Really.. noone saw this? Hou to call on Rondo?

[Celtics18]

I would be more worried about Rondo mentally checking out on a losing team than Rondo not rehabbing and returning to past form physically. Because I'll tell you what, a lot of the bad Rondo I saw, especially towards the end of this year, sure seemed to stem from a lack of effort on a losing team than because he couldn't do what he used to do.

Yeah.  This was my impression too. 

And I mean, hey, the team will probably be better next season.  Or at the very least the roster will make some more sense.  I think there will be more reason for Rondo to be engaged.  So maybe he'll really show how much of a leader of a young team he can be.  I guess we'll see.

Unless, of course, Danny trades him away this summer.  Then we'll never get to find out, unless we are watching a healthy and engaged Rondo from afar helping to lead somebody else's team.

I've never made any claims that keeping Rondo guarantees our return to contender status.  Like Nick, though, I just want to see him given the opportunity to try. 


 

[PhoSita]

unless we are watching a healthy and engaged Rondo from afar helping to lead somebody else's team.

Depending on which team he ends up on, I think that could be very enjoyable.

I miss playoffs Rondo.  If he gets traded this summer to a team that's ready to compete, we could see him again as soon as next spring.

[Celtics18]

unless we are watching a healthy and engaged Rondo from afar helping to lead somebody else's team.

Depending on which team he ends up on, I think that could be very enjoyable.

I miss playoffs Rondo.  If he gets traded this summer to a team that's ready to compete, we could see him again as soon as next spring.

I guess I have a hard time picturing that being an enjoyable experience for me.  I'm hoping we see playoff Rondo again as soon as next spring, as well.  My hope is that we see that Rondo in a Celtics uniform. 

[jambr380]

unless we are watching a healthy and engaged Rondo from afar helping to lead somebody else's team.

Depending on which team he ends up on, I think that could be very enjoyable.

I miss playoffs Rondo.  If he gets traded this summer to a team that's ready to compete, we could see him again as soon as next spring.

I guess I have a hard time picturing that being an enjoyable experience for me.  I'm hoping we see playoff Rondo again as soon as next spring, as well.  My hope is that we see that Rondo in a Celtics uniform.

With the addition of a defensive oriented center and a few other minor tweaks to the roster, we should easily be able to make the playoffs next year, if healthy. I hope we do more than this and at least have the beginnings of a contender, but it seems unlikely that we will miss the playoffs entirely if Rondo hasn't been traded.

[Celtics18]

unless we are watching a healthy and engaged Rondo from afar helping to lead somebody else's team.

Depending on which team he ends up on, I think that could be very enjoyable.

I miss playoffs Rondo.  If he gets traded this summer to a team that's ready to compete, we could see him again as soon as next spring.

I guess I have a hard time picturing that being an enjoyable experience for me.  I'm hoping we see playoff Rondo again as soon as next spring, as well.  My hope is that we see that Rondo in a Celtics uniform.

With the addition of a defensive oriented center and a few other minor tweaks to the roster, we should easily be able to make the playoffs next year, if healthy. I hope we do more than this and at least have the beginnings of a contender, but it seems unlikely that we will miss the playoffs entirely if Rondo hasn't been traded.

Right. 

Those are my thoughts as well. 

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Not that this means absolutely anything, but...

However, Morey does not anticipate a major move that could include Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin.

?I don?t expect something bigger like that to happen," Morey said when asked whether the Rockets need to involve Asik and Lin in offseason moves. "I could see where you would look to that if something bigger were to happen, but I don?t anticipate that.

?We?re always aggressive. We?ll always explore aggressive scenarios. But I feel confident if those don?t emerge, we?re not far off. We need to get (the record) into the high 50s if we?re going to be as good as we want to be. We need to improve our defense primarily. We were the youngest team in the league (in the post-season, fourth youngest and second least experienced in the regular season) and improving so an addition or two that are key, I feel confident we can make that step forward that we need to make."

Morey believes the Rockets must elevate their win total to the upper 50s and receive internal development.

