Rondo skips trip to sacramento

[Tr1boy]

See, that Globe journalist is doing is a lazy, knee-jerk #HotSportsTake.


Look at the leap Gasper makes here:

Some Celtics supporters would like to sweep this incident under the parquet, pointing out that Rondo didn’t get arrested, wave a gun at anyone, or strike his spouse. He went to a birthday party.

This is the nadir we’ve now reached in society? We’re supposed to give an athlete credit for not behaving like a criminal or miscreant? Rondo-philes, you’re working too hard to deploy the intellectual countermeasures here.

This is about more than taking a birthday break. It’s about whether Rondo is the type of personality you can build a team around. It’s about whether he is maturing or just getting older.

No. It's not. The only reason it would be about it being "more than taking a birthday break" is because Gasper's article doesn't get the soapbox he thinks it deserves otherwise. The false corollary he brings up is astounding. We're not supposed to applaud Rondo because he didn't get arrested or whatever, we're not giving it much mind because it's not a big deal.



Rondo skipped a game he wasn't going to play in, possibly without getting permission from his coach.
*makes vigorous self-simulation gesture*
So what?

Its incredible how you can keep defending him. Are you in the legal profession? Jk

But seriously the guy made a mistake and it doesnt look like he gets why. You dont either

Its about doing the right thing not creatively getting away with it. About cleaning the kitchen every night after the restaurant closes and not skipping doing it one night to entertain your friends who unexpectedly come visit. It's about being a professional

[Tr1boy]

C'mon..Brad changed his game? They new guy? Who stated his mindset? Not the GM trying to throw a bone just before a team friendly re-sign offer?

I don't see why it's so far-fetched for a rookie NBA coach to change his mind about something that's he's never been a part of before. This is a guy bringing his college ball mentality to the pros, don't forget.

  I agree. He's probably figuring out that he's not coaching college kids and adjusting to his new situation. I think that's an issue for many college coaches who move into the pros, Pitino included.

So who did Ainge have a meeting with? Rondo about missing the trip or Stevens about being a college coach and not knowing how to handle professionals?

"Rondo and I had a very good conversation yesterday," Ainge told CSNNE.com in a phone interview. "I'm satisfied with where things are and as far as I'm concerned, this whole thing is in the past and we're moving forward."

"First of all, leaders make mistakes," said Ainge who declined to say whether Rondo was fined. "And I'm not saying Rondo made a mistake in this particular instance, but leaders in general do make mistakes. All of us learned something from this, and as I said earlier, we're moving on."

  I would assume he talked to both Stevens and Rondo, wouldn't you? But where did I say that Stevens would need to meet with Danny? And how [dang]ing do you think a quote where Danny declined to say that Rondo made a mistake or that he was punished in any way is?

The point is that is that Ainge met with the guy at fault. The guy who spoke to the coach before HE decided to skip a trip. As for the quote, it's pretty obvious what he is saying.

  It is pretty obvious what he's saying. "I'm not saying Rondo made a mistake in this particular instance". It's also pretty obvious that you're completely ignoring this and deciding he means the opposite.

That reads  awfully close to a "it's not you, it's me" type disclaimer in context of the rest of the quote.

  You can read anything you want into what was said. How about "leaders in general do make mistakes. All of us learned something from this, and as I said earlier, we're moving on."? There are 3 leaders involved in the situation, right? Rondo, Stevens and Ainge. If all of them "learned something" from the incident, it's fairly likely that Rondo wasn't the only one who might have made a mistake.

If you want to spin it that way, ok. I obviously expect nothing else from you on all things Rondo.

  If you think anything about your posts concerning Rondo sound any more unbiased or objective than you think my posts are you're sadly mistaken.

If it were a death in the family or the birth of a child I would be much more sympathetic. However, we are talking about a birthday party. Not even for a child, but for himself. Aside from the self righteous nature of the act, is this the type of message a captain should be sending his teammates? Should Olynyk and Anthony be expected to practice on Boxing Day? Where does it end? If this were anybody else on the team they'd be hammered on here, but when it comes to Rondo objectivity seems to go by the wayside from a certain few.

  So you hammered KG any time he wasn't with the team when he was injured or wasn't on the bench when he wasn't playing? Or (more likely) you barely even noticed. Did PP always travel with the team when he wasn't playing, or don't you know? Have you been checking to make sure that all of the injured players on the roster attend every game? How many games has Bradley missed where he wasn't on the bench? Vitor? Sully? Be specific, and let me know which particular games they missed.

