG%
Playoffs- 16.9 points, 9.8 assists, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals, .417 FG%

I don't see the point in comparing them though. Two completely different players that impact the team in important but very distinct ways - mainly Avery on defense, Rondo on offense.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

It is a pointless comparison. To look at a player, or to compare two players, in isolation, without any context of the team around them, what was called for from them, etc. but at some arbitrary age is worthless. What are you even measuring? They are being asked to do entirely different things in entirely different contexts that have very little relation to the other.

[Celtics18]

I don't know that Rondo developed slowly. He had a very solid rookie campaign where he was the starting point guard for a championship team. In the playoffs, in his second year, he exploded. The series against the Bulls was his coming out party and he showed his potential for becoming a future potential superstar.

While I love what Bradley brings to this team, he is no alpha-dog like Rondo, and I don't see the superstar potential. I hope they are both with this team for years to come as there isn't a combo like those two anywhere else in the league.

I hear what you're sayin... 2008 wasn't Rondo's rookie year, though. 

In 2006-07, Rondo played a total of 1830 minutes.

Just for comparison's sake... Bradley has played a total of 1500 minutes in his first two seasons... so it's pretty much a fair comparison.  Same age and have roughly the same amount of experience under their belt. 

And I really don't see Bradley as a SG.  IF he's going to be successful in this league... it will be as a point guard.  He's tiny.  I also don't see him having enough offense to play SG.  Best off as a role playing defensive PG.

He's a SG on offense and a PG on defensive.  It's unconventional, for sure, but we've seen it work with Rondo and Bradley in the backcourt together for a fairly decent stretch.  It's hard to say that defensively a Rondo/Bradley backcourt is a liability.  As far as offense goes, he'll get better, but he'll probably never be a big time scorer.  I can live with that.  Heck, we'll have Jeff Green to put some points on the board. 

[BballTim]

Who do you think is more impactful?...  22 year old Rondo who was the 4th best player on our 2008 championship team?... or 22 year old Avery Bradley right now... who is basically our 4th best player behind KG, Pierce and Green? 

22 year old Rondo averaged 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.7 steals 49%/26%/61%

In 26 playoff games, Rondo averaged 10.2 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals 40%/25%/69%

Rondo was pretty much a role player that year... ball flowed through Pierce, KG... and Ray was a huge part of our offense as well. 

His stats that year are more impressive than Bradley's this year, though...   Bradley post all-star break has averaged:  11.5 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 1.2 steals 45%/41%/70% ... but as we know, Bradley's impact isn't felt on the stat sheet. 

Who do you think is more impactful?  Role player Rondo or Role Player Bradley?

When I was watching a 22 year old Rondo in the playoffs that year, I was getting the feeling of watching the first few fireworks blow up on July 4th, knowing that a huge, spectacular finale was coming up very soon.

When I watch a 22 year old Bradley this year, I get the feeling I am watching  new Toyota Camry. Oh, its a great car but its not an eye popping sports car like a Lamborghini or a classic 67' Vette, but its a good reliable car that will be that very good for another decade or more.

Does that make sense because it kind of best explains how I feel about the two. Love them both, just viewed them differently at that age.

So you are saying that your perception of rondo was that he had more potential... Even though Bradley is arguably better/more important to our team than rondo was at the same age?  Interesting...

I say this as someone who has been extemely slow to jump on the Bradley train... Just find it interesting that he might be better than rondo was...

I also find it really ironic that people are using "some players develop slower than others" as a defense for how slowly rondo professed... And yet seem to be dismissive of the possibility that Bradley might be slow to develop his point guard skills as well.

  When Rondo was in his 3rd year he averaged 12/5/8 and 17/10/10 in the playoffs. Claiming he was slow to develop compared to Bradley is silly.