Rondo is what he is (cliché alert). The blueprint is to sag off Rondo, let him do his thing, and stay home on everyone else.
This seems like a contradiction. Rondo's "thing" is to pass the ball, get assists, and get points for everybody else. If it were so easy to sag off him and "stay home on everyone else," you would think that Rondo's assist numbers wouldn't be what they are.
While teams frequently do sag off Rondo and go under picks against him, it doesn't mean they are sticking like glue to everyone else. As a matter of fact, you often see guys guarding off the ball on the perimeter cheating in towards the lane to defend against Rondo getting in the paint. When he does get in the paint, defenses scramble to figure out what he's doing due to his vision and deceptiveness. Guys are constantly left open for easy buckets, and, of course, Rondo finds them.
In short, Rondo's abilities create more open looks for his teammates, not less.
So these are fair questions but I think that the "blueprint" is more effective at the ends of games where things tighten up. The blueprint is at its peak when it is a last shot situation, usually after a time out, where there is no transition to take advantage of. The blueprint is at it worst (Celtics/Rondo at their best) when the team is running and pushing the ball in transition as Rondo has the chance to pick apart the not yet set defense.
I don't know why this is often the case but you see a team like the Celtics run and push the ball all game long and then still kind of slow down and get defensive at the end of the game. I think the other team is playing tougher, the refs are calling closer fouls, and the team that is ahead just can't seem to help themselves from slowing down the pace. This is not unique to the Celtics or Rondo but when the Celtics and Rondo do this and all the other things happen too, it becomes easier to take Rondo out of the game.
I think there is a good amount of truth to this. That's why having a Paul Pierce was huge. How many times would he take control in the 4th quarter when they needed it? He was a guy who knew to operate and really exploit things when things slowed down in the 4th.
Celtics don't have that dimension right now. They don't have that guy on this roster.
That was great until 2010 or so, when the complaints about those PP isos steadily started to grow. I think our go-to clutch play the last few "big three" years was the KG jumper.
Are you forgetting the 2012 playoffs when countless times Pierce would be the one carrying us in the 4Q? In game 5 of the ECF it was he who hit that huge 3 with about 30 second left to win the game.
Rondo is too limited offensively to ever be that type of player. Last night he had a rookie, Joe Harris, on him late. Rondo should've attacked him and gone to the basket. Instead he went with a high pick and roll where Marion switched. Again, he should've attacked, this time Marion, and taken it to the basket, but he fumbled the ball and ultimately shot a jumper. Perhaps he's worried about getting fouled, FT shooting being part of his limitation, but whatever the case he simply doesn't have the skill set to be a closer.
Topic: Rondo has to STOP pounding the ball (Read 8545 times)