  Bet you can't, because if any player besides Rondo is missing from the bench they don't get skewered, it generally goes unnoticed. If you don't think that's true, point me to the threads we see every time a player who isn't playing isn't on the bench. Otherwise you're right that it's a case of people losing their objectivity when it comes to Rondo, just not the people you think.

If kg or pp did that then they should get hammered. But if rivers doesn't care , and he has his own way of doing things then what can you do. Nobody will know also

Stevens is not like that and he is now the coach of the team. His rules matter.  He is a fair guy and about the team first. Thats why if you play well you get more playing time, if you dont you sit. Doesnt matter if your vet like hump or 1st yr rookie like olynyk

[D.o.s.]

See, that Globe journalist is doing is a lazy, knee-jerk #HotSportsTake.


Look at the leap Gasper makes here:

Some Celtics supporters would like to sweep this incident under the parquet, pointing out that Rondo didn’t get arrested, wave a gun at anyone, or strike his spouse. He went to a birthday party.

This is the nadir we’ve now reached in society? We’re supposed to give an athlete credit for not behaving like a criminal or miscreant? Rondo-philes, you’re working too hard to deploy the intellectual countermeasures here.

This is about more than taking a birthday break. It’s about whether Rondo is the type of personality you can build a team around. It’s about whether he is maturing or just getting older.

No. It's not. The only reason it would be about it being "more than taking a birthday break" is because Gasper's article doesn't get the soapbox he thinks it deserves otherwise. The false corollary he brings up is astounding. We're not supposed to applaud Rondo because he didn't get arrested or whatever, we're not giving it much mind because it's not a big deal.



Rondo skipped a game he wasn't going to play in, possibly without getting permission from his coach.
*makes vigorous self-simulation gesture*
So what?

Its incredible how you can keep defending him. Are you in the legal profession? Jk

But seriously the guy made a mistake and it doesnt look like he gets why. You dont either

Its about doing the right thing not creatively getting away with it. About cleaning the kitchen every night after the restaurant closes and not skipping doing it one night to entertain your friends who unexpectedly come visit. It's about being a professional

No, I don't think he did anything wrong. I think that the people who do are projecting what they think about sports as a pastime or as a transcendent activity full of teambuilding and Hoosier-ship and Being Like Mike and all that onto what is, at the end of the day, a job.

I think that's been the case going back to the original NBC article, actually.

[BballTim]

C'mon..Brad changed his game? They new guy? Who stated his mindset? Not the GM trying to throw a bone just before a team friendly re-sign offer?

I don't see why it's so far-fetched for a rookie NBA coach to change his mind about something that's he's never been a part of before. This is a guy bringing his college ball mentality to the pros, don't forget.

  I agree. He's probably figuring out that he's not coaching college kids and adjusting to his new situation. I think that's an issue for many college coaches who move into the pros, Pitino included.

So who did Ainge have a meeting with? Rondo about missing the trip or Stevens about being a college coach and not knowing how to handle professionals?

"Rondo and I had a very good conversation yesterday," Ainge told CSNNE.com in a phone interview. "I'm satisfied with where things are and as far as I'm concerned, this whole thing is in the past and we're moving forward."

"First of all, leaders make mistakes," said Ainge who declined to say whether Rondo was fined. "And I'm not saying Rondo made a mistake in this particular instance, but leaders in general do make mistakes. All of us learned something from this, and as I said earlier, we're moving on."

  I would assume he talked to both Stevens and Rondo, wouldn't you? But where did I say that Stevens would need to meet with Danny? And how [dang]ing do you think a quote where Danny declined to say that Rondo made a mistake or that he was punished in any way is?

The point is that is that Ainge met with the guy at fault. The guy who spoke to the coach before HE decided to skip a trip. As for the quote, it's pretty obvious what he is saying.

  It is pretty obvious what he's saying. "I'm not saying Rondo made a mistake in this particular instance". It's also pretty obvious that you're completely ignoring this and deciding he means the opposite.

That reads  awfully close to a "it's not you, it's me" type disclaimer in context of the rest of the quote.

  You can read anything you want into what was said. How about "leaders in general do make mistakes. All of us learned something from this, and as I said earlier, we're moving on."? There are 3 leaders involved in the situation, right? Rondo, Stevens and Ainge. If all of them "learned something" from the incident, it's fairly likely that Rondo wasn't the only one who might have made a mistake.

If you want to spin it that way, ok. I obviously expect nothing else from you on all things Rondo.

  If you think anything about your posts concerning Rondo sound any more unbiased or objective than you think my posts are you're sadly mistaken.

