Rondo skips trip to sacramento

[paidthecost2betheboss]

Could not care less about this. This is the type of non basketball issue that radio talk show hosts like to talk about because it allows them to have an opinion about something basketball related.

Ainge and Stevens care, apparently. I guess they're just preparing for their upcoming careers as radio hosts.

hahah...this made me laugh!  Clearly Ainge and Stevens are bothered by this.  Not sure how anyone can defend Rondo on this one...

Shouldn't have to.

This fire shoulda been put out before we knew about it. Nobody seems to be seeing the downhill slide that started on that Jan 23(?) Morning Radio show.


http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=69268.0

I think Danny just alerted other GM's that in time Rondo will in fact be available. Danny must hope he rebuilds his skill set and then some and Danny can get a best deal available for him before losing him in FA. Rondo being back in the lineup during a "tank" year in January makes more sense if you go this way. Danny is a business man with the Celtics being his employer. I am a big D.A. fan and a bigger R.R. fan but he just shared shared pillow talk on the radio in a way that cannot be endearing to Rajon or his agent. Danny isn't stupid. He's not a robot either but he likes to think he's pretty smart and it seems like he just sent a message but the person supposed to get that message appears to be everybody else first and Rajon 2nd.

A lot of folks have a real blindspot when it comes to putting themselves in other peoples shoes. If you were Rajon and woke up to hear that what would you think?

I wonder what Rajon's old friend Perk thought? Think he picked up the phone and gave his old friend a call and some advice??

Ainge said the Celtics had offered Perkins all they could under the current collective bargaining agreement.

“[Perkins] wasn’t really interested in doing a contract extension, which I understand,” Ainge told WEEI. “He wanted to test the market. Last time he didn’t test the market and this time he really wanted to test the market and see what his value was.

“That was a concern but it wasn’t so much of a concern that we would have done something just for that purpose. But the fact that we were able to, in our opinion, help our team this year and protect ourselves for the future was very good for us."

Since I wrote that:

We had a Trade Deadline stuffed with Rondo rumors. That coulda been quelled with some clear words by Ainge in the last 72 hours before the deadline.

We got a he said he said between a star we are supposedly trying to resign v.s. the Coach and G.M. who shoulda just said it's a non story 2 days ago and dealt with Rondo in house.

This is bad for Rondo's future here.

Rondo's return in a trade with another G.M.

Ainge's image as a guy who runs a tight ship.

Steven's looks like a G.M. lapdog.

Rondo heaving a bottle at a proctor screen came out long after it happened.

A guy missing a game he wasn't scheduled to play in so he could have a b-day party while the team tries to not be too obvious in it's tanking is just a tad less annoying than a coach and G.M. letting that get out and get to this stage. I love Rondo. If you don't you should be happy. He's gone.
He's physically here but he's gone.
Danny has lost me finally. By losing Rondo publicly and on purpose that guy has lost me.

Diminishing your best asset via negative perception is not a top tier move. Build him up and ship him off but don't feed the narrative that he's hard to manage. You're shooting yourself in the foot.

If nobody else sees this then I don't know what to say.

[LooseCannon]

This is such a nonstory. I can't believe how much attention it's getting.

Enough already.

Some people are probably happy to have a story that isn't a trade rumor (although it may lead to one).

[CelticG1]

At least its a 1000% better than getting mixed up with something else like say Sullys ordeal earlier in the season.

Seriously imagine if that was Rondo who allegedly beat up his wife. Especially in the same town and within a week or 2 of an extremely high profile domeatic abuse case that led to death.

Even smaller examples like Felton recently or Lebron his whole Cleveland career or Dwight saga in Orlando.

Maybe Rondo isnt a peach but give me a break

[Donoghus]

Maybe Rondo isnt a peach but give me a break

Pretty much. 

Media (especially local types) love to run with this stuff and so will those with serious Rondo axes to grind.

[TwinTower14]

This is such a nonstory. I can't believe how much attention it's getting.

Enough already.