?I would always take a third All-Star guy either from one of our guys improving or addition," Morey said. "There?s no negative to adding an All-Star level player. That said, I don?t feel it?s necessary. I do feel it?s my job to explore those things. I think our group playing more together after only a season together plus a lot of young players that can take a step forward and improve, plus we?ve got financial flexibility this year. We?re not limited to minimum player additions."

Via Jonathan Feigen/Houston Chronicle

Methinks thou dost protest too much, Mr. Morey.

hah

[BballTim]

as someone else has said, the team getting the best player in the deal is the one that wins the trade.  any trade with Houston where we send out Rondo for anyone other than Harden or Howard, Houston wins that trade. 

None of Asik, Parsons or Lin or close to team building blocks.  If people have their doubts about Rondo being a building block, there's no way any of those 3 come close to fitting that concept

Did the Lakers win the Dwight Howard trade?  Couldn't you say that Detroit came out better than Orlando in the Hill trade (you know where ben wallace comes to Detroit)?  There are lots of other examples where the team that does not get the best player wins the trade.

  Sure, you can find examples where the trade blew up for a team because the traded star suffered a severe injury or left the new team right away. But Orlando clearly lost the Dwight trade, and there's no way the Pistons were better off without a healthy Grant Hill. I suppose he should have put "under normal circumstances" in his post, but if we're hoping that Rondo was injured or didn't re-sign with his new team to claim we "won" the trade it's a sad day in Celtsville.

Tha
t said I agree with you that Parsons, Lin, and Asik are not building blocks, though if you got all three of them for Rondo and Green it would make Boston a better team and Asik and Parsons fill real needs for the team.

  So the goal is to be somewhat better than we are now with no real building blocks?

[BballTim]

But trading a star so that you can build a roster full of merely productive players is how you end up being a guaranteed long-term mediocrity.

Absolutely.  But you're setting up a false dichotomy here.

It's "maybe keep Rondo" (probably not keep Rondo, from where I'm sitting) in one hand, and "guaranteed to have at least a couple productive players for a while" in the other hand. 

Added bonus -- one or both of the players in the other hand could foreseeably end up being better than Rondo, if the trade package is truly good and Ainge makes a good pick.

  It's not really a false dichotomy because with one star there's a chance we can add to the team with trades and be good reasonably quickly, if you trade him away you're pretty much guaranteeing that you're going nowhere for a while.

[crimson_stallion]

Its simply due diligence. Most if not every GM is probably and has probably called on Rondo at one point in time or another over the last 4 years. My guess is the calls go something like this:

Danny: Hello

Other GM: Het Danny! Its _______________

Danny: Oh hey, what's up?

Other GM: Is Rondo available.

Danny: Depends. Are you offering me just one player that is better than Rondo? Yes

Other GM: No. I just have a couple guys who's salary matches Rondo's. What do you want

Danny: How about Lin + Asik's expiring and Parsons for Rondo and Green.

Other GM: Okay.  I'll think about it.

Fixed

5 years later and still calling for a Rondo trade and think Ainge is actually shopping him, huh LB? How many deadlines have to pass with Rondo on this team and how many seasons have to start with Rondo on this team before it sinks in that your idea that Ainge is constantly shopping Rondo is a fantasy?

No way Ainge makes that trade you just "fixed" my post with. None whatsoever.

Definitely not a fantasy.  Rondo has been available for years.  Nobody has been willing to give up anything for him, though.  Ainge wouldn't have just traded him for the sake of trading him.

I don't think he'll be traded this offseason.  Doubt anyone will offer anything worthwhile.  I think we'll keep him until he's a free agent.

The problem with your 'fantasy' is that DA has said very clearly that pressure is on him to make the team competitive this year. 

Green is as good as, if not better than, Parsons (just doesn't have as much upside) and both Lin and Asik are garbage players on stupid contracts.

