As someone out in the Midwest who watches a lot of Thunder - because I like good basketball. and the Celtics haven't played any in a good while - you're on point completely in your evaluations. I enjoy your posts and I hope you continue posting.
Don't fall victim to the belligerance and the goading with this Rondo thing. You will find extensive efforts here to conflate his abilities and his performance, complete with statistical, uh, distortions that would do Karl Rove or James Carville proud.
A lot of people here - a lot - are Rondo fans first, second and third, and since the NBA markets individuals instead of its great teams - something I see as an insult to the game itself - I get that. It's fascinating to me how the greatest franchise in NBA history becomes an afterthought in these point guard arguments. I often wonder if some of these folks would even be here if Rondo gets traded, and as a longtime coach who finds the team element of this great game beautiful and intoxicating, nothing makes me feel more out of place here than the politicization of Rondo's ability.
This is somewhat a hateful opinion (that you have a right to have and say obviously), but that is quite the opposite of reality.
There is a huge amount of guys in here who seem to make their main online activity to hate on Rondo. Nowhere else are there so many critics of Rondo, forget what the coaches (including nba coaches), the pros, the nba legends say about him, what really matters are some guys on some forum that want to trade him for anything (2nd round pick really?) or anyone, out of hatred or misconceptions.
If you really like team element and the beauty of the great game Rondo is your player to go and Westbrook is the chucker that destroys the team and kills any notion of team play that anyone should avoid, and if you really agree with him your "team game" stance is just a lie. Or perhaps a team with Westbrook, AI and Kobe is your idea of "team" that doesn't insult the game itself?
Obviously my points won't really matter because I'm "just" a Rondo "homer".
Some guys here just don't really understand basketball... really some guys think Durant would be triple teamed? Not even double teaming works... Double team on the ball will most likely result in a failure, off the ball it's the worst possible move a defense can make (triple then
)... well unless you're pressuring the "never pass" guys.
You replace a chucker that doesn't even looks at his teammates by the best passer around who is always looking to pass and that will not make the guys receiving the ball better?
And then some guys agree with this kind of nonsense.
This is Russel Westbrook guys, perhaps you're talking about some other player? A guy that shoots under 28% from 3 in the playoffs (now 20%) doesn't pass to an open teammate wide open for the dunk...
The more Westbrook shoots the less likely are the Thunder to win (check out the stats guys, when he has a higher FGA OKC has a way worse record, and that's been true for multiple seasons now). And he isn't going to chance. The more he shoots the more he loses, and the more he wants to shoot. See this article for a lot of the reasons of what is wrong with Westbrook.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2034057-the-mysterious-case-of-kevin-durant-and-russell-westbrookYeah Westbrook jacks a bunch of shots but at least he can make them. Rondo is probably the worst shooting starting pg in the league. And yeah he gets alot of assists but thatd because he doesnt pass unless he thinks he will get the assist.
All you said in here is false or a misconception.
Westbrook is very inefficient and shoot way below league averages, averages 27.7%3PTFG in the playoffs the same as Rondo and currently worsening. And worst in FG% as well. He does have a decent FT% at least.
In fact Westbrook is one of the least efficient shooters in the NBA (worst then Rondo)
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/shooting-blanks-the-players-with-the-worst-shotscore/And this is a huge misconception: Rondo only passes when he thinks that will turn in to a basket. And that's supposed to be a criticism? That's what every passer should try to do, to make passes that will end up in the best possible result for a possession. (However that point was not even true, even if it's the case that Rondo more
frequently passes when he thinks he will get the assist.)
Or perhaps you're criticizing his lack of passing (stats and observation disprove that) or that he is a ball hog (stats show he does hold the ball a lot, but not more then some other players) . And Westbrook is a way less efficient ball hog with his "run, don't even look to anyone and just shoot" style.
That said it's true that OKC wouldn't do this trade.The Thunder made a bet in Westbrook, and made a wrong bet. And that their problems are deeper than just swapping a player like that.
And the current OKC is done. Not just because of the coach, that's just the way folks use to protect the players, it's all a bad fit around Durant or should I say around anyone for championship aspirations (yet I do think Lebron could do better in this Thunder squad then Durant due to his more "complete" game, although Durant is already a superior player).
We also have no need to do this trade (even more given that OKC would ask much more than Rondo). We will be busy doing other trades that will have a better result.
Let's let them implode and then maybe we have a chance at Durant
He likes Bird they say
And Love
. And the atmosphere of the Garden. Well we can dream at least.
Topic: Say OKC gets booted , would they trade Westbrook for Rondo then ? and would you? (Read 90977 times)