Some people are probably happy to have a story that isn't a trade rumor (although it may lead to one).

Well Ainge and Stevens seem to think it's a story, anytime your Captain skips a game without permission, I would say it's a pretty big story for that team?  Imagine if Lebron did this in Miami? The people on this board supporting Rondo would be killing Lebron

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

This is such a nonstory. I can't believe how much attention it's getting.

Enough already.

Some people are probably happy to have a story that isn't a trade rumor (although it may lead to one).

But it's still a Rondo story, and I'm tired of hearing those. =)

[Enzzo]

If there's anything I can take out of this groundbreaking story, it's that we will become a treadmill team for the next 10 years, FO will clean house and we will move to Seattle to become the new sonics.

Celtics fans have been through a lot, but Rondo's 28th birthday will take the cake (literally) for years to come!!

[D.o.s.]

Could not care less about this. This is the type of non basketball issue that radio talk show hosts like to talk about because it allows them to have an opinion about something basketball related.

Ainge and Stevens care, apparently. I guess they're just preparing for their upcoming careers as radio hosts.

hahah...this made me laugh!  Clearly Ainge and Stevens are bothered by this.  Not sure how anyone can defend Rondo on this one...

Shouldn't have to.

This fire shoulda been put out before we knew about it. Nobody seems to be seeing the downhill slide that started on that Jan 23(?) Morning Radio show.


http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=69268.0

I think Danny just alerted other GM's that in time Rondo will in fact be available. Danny must hope he rebuilds his skill set and then some and Danny can get a best deal available for him before losing him in FA. Rondo being back in the lineup during a "tank" year in January makes more sense if you go this way. Danny is a business man with the Celtics being his employer. I am a big D.A. fan and a bigger R.R. fan but he just shared shared pillow talk on the radio in a way that cannot be endearing to Rajon or his agent. Danny isn't stupid. He's not a robot either but he likes to think he's pretty smart and it seems like he just sent a message but the person supposed to get that message appears to be everybody else first and Rajon 2nd.

A lot of folks have a real blindspot when it comes to putting themselves in other peoples shoes. If you were Rajon and woke up to hear that what would you think?

I wonder what Rajon's old friend Perk thought? Think he picked up the phone and gave his old friend a call and some advice??

Ainge said the Celtics had offered Perkins all they could under the current collective bargaining agreement.

“[Perkins] wasn’t really interested in doing a contract extension, which I understand,” Ainge told WEEI. “He wanted to test the market. Last time he didn’t test the market and this time he really wanted to test the market and see what his value was.

“That was a concern but it wasn’t so much of a concern that we would have done something just for that purpose. But the fact that we were able to, in our opinion, help our team this year and protect ourselves for the future was very good for us."

Since I wrote that:

We had a Trade Deadline stuffed with Rondo rumors. That coulda been quelled with some clear words by Ainge in the last 72 hours before the deadline.

We got a he said he said between a star we are supposedly trying to resign v.s. the Coach and G.M. who shoulda just said it's a non story 2 days ago and dealt with Rondo in house.

This is bad for Rondo's future here.

Rondo's return in a trade with another G.M.

Ainge's image as a guy who runs a tight ship.

Steven's looks like a G.M. lapdog.

Rondo heaving a bottle at a proctor screen came out long after it happened.

A guy missing a game he wasn't scheduled to play in so he could have a b-day party while the team tries to not be too obvious in it's tanking is just a tad less annoying than a coach and G.M. letting that get out and get to this stage. I love Rondo. If you don't you should be happy. He's gone.
He's physically here but he's gone.
Danny has lost me finally. By losing Rondo publicly and on purpose that guy has lost me.

Diminishing your best asset via negative perception is not a top tier move. Build him up and ship him off but don't feed the narrative that he's hard to manage. You're shooting yourself in the foot.

If nobody else sees this then I don't know what to say.

I love your Rondo/Ainge conspiracy theory.  And that's not an insult or a diss, I'm being serious. It's like reading Jim Garrison, but with basketball.