The trade:
1) Doesn't make Boston any better (worse actually)
2) Doesnt give Boston more assets (Lin and Asik have minimal trade value)
3) Doesn't give Boston any more cap flexibility (Lin and Asik are on terrible contracts)

I'd rather trade Rondo for another top 8 lottery pick (and cap relief) rather than trade him for that garbage.

[D.o.s.]

But trading a star so that you can build a roster full of merely productive players is how you end up being a guaranteed long-term mediocrity.

Absolutely.  But you're setting up a false dichotomy here.

It's "maybe keep Rondo" (probably not keep Rondo, from where I'm sitting) in one hand, and "guaranteed to have at least a couple productive players for a while" in the other hand. 

Added bonus -- one or both of the players in the other hand could foreseeably end up being better than Rondo, if the trade package is truly good and Ainge makes a good pick.

  It's not really a false dichotomy because with one star there's a chance we can add to the team with trades and be good reasonably quickly, if you trade him away you're pretty much guaranteeing that you're going nowhere for a while.

... unless you trade him for players/picks that turn out to be better for the team in the aggregate. Which is certainly a possibility.

[PhoSita]

  It's not really a false dichotomy because with one star there's a chance we can add to the team with trades and be good reasonably quickly

Only if Rondo sticks around, and only if there are trades available in the short term for high level players who want to join a bunch of role players and Rondo.

 What if Rondo is impatient with the rebuild after the Celtics end up with the seventh pick in the draft -- an 18 year old project like Gordon or Vonleh, let's say -- and Ainge is unable to make a deal for a star like Love or Melo (who let it be known that they won't re-sign in Boston if traded there)?  What if he leaves for a team that isn't a few years away from competing?

Then the Celtics are left with nothing.


Any way you look at it, there is no guarantee of keeping Rondo.  So you can't set it up as if it's a choice between building around him long term or exchanging him for multiple lesser pieces.  We may like to think of Rondo as an inalienable part of the Celtics as long as we want him around, but that's not how it works.

[Celtics18]

  It's not really a false dichotomy because with one star there's a chance we can add to the team with trades and be good reasonably quickly

Only if Rondo sticks around, and only if there are trades available in the short term for high level players who want to join a bunch of role players and Rondo.

 What if Rondo is impatient with the rebuild after the Celtics end up with the seventh pick in the draft -- an 18 year old project like Gordon or Vonleh, let's say -- and Ainge is unable to make a deal for a star like Love or Melo (who let it be known that they won't re-sign in Boston if traded there)?  What if he leaves for a team that isn't a few years away from competing?

Then the Celtics are left with nothing.


Any way you look at it, there is no guarantee of keeping Rondo.  So you can't set it up as if it's a choice between building around him long term or exchanging him for multiple lesser pieces.  We may like to think of Rondo as an inalienable part of the Celtics as long as we want him around, but that's not how it works.

I don't think trying to rebuild a team with "Murphy's Law" as your guiding principle is the best way to go. 

[CoachBo]

As with most of the Rondo myth on this board, it's built on a series of false assumptions - not the least of which is this hilarious "Rondo would never leave us" thing that's going on here.

The man wants to get paid. That's obvious. It will trump any of this dream of loyalty that some of you have built into your false witness to a player that doesn't exist.

No guarantees whatsoever Rondo will resign here - which is why he should be presented with an ultimatum this summer: Extend at our terms, or we're going to trade you.

[Celtics18]

As with most of the Rondo myth on this board, it's built on a series of false assumptions - not the least of which is this hilarious "Rondo would never leave us" thing that's going on here.

The man wants to get paid. That's obvious. It will trump any of this dream of loyalty that some of you have built into your false witness to a player that doesn't exist.

No guarantees whatsoever Rondo will resign here - which is why he should be presented with an ultimatum this summer: Extend at our terms, or we're going to trade you.

Making stuff up again.  Well played, Coach.

[D.o.s.]

Well none of us here have any special insight into Rondo's heart of hearts -- we're all making things up, to various degrees, when we talk about whether he'll resign here and what kind of contract he'll accept.