If Rondo doesn't improve his jumper when he's back...

[Bosstown]

I seriously doubt he ever will.

[manl_lui]

I don't know why people are still bashing Rondo's jumpshot. I forgot who posted this but I remember there was a statistics that basically said that Rondo's jumper IS improving. Even his free throw is improving.

[sofutomygaha]

I don't know why people are still bashing Rondo's jumpshot. I forgot who posted this but I remember there was a statistics that basically said that Rondo's jumper IS improving. Even his free throw is improving.

You are absolutely right. Rondo was judicious and excellent shooting from midrange last year. He knows that his time to pull it out is when the defense is sagging off of him, he never forces it or uses it as a go-to, just quietly knocks it down when the defense gives it to him. Last year he shot 48% from mid range.

FORTY-EIGHT PERCENT!

That's extremely good!

[Boris Badenov]

I don't know why people are still bashing Rondo's jumpshot. I forgot who posted this but I remember there was a statistics that basically said that Rondo's jumper IS improving. Even his free throw is improving.

I don't know what stat you're talking about specifically, or what thread it was in, or when it was posted.

But I do know that BBallTim posted it.

[sofutomygaha]

I just checked hoop data, and you need to know this, Bosstown. Rondo attempted 3.6 midrange jumpers per game last year. Here is the list of guys who played at least 30 games,  took at least that many shots, and hit a better percentage than Rondo:

Bosh
Nowitzki
Jack

...and that's it.

[fairweatherfan]

Yeah, Rondo's percentages are very good - it's probably partly because defenses still preferred to sag off him, but the idea that he can't hit them at all is getting pretty stale.

This year will be a big test since coming off an injury and with a lot less talent around him, defenses will probably play him much more tightly. 

[clover]

Rondo's jump shot has improved--but he's also been left open and more or less dared to take it more than many other players.

I'm more worried about his free throws. When he's not feeling confident in those he is less inclined to take it to the basket.

But I'm really hopeful that this extended time of more or less healthy rehab will get his shot honed like never before.

[Donoghus]

His jumper is the least of my worries.

I want to see what his mobility is like post-injury.  His cutting, speed, ability to stop on a dime, etc.  That stuff goes a long way to how effective he is.

[Boris Badenov]

Also, in addition to the fact that Rondo's numbers have been good recently, there's this interesting article discussing how players improve their jumpers on average after ACL surgery:

To find out, the Journal looked at 34 NBA players who have torn an ACL since 2003. To factor out the effects of age, we limited the sample to the 20 players who were 26 years or younger at the time of the injury. Since coming back, those players have shot 42% from 16 to 23 feet—up from 38% before their injuries, a fairly significant improvement.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323384604578326451812887938.html

Edit: Actually, I just read that quote more carefully and I'm now a little suspicious of the study's findings. They claim to "factor out the effects of age" but they actually have just factored out the *negative* effects of getting older. If younger guys improve on average, then this would represent normal progression regardless of the surgery. You'd want to compare the improvement of ACL-repaired players to the improvement of other players of similar ages player the same positions.

Nonetheless it's a useful starting point for the analysis.

[Enzzo]

I know a lot of players work on jump shots and stationary drills after surgery, so hopefully hes used his time wisely. Having said that, his jump shot has improved leaps and bounds since he came into the league.

[sed522002]

Rondo working on his jumper after practice

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

Rondo didn’t stop after the first practice when his teammates did. He remained on the floor to work on one-dribble pull-ups, shooting off the catch, shooting with a hand in his face, an array of drills designed to improve his accuracy from outside.

Celtics employees have been impressed by Rondo’s work ethic during his recovery, saying he’s begun to work with Adams every day. Adams has been given credit for helping Derrick Rose’s jumper, so he’s used to assisting explosive point guards who need to improve their form. According to one team employee, Adams works on plenty of technical stuff with Rondo.

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2013/10/rajon_rondo_boston_celtics_ass.html

[GreenEnvy]

His jumper has become less terrible over the years, but he was just getting more wide open shots that defenses gave him.

His problem is his form. It is slow and awkward. A quick release like Ray's for example is hard to defend. You can play off rondo and still recover to bother his shot.

Couple that with how short he is, he will never be a good shooter while defended, IMO.

[manl_lui]

His jumper has become less terrible over the years, but he was just getting more wide open shots that defenses gave him.

His problem is his form. It is slow and awkward. A quick release like Ray's for example is hard to defend. You can play off rondo and still recover to bother his shot.

Couple that with how short he is, he will never be a good shooter while defended, IMO.

I don't think that is necessarily true - Game 7 vs Philly was a good example in my opinion, even game 2. When Pierce fouled out in game 7, Rondo's 3 at the end really helped us beat the 76ers. I say that was a clutch performance and it was a close game all around

Game 2 in OT, Rondo tried his best to bring us from down to over the top, and he almost succeeded! The Rondo I saw in the 2012 playoffs was ready to take jumpshots and was not afraid to take them as well

[Tr1boy]

I still cant believe rondo has not adj his stroke. He needs to use as least arm action possible on the release. Think karl malone, barbosa.  His arms are too long and this way his shots would be more accurate

[manl_lui]

I still cant believe rondo has not adj his stroke. He needs to use as least arm action possible on the release. Think karl malone, barbosa.  His arms are too long and this way his shots would be more accurate

adjusting his form at the professional is very hard. Rondo's jumper already came a long way and he just entered his prime. I don't know how his jumper will look if he adjusts his form.