[wayupnorth]

Great player.   I'm not sure that he's a great captain, though.

Honestly neither was Pierce when he was first thrust into the role on a similar type of team.

The question is how does Rondo grow to deal with it all.

Ding ding ding!

[Monkhouse]

Going to quote this Celtics life article, because I completely agree on every point. This is an non-issue..

I love a good media dust up as much as the next guy, but this is about as non-issue as it gets. Here’s why:

1. The Celtics are handling this issue internally: Just like the Jared Sullinger domestic abuse situation that kicked off the 2013-14 campaign, Rondo’s 28 Birthday-Gate is being handled internally as well. He played against Utah and against Atlanta last night. He hasn’t been suspended by the team. I’m pretty sure it has already been put to bed.

2. He was accompanied by his family to LA: I’m sure the accompaniment of ones family on a west coast swing isn’t new, and it also doesn’t completely fly under the radar. The Rondos were there, I’m sure they were noticed, and my guess is he planned on staying in LA before they left the frozen tundra that is Boston. I don’t think this was a secret plan that he executed perfectly unbeknownst to the rest of the Celtics organization.

3. We all knew he wasn’t playing in Sacramento: He announced he is still not playing every single back to back as he continues to ease back into playing basketball at a high level. He knew he wasn’t playing, the Celtics knew he wasn’t playing, and we all knew he wasn’t playing.

4. We’re tanking this season aren’t we?: What does it matter? Rondo was at every single game when he was injured. Rondo was at every single practice when he was injured. Rondo addressed the media every time they wanted to talk to him when he was injured. One of the leading theories on the 2013-14 campaign is that Rondo is “in on it”, right? Rondo not going to Sacramento for a game he wasn’t going to play in helped the Celtics lose and get closer to a better draft pick, right? Let the man eat some cake, bro. LET THE MAN EAT SOME CAKE.

5. This points to signs that Rondo is out of here: 9 times out of 10 when asked if he wants to play in Boston for his entire career, Rondo has said yes. To paraphrase a few reports by Austin Gill, Rondo has said, “I’m making All-Star money now” and “why would I leave?”

When Rondo didn’t sign an extension this season, Danny Ainge himself said that was what they expected and the best move for Rondo to make. Our own Mike Dyer broke it down monetarily and had Rondo signed and extension now, he would have lost MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. Just like this birthday mess, NONE of this is a clear sign that Rondo wants out.

Of course he wants to test the waters in free agency- who wouldn’t? If you’re one of the top 20 players in the league, and a top 10 point guard at the very least, why wouldn’t you see what your value is worth? NBA players have the worst contracts in sports (well, maybe not worse than the NHL), so yea, kid- see how much money you can get. Obviously re-sign in Boston so my season tickets aren’t completely worthless, but yea… feel free to explore.

The Celtics would trade Rondo in a heartbeat if the deal was sweet enough, so Rondo saying he wants to see what’s out there isn’t a slap in the face to the Celtics or their fans… it’s part of basketball.

Here’s what I think really happened: I think that Kings trade that Rondo was mentioned in was a liiiiiiiiiittle more real than anyone in the know is letting on. I also don’t think Rondo liked that very much and took that opportunity to flex a little muscle of his own.

Rondo announced he wasn’t going to play in that back-to-back which the Celtics agreed to and asked to stay in LA to see friends and family. The Celtics probably said, “well- we would prefer you make the trip… but it’s up to you,” and Rondo said, “Great! See you in Utah!”

Rondo hasn’t been suspended. If him missing the Sacramento trip was considered “unbecoming of a Celtic” he would have been. Is it the best message for the Captain to send? No. Does it matter in the long run? No. Do we have any idea what really happened? No. Is this a non-issue? Yes.

[GreenWarrior]

felger & mazz brought up some interesting points today. to paraphrase - normally when a team has a story get out(that they don't want to get out) they will generally come out & deny it.

listening to brad stevens response to this situation it sounds like stevens told rondo specifically before his absence that he needed to be in Sac. but rondo went ahead with his plans anyway.

also I guess back in oct. brad stevens(on 2 separate occasions) said he would not name a captain unless the NBA told him he had too. felger & mazz mentioned that rondo may have taken the captain role all on his own.