If it were a death in the family or the birth of a child I would be much more sympathetic. However, we are talking about a birthday party. Not even for a child, but for himself. Aside from the self righteous nature of the act, is this the type of message a captain should be sending his teammates? Should Olynyk and Anthony be expected to practice on Boxing Day? Where does it end? If this were anybody else on the team they'd be hammered on here, but when it comes to Rondo objectivity seems to go by the wayside from a certain few.

  So you hammered KG any time he wasn't with the team when he was injured or wasn't on the bench when he wasn't playing? Or (more likely) you barely even noticed. Did PP always travel with the team when he wasn't playing, or don't you know? Have you been checking to make sure that all of the injured players on the roster attend every game? How many games has Bradley missed where he wasn't on the bench? Vitor? Sully? Be specific, and let me know which particular games they missed.

  Bet you can't, because if any player besides Rondo is missing from the bench they don't get skewered, it generally goes unnoticed. If you don't think that's true, point me to the threads we see every time a player who isn't playing isn't on the bench. Otherwise you're right that it's a case of people losing their objectivity when it comes to Rondo, just not the people you think.

If kg or pp did that then they should get hammered. But if rivers doesn't care , and he has his own way of doing things then what can you do. Nobody will know also

  Doc's been the coach the entire time Rondo's been on the team though. I doubt he thought of the rules he followed for the last 8 years as "Doc's rules" and not "Celt's rules". He obviously thought he was doing nothing wrong. The guy traveled with the team during his rehab even though he didn't need to so it's a little late in the game to claim he's not dedicated to the team.

[BballTim]

If you want to spin it that way, ok. I obviously expect nothing else from you on all things Rondo.

If it were a death in the family or the birth of a child I would be much more sympathetic. However, we are talking about a birthday party. Not even for a child, but for himself. Aside from the self righteous nature of the act, is this the type of message a captain should be sending his teammates? Should Olynyk and Anthony be expected to practice on Boxing Day? Where does it end? If this were anybody else on the team they'd be hammered on here, but when it comes to Rondo objectivity seems to go by the wayside from a certain few.

I'm going to ask you the same question I asked someone else earlier - do you/have you ever try/tried to get the day off of work for your birthday?

Like eddie20 said anyone else they would get burnt.

  Does that mean that every injured player has attended every single game or that you've seen those other players criticized much more than Rondo has over the last week?

[sed522002]

Doc on making Kg stay home when he didn't play:

At some point, Doc Rivers just had to tell Kevin Garnett to stay home. Every game the notoriously intense Garnett wasn't healthy enough to play was a nightmare. He was insufferable on the bench and worse in the locker room. Eventually Rivers just told him to stay home.
"He drove me crazy," Rivers joked. "It was better for him to just stay home if he couldn't play."

Eventually Rivers accorded Paul Pierce the same latitude. He wasn't as insufferable as Garnett when he was injured, but if KG didn't have to come when he was hurt, Pierce was due the same treatment.
That's how it was in Boston, anyway

.

http://m.espn.go.com/general/story?storyId=9991558&city=newyork&src=desktop&wjb

If those same comments were made about Rondo the media wouldn't call it intensity, they'd say he was a cancer.

[Eddie20]

If you want to spin it that way, ok. I obviously expect nothing else from you on all things Rondo.

If it were a death in the family or the birth of a child I would be much more sympathetic. However, we are talking about a birthday party. Not even for a child, but for himself. Aside from the self righteous nature of the act, is this the type of message a captain should be sending his teammates? Should Olynyk and Anthony be expected to practice on Boxing Day? Where does it end? If this were anybody else on the team they'd be hammered on here, but when it comes to Rondo objectivity seems to go by the wayside from a certain few.

I'm going to ask you the same question I asked someone else earlier - do you/have you ever try/tried to get the day off of work for your birthday?

It's a birthday so it's not relevant to me in adulthood. When I was younger though I used to look forward to it with as much enthusiasm as I would a visit from the tooth fairy. However, as a responsible adult if you ask your supervisor/boss/coach for something/anything, be it a day off or not traveling with the team. he denies you and you blatantly go against his wishes then you have to deal with the ramifications that go with it. It's called being an adult/professional/team captain. Unfortunately, that's the issue here. He didn't have permission and he went regardless. He did whatever he wanted to. It sets a bad precedent all the way around.

[BballTim]

If you want to spin it that way, ok. I obviously expect nothing else from you on all things Rondo.

