Rondo was shooting jumpshots the day after we won the championship

[Celtics Insider]

I love when people mention how players leave him wide-open. As if that somehow is a bad thing.

[BballTim]

I love when people mention how players leave him wide-open. As if that somehow is a bad thing.

  It also happens less than most people claim. They're still stuck on 2008 or 2009 scouting reports.

[jambr380]

I get that Tony Parker is a great pg and has had a lot of success throughout his career, including this year, but he seems like even less of a threat than Rondo from outside. He almost never takes jumpshots and, when he does, it's not like I am super-confident in him making them. Maybe it was just the playoffs, but if we are talking playoffs only, then of course I will take Rondo.

Good for Rondo on working hard on a weakness and turning it into a respectable strength.

[D.o.s.]

I love when people mention how players leave him wide-open. As if that somehow is a bad thing.

  It also happens less than most people claim. They're still stuck on 2008 or 2009 scouting reports.

I'll lay this out very simply for you.

Being left wide open is not a bad thing--it's a good thing.  Open jump shots are easier.

Why is he being left wide open? Because people don't respect his jump shot.

Watch these, from 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueK1ph1r7xg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANLQ3URWf-M

Watch how the Spurs guard him, both faceup and on the pick and roll. Look at how much space he has.


Now, working on the earlier comparison, here's Chris Paul, watch how teams guard him on the Pick and roll.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en_3_F0IptA


If you can't see the difference, I don't know what to tell you.

And if you construe this as hating on Rondo, I've got some shorefront property to sell you in North Dakota.

[Celtics18]

I love when people mention how players leave him wide-open. As if that somehow is a bad thing.

  It also happens less than most people claim. They're still stuck on 2008 or 2009 scouting reports.

I'll lay this out very simply for you.

Being left wide open is not a bad thing--it's a good thing.  Open jump shots are easier.

Why is he being left wide open? Because people don't respect his jump shot.

Watch these, from 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueK1ph1r7xg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANLQ3URWf-M

Watch how the Spurs guard him, both faceup and on the pick and roll. Look at how much space he has.


Now, working on the earlier comparison, here's Chris Paul, watch how teams guard him on the Pick and roll.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en_3_F0IptA


If you can't see the difference, I don't know what to tell you.

And if you construe this as hating on Rondo, I've got some shorefront property to sell you in North Dakota.

Against the Heat in the 2012 playoffs, the Heat finally started trapping, having the guard fight over the pick and having the big show harder against Rondo.  It was a field day for him.  Now that he is more comfortable shooting that midrange jump shot, he's very, very difficult to guard.  Trapping him makes you vulnerable to him picking you apart with the pass.  Going under the screen makes you vulnerable to his improved jump shot.

Those five or six Chris Paul possessions in that video feature some fairly poor defensive sequences.  When the guard picks Paul up early, forcing the pick man to come up high to set the pick, and pushing Paul back and out of his comfort zone, I've seen him struggle to get any offense going.  He can be trapped effectively on the pick and roll.  We've seen it in the last couple of playoffs. 

[BballTim]

I love when people mention how players leave him wide-open. As if that somehow is a bad thing.

  It also happens less than most people claim. They're still stuck on 2008 or 2009 scouting reports.

I'll lay this out very simply for you.

Being left wide open is not a bad thing--it's a good thing.  Open jump shots are easier.

Why is he being left wide open? Because people don't respect his jump shot.

Watch these, from 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueK1ph1r7xg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANLQ3URWf-M

Watch how the Spurs guard him, both faceup and on the pick and roll. Look at how much space he has.

If you can't see the difference, I don't know what to tell you.

And if you construe this as hating on Rondo, I've got some shorefront property to sell you in North Dakota.

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

  Assuming the link works, here's a clip of Rondo's passing highlights from this season. Watch the clip and then re-watch your clips from 2010. If you can't see the difference between how Rondo's guarded now and how he was guarded 3-4 years ago I don't know what to tell you, but just the same let me know if you think don't notice a difference.

  And I don't think that everyone that thinks teams don't guard Rondo hate him, I just think their opinions of him haven't kept up with his game.

[D.o.s.]

Well, looks like I stand corrected. That's what happens when you're not able to watch most of the regular season games, I guess.

TP Tim, you're definitely correct on this one.

[NocturnalRebel]

If anyone has payed attention to Rondo's game, you would know he's actually not a bad shooter. And though we don't see him shoot as often as he can, it has improved over tha years.

Not sure how many here remember but I remember a while back at all star weekend when Rondo and Durant played H.O.R.S.E. Even tho those shots were uncontested, Rondo hit a good percentage of them and they were consistent. He gave Durant a good run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVQIjJbY2m0


A lot of analysts and players don't respect his shooting and I don't mind if they continue to do so so I can keep watching him make a defense pay for leaving him open.