[Tai]

felger & mazz brought up some interesting points today. to paraphrase - normally when a team has a story get out(that they don't want to get out) they will generally come out & deny it.

listening to brad stevens response to this situation it sounds like stevens told rondo specifically before his absence that he needed to be in Sac. but rondo went ahead with his plans anyway.

also I guess back in oct. brad stevens(on 2 separate occasions) said he would not name a captain unless the NBA told him he had too. felger & mazz mentioned that rondo may have taken the captain role all on his own.

Careful, dude. You know how people feel about radio hosts.    They just wanna play up this story cause it's no big deal. It being LEAKED that Rondo didn't attend the game supposedly against the teams's wishes? Happens ALLLL the time. See, I always thought the real problem was the story was leaked, not necessarily in and of itself that Rondo did it. Maybe Ainge is trying to say something to someone in some way? Either way, we need to stop pretending there isn't something to that.

Now, the part about Brad Stevens saying he wouldn't name a captain is also interesting. So when Rondo was named, he just got it by volunteering? Yea, I find that strange. I have a hard time believing the team would make him captain if they didn't feel he was right for the title. And you say it was in October, when he could have easily changed his mind since then. Even if someone wants to argue that the team regrets their decision, I think at the time they felt Rondo being captain was right, for whatever reason(s) they felt.

[BballTim]

felger & mazz brought up some interesting points today. to paraphrase - normally when a team has a story get out(that they don't want to get out) they will generally come out & deny it.

listening to brad stevens response to this situation it sounds like stevens told rondo specifically before his absence that he needed to be in Sac. but rondo went ahead with his plans anyway.

also I guess back in oct. brad stevens(on 2 separate occasions) said he would not name a captain unless the NBA told him he had too. felger & mazz mentioned that rondo may have taken the captain role all on his own.

  Everything I heard about Rondo being named captain was that he didn't know about it until he heard it in the lineup announcements. Also Danny doesn't deny stories that are true that the team doesn't want to get out. Felger and Mazz are complete idiots.

[Eddie20]

felger & mazz brought up some interesting points today. to paraphrase - normally when a team has a story get out(that they don't want to get out) they will generally come out & deny it.

listening to brad stevens response to this situation it sounds like stevens told rondo specifically before his absence that he needed to be in Sac. but rondo went ahead with his plans anyway.

also I guess back in oct. brad stevens(on 2 separate occasions) said he would not name a captain unless the NBA told him he had too. felger & mazz mentioned that rondo may have taken the captain role all on his own.

  Everything I heard about Rondo being named captain was that he didn't know about it until he heard it in the lineup announcements. Also Danny doesn't deny stories that are true that the team doesn't want to get out. Felger and Mazz are complete idiots.

It was actually Marc Bertrand, not Felger and Mazz specifically, who raised a good point about who exactly named Rondo captain when Stevens was so adamant about it just 4 months earlier.

Stevens reaffirmed that, unless league rules require a captain, he'd prefer to not name one. That's just his style. During his time at Butler, he only named captains twice. In his first season at the helm (2007-08) he designated his five seniors (Julian Betko, Pete Campbell, A.J. Graves, Mike Green and Drew Streicher) as captains, and four years later he tabbed Ronald Nored -- whom he brought to Boston to be part of the player-development staff -- and Garrett Butcher to captain the 2011-12 team.

Rondo has his issues, not even Tim can argue that. The good news is that C's are fully backing Stevens, who has a 6 year deal to prove it, and won't let a player undercut him. Bogans acted up on the team bus and he was removed from the team permanently. If this were a lesser player, they likely would've received the same fate. Pretty sure the malcontent gets traded in the off-season and he starts working on his fourth straight coach (Tubby and Doc before Stevens) to have problems with.