If it were a death in the family or the birth of a child I would be much more sympathetic. However, we are talking about a birthday party. Not even for a child, but for himself. Aside from the self righteous nature of the act, is this the type of message a captain should be sending his teammates? Should Olynyk and Anthony be expected to practice on Boxing Day? Where does it end? If this were anybody else on the team they'd be hammered on here, but when it comes to Rondo objectivity seems to go by the wayside from a certain few.

I'm going to ask you the same question I asked someone else earlier - do you/have you ever try/tried to get the day off of work for your birthday?

It's a birthday so it's not relevant to me in adulthood. When I was younger though I used to look forward to it with as much enthusiasm as I would a visit from the tooth fairy. However, as a responsible adult if you ask your supervisor/boss/coach for something/anything, be it a day off or not traveling with the team. he denies you and you blatantly go against his wishes then you have to deal with the ramifications that go with it. It's called being an adult/professional/team captain. Unfortunately, that's the issue here. He didn't have permission and he went regardless. He did whatever he wanted to. It sets a bad precedent all the way around.

  First of all it's not really setting a precedent because he was doing the same thing that's been going on for years. KG or Doc set the precedent. Secondly, when you say Rondo didn't have permission, that probably means he didn't ask before he took the time off, not that he asked, was told no, and did it anyway. There's no evidence of that.

[Eddie20]

If you want to spin it that way, ok. I obviously expect nothing else from you on all things Rondo.

If it were a death in the family or the birth of a child I would be much more sympathetic. However, we are talking about a birthday party. Not even for a child, but for himself. Aside from the self righteous nature of the act, is this the type of message a captain should be sending his teammates? Should Olynyk and Anthony be expected to practice on Boxing Day? Where does it end? If this were anybody else on the team they'd be hammered on here, but when it comes to Rondo objectivity seems to go by the wayside from a certain few.

I'm going to ask you the same question I asked someone else earlier - do you/have you ever try/tried to get the day off of work for your birthday?

It's a birthday so it's not relevant to me in adulthood. When I was younger though I used to look forward to it with as much enthusiasm as I would a visit from the tooth fairy. However, as a responsible adult if you ask your supervisor/boss/coach for something/anything, be it a day off or not traveling with the team. he denies you and you blatantly go against his wishes then you have to deal with the ramifications that go with it. It's called being an adult/professional/team captain. Unfortunately, that's the issue here. He didn't have permission and he went regardless. He did whatever he wanted to. It sets a bad precedent all the way around.

  First of all it's not really setting a precedent because he was doing the same thing that's been going on for years. KG or Doc set the precedent. Secondly, when you say Rondo didn't have permission, that probably means he didn't ask before he took the time off, not that he asked, was told no, and did it anyway. There's no evidence of that.

Doc is no longer here though. There is a new coach, and regardless of whether you like it of not, you have to adhere to a different set of rules.

Stevens spoke to Rondo before he skipped the flight. He's said it himself. 

[BballTim]

If you want to spin it that way, ok. I obviously expect nothing else from you on all things Rondo.

If it were a death in the family or the birth of a child I would be much more sympathetic. However, we are talking about a birthday party. Not even for a child, but for himself. Aside from the self righteous nature of the act, is this the type of message a captain should be sending his teammates? Should Olynyk and Anthony be expected to practice on Boxing Day? Where does it end? If this were anybody else on the team they'd be hammered on here, but when it comes to Rondo objectivity seems to go by the wayside from a certain few.

I'm going to ask you the same question I asked someone else earlier - do you/have you ever try/tried to get the day off of work for your birthday?

It's a birthday so it's not relevant to me in adulthood. When I was younger though I used to look forward to it with as much enthusiasm as I would a visit from the tooth fairy. However, as a responsible adult if you ask your supervisor/boss/coach for something/anything, be it a day off or not traveling with the team. he denies you and you blatantly go against his wishes then you have to deal with the ramifications that go with it. It's called being an adult/professional/team captain. Unfortunately, that's the issue here. He didn't have permission and he went regardless. He did whatever he wanted to. It sets a bad precedent all the way around.

  First of all it's not really setting a precedent because he was doing the same thing that's been going on for years. KG or Doc set the precedent. Secondly, when you say Rondo didn't have permission, that probably means he didn't ask before he took the time off, not that he asked, was told no, and did it anyway. There's no evidence of that.

Doc is no longer here though. There is a new coach, and regardless of whether you like it of not, you have to adhere to a different set of rules.

Stevens spoke to Rondo before he skipped the flight. He's said it himself.

  Doc was on the Celts the entire time Rondo was. He probably thought that some of the rules were how things were on the team or how things were in the nba and not just how things were when you play for Doc Rivers. And Stevens speaking to Rondo before the flight was probably Brad calling Rondo from the airport wondering why he wasn't there. I've read plenty of things saying Rondo took the time off without telling Stevens or without asking permission, none saying Brad told him to go to the game and his refusing to. If you've got a link to such a story I'd like to see it.

[LilRip]

If you want to spin it that way, ok. I obviously expect nothing else from you on all things Rondo.

If it were a death in the family or the birth of a child I would be much more sympathetic. However, we are talking about a birthday party. Not even for a child, but for himself. Aside from the self righteous nature of the act, is this the type of message a captain should be sending his teammates? Should Olynyk and Anthony be expected to practice on Boxing Day? Where does it end? If this were anybody else on the team they'd be hammered on here, but when it comes to Rondo objectivity seems to go by the wayside from a certain few.

I'm going to ask you the same question I asked someone else earlier - do you/have you ever try/tried to get the day off of work for your birthday?

It's a birthday so it's not relevant to me in adulthood. When I was younger though I used to look forward to it with as much enthusiasm as I would a visit from the tooth fairy. However, as a responsible adult if you ask your supervisor/boss/coach for something/anything, be it a day off or not traveling with the team. he denies you and you blatantly go against his wishes then you have to deal with the ramifications that go with it. It's called being an adult/professional/team captain. Unfortunately, that's the issue here. He didn't have permission and he went regardless. He did whatever he wanted to. It sets a bad precedent all the way around.

  First of all it's not really setting a precedent because he was doing the same thing that's been going on for years. KG or Doc set the precedent. Secondly, when you say Rondo didn't have permission, that probably means he didn't ask before he took the time off, not that he asked, was told no, and did it anyway. There's no evidence of that.

Doc is no longer here though. There is a new coach, and regardless of whether you like it of not, you have to adhere to a different set of rules.

Stevens spoke to Rondo before he skipped the flight. He's said it himself.

  Doc was on the Celts the entire time Rondo was. He probably thought that some of the rules were how things were on the team or how things were in the nba and not just how things were when you play for Doc Rivers. And Stevens speaking to Rondo before the flight was probably Brad calling Rondo from the airport wondering why he wasn't there. I've read plenty of things saying Rondo took the time off without telling Stevens or without asking permission, none saying Brad told him to go to the game and his refusing to. If you've got a link to such a story I'd like to see it.

I don't think the issue is whether or not Rondo was at the game. It's that his coach didn't know where he was. I'm pretty sure if Rondo asked permission, he would've been allowed.

Again, with the whole work analogy, taking a day off on your birthday isn't wrong. But if you clear it with no one and just don't show up, and your boss has to call you up and ask "where the hell are you?", that's what's wrong. It's basic respect. For your employers and colleagues.

Even if this wasn't a game, and it was just practice, pretty sure this would still be an issue.

[Roy H.]

No, I don't think he did anything wrong. I think that the people who do are projecting what they think about sports as a pastime or as a transcendent activity full of teambuilding and Hoosier-ship and Being Like Mike and all that onto what is, at the end of the day, a job.

I don't understand this point of view. 

I understand not thinking that it's a big deal.  I understand the confusion of the system changing under Stevens from what it was under Doc.

But I don't understand "he did nothing wrong".  He didn't show up for work, and he didn't have permission to do so.  According to Stevens, they discussed the matter ahead of time, which suggests that Rondo was asked to be at the game, and skipped it.  Even if that's not the case, he was AWOL, and Stevens didn't like it.

How is that "nothing wrong"?  When you're a professional, you ask permission to take a leave day beforehand. 

It's not a huge deal, and it certainly doesn't deserve the media coverage and character assassination that it's brought with it.  However, I think it's clear that Rondo, at the very least, broke a team rule, and showed a lack of (leadership / professionalism / maturity) in the process.

[GreenWarrior]

i'd still like to know what danny ainge meant when he said - "I learned something about rondo that I didn't know before this recent talk". and if it has any bearing on the team.

I do get the feeling the relationship is souring and could get ugly before it's all over.

[kozlodoev]

Even if this wasn't a game, and it was just practice, pretty sure this would still be an issue.

Cue in obligatory "We're talking about practice, man" remarks.

[sed522002]

i'd still like to know what danny ainge meant when he said - "I learned something about rondo that I didn't know before this recent talk". and if it has any bearing on the team.

I do get the feeling the relationship is souring and could get ugly before it's all over.

I think you may be misquoting him. He didn't explicitly say he learned something new about Rondo. I took it as he learned something new about the situation. I guess the interpretation is up for grabs.