They also brought up the Brossard blurb on ESPN about Rondo:

Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics

Eastern conference scout: "Three years ago, I was the only scout saying Rondo is overrated, and I was crucified for it. I was saying he was awful. I think he's a selfish player. He's only going to pass it to you if he thinks he can get an assist. I've seen him come out for pregame warm-ups with his shoes untied, shooting lefty foul shots. For him to come out for a game with that attitude makes me question his work ethic. I've never liked his game.

"If you play with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen at close to their peak, they're going to raise everyone's game. Defensively, Rondo's a bit of a gambler, and I don't think his defense is all that. If I was starting a team and had my choice of any point guard, he would be 40th. I mean it. I'd take some backups before him."

[BballTim]

felger & mazz brought up some interesting points today. to paraphrase - normally when a team has a story get out(that they don't want to get out) they will generally come out & deny it.

listening to brad stevens response to this situation it sounds like stevens told rondo specifically before his absence that he needed to be in Sac. but rondo went ahead with his plans anyway.

also I guess back in oct. brad stevens(on 2 separate occasions) said he would not name a captain unless the NBA told him he had too. felger & mazz mentioned that rondo may have taken the captain role all on his own.

  Everything I heard about Rondo being named captain was that he didn't know about it until he heard it in the lineup announcements. Also Danny doesn't deny stories that are true that the team doesn't want to get out. Felger and Mazz are complete idiots.

It was actually Marc Bertrand, not Felger and Mazz specifically, who raised a good point about who exactly named Rondo captain when Stevens was so adamant about it just 4 months earlier.

Stevens reaffirmed that, unless league rules require a captain, he'd prefer to not name one. That's just his style. During his time at Butler, he only named captains twice. In his first season at the helm (2007-08) he designated his five seniors (Julian Betko, Pete Campbell, A.J. Graves, Mike Green and Drew Streicher) as captains, and four years later he tabbed Ronald Nored -- whom he brought to Boston to be part of the player-development staff -- and Garrett Butcher to captain the 2011-12 team.

Rondo has his issues, not even Tim can argue that. The good news is that C's are fully backing Stevens, who has a 6 year deal to prove it, and won't let a player undercut him. Bogans acted up on the team bus and he was removed from the team permanently. If this were a lesser player, they likely would've received the same fate. Pretty sure the malcontent gets traded in the off-season and he starts working on his fourth straight coach (Tubby and Doc before Stevens) to have problems with.

  How do you think that happened? Stevens didn't want to name a captain but Rondo forced him to? Were there threats involved, or possibly blackmail? Maybe he just bypasses Stevens altogether and just slipped the announcer a twenty to call him the team captain during pregame introductions? How exactly are you claiming Rondo managed to get the captaincy against Stevens' wishes?

  And how does whatever explanation you'll try and come up with fit in with "The good news is that C's are fully backing Stevens, who has a 6 year deal to prove it, and won't let a player undercut him"? Clearly if Rondo's the captain and Stevens has the full backing of the team then Stevens wanted Rondo named captain.

They also brought up the Brossard blurb on ESPN about Rondo:

Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics

Eastern conference scout: "Three years ago, I was the only scout saying Rondo is overrated, and I was crucified for it. I was saying he was awful. I think he's a selfish player. He's only going to pass it to you if he thinks he can get an assist. I've seen him come out for pregame warm-ups with his shoes untied, shooting lefty foul shots. For him to come out for a game with that attitude makes me question his work ethic. I've never liked his game.

"If you play with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen at close to their peak, they're going to raise everyone's game. Defensively, Rondo's a bit of a gambler, and I don't think his defense is all that. If I was starting a team and had my choice of any point guard, he would be 40th. I mean it. I'd take some backups before him."

  The scout's right that If you play with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen at close to their peak, they're going to raise everyone's game. That lasted through, what, 2009 or so? Since then Rondo's been named to 4 all-star teams and an all-nba team. BTW,if you didn't see enough games in the last few years to see what I mean, find some footage of the big three from their peak years (try 8-9 years ago) and see whether you can spot a rather severe difference between then and the last couple of years.