Blakely: Will controversy erupt over Stevens' Smart-for-Rondo switch?

[Vermont Green]

There are 96 available minutes at the guard position.  A three guard rotation of Rondo/Smart/Bradley would allow for 32 MPG for each of those guys (or something close to that). 

Where's the problem?

No minutes for Turner which I think he has earned.  Yes, he can get some minutes at SF but we have had some really successful line ups with Turner playing a kind of hybrid guard.  Thornton needs some minutes too.

I guess we need every game to go into double overtime to allow everyone to get their minutes.

[Eddie20]

In theory, we could play all 3 (Smart, Bradley, Rondo) as part of a rotation. Although ideally that 3rd guard would be somebody that brings a different dimension to the table. A player with good size and that can create offensively. In a rotation with Rondo and Smart that player needs to have less playmaking abilities and better shooting. In a rotation with Smart and Bradley that player doesn't have to shoot as well, but does need to be a pretty good facilitator.

[Celtics18]

In theory, we could play all 3 (Smart, Bradley, Rondo) as part of a rotation. Although ideally that 3rd guard would be somebody that brings a different dimension to the table. A player with good size and that can create offensively. In a rotation with Rondo and Smart that player needs to have less playmaking abilities and better shooting. In a rotation with Smart and Bradley that player doesn't have to shoot as well, but does need to be a pretty good facilitator.

If your starters are Rondo/Bradley that third guard is Smart, a player with good size that can create offensively.

If your starters are Rondo/Smart that third guard is Bradley, a player with less playmaking abilities, but better shooting.

[Eddie20]

In theory, we could play all 3 (Smart, Bradley, Rondo) as part of a rotation. Although ideally that 3rd guard would be somebody that brings a different dimension to the table. A player with good size and that can create offensively. In a rotation with Rondo and Smart that player needs to have less playmaking abilities and better shooting. In a rotation with Smart and Bradley that player doesn't have to shoot as well, but does need to be a pretty good facilitator.

If your starters are Rondo/Bradley that third guard is Smart, a player with good size that can create offensively.

If your starters are Rondo/Smart that third guard is Bradley, a player with less playmaking abilities, but better shooting.

The problem is none of the 3 are great creators (Smart isn't there yet) and don't have ideal size (Smart is big for the 1, not for the 2). The 3 don't compliment meant each other particularly well.

[Celtics18]

In theory, we could play all 3 (Smart, Bradley, Rondo) as part of a rotation. Although ideally that 3rd guard would be somebody that brings a different dimension to the table. A player with good size and that can create offensively. In a rotation with Rondo and Smart that player needs to have less playmaking abilities and better shooting. In a rotation with Smart and Bradley that player doesn't have to shoot as well, but does need to be a pretty good facilitator.

If your starters are Rondo/Bradley that third guard is Smart, a player with good size that can create offensively.

If your starters are Rondo/Smart that third guard is Bradley, a player with less playmaking abilities, but better shooting.

The problem is none of the 3 are great creators (Smart isn't there yet) and don't have ideal size (Smart is big for the 1, not for the 2). The 3 don't compliment meant each other particularly well.

You don't think Rondo's a great creator?  He's one of the best in the game.

 "Smart isn't there yet"?  Yet, many of you are ready to ship Rondo out to make him the full-time starter at the point? 

Smart is easily big enough to guard twos.  What he lacks in height, he more than makes up for in strength.  I believe he can even successfully guard a lot of small forwards.

I like the future of that three guard rotation.  I've been excited about its potential ever since we drafted Smart.  The notion that every time a player has a good game, we have to trade somebody else who plays the same position is the height of the kind of short-sighted, over-reaction kind of thinking that we see all the time around these parts.

My belief is that the next Celtics contender will not be one that is top heavy, but rather one that relies on depth and chemistry, 1 through 10.     

[BballTim]

There are 96 available minutes at the guard position.  A three guard rotation of Rondo/Smart/Bradley would allow for 32 MPG for each of those guys (or something close to that). 

Where's the problem?

No minutes for Turner which I think he has earned.  Yes, he can get some minutes at SF but we have had some really successful line ups with Turner playing a kind of hybrid guard.  Thornton needs some minutes too.

I guess we need every game to go into double overtime to allow everyone to get their minutes.

  We've also seen some bad lineups with Turner at the point. I don't think SF (with the ball in his hands less) is a bad thing. Also, these 32/32/32 things never work out like that. Injuries happen,  and even aside from that it's likely to be 32/27/27 or so.

[manl_lui]

There are 96 available minutes at the guard position.  A three guard rotation of Rondo/Smart/Bradley would allow for 32 MPG for each of those guys (or something close to that). 

Where's the problem?

No minutes for Turner which I think he has earned.  Yes, he can get some minutes at SF but we have had some really successful line ups with Turner playing a kind of hybrid guard.  Thornton needs some minutes too.

I guess we need every game to go into double overtime to allow everyone to get their minutes.

  We've also seen some bad lineups with Turner at the point. I don't think SF (with the ball in his hands less) is a bad thing. Also, these 32/32/32 things never work out like that. Injuries happen,  and even aside from that it's likely to be 32/27/27 or so.

I think Turner can play the hybrid guard-forward when Green is not on the floor and is with Bradley and Smart with Smart and Turner sharing the pg duty every few sets.

So I think it is possible that Rondo/Bradley/Smart can all get about 32 mpg while Turner can get between 25-30 mpg.

Now the question turns to whether or not Thorton will even sniff 15 mpg with those minutes distributed

[Celtics18]

There are 96 available minutes at the guard position.  A three guard rotation of Rondo/Smart/Bradley would allow for 32 MPG for each of those guys (or something close to that). 

Where's the problem?

No minutes for Turner which I think he has earned.  Yes, he can get some minutes at SF but we have had some really successful line ups with Turner playing a kind of hybrid guard.  Thornton needs some minutes too.

I guess we need every game to go into double overtime to allow everyone to get their minutes.

  We've also seen some bad lineups with Turner at the point. I don't think SF (with the ball in his hands less) is a bad thing. Also, these 32/32/32 things never work out like that. Injuries happen,  and even aside from that it's likely to be 32/27/27 or so.

32/32/32 was just something I threw out there to make an easily digestible point.  I can come up with plenty of scenarios where everybody gets all the minutes they deserve.  That's not accounting for when guys play more minutes because of injury. 

I read a lot of posts about how "unbalanced" our roster is.  I think there are a lot of folks who believe the ideal basketball team has five starters playing 36 minutes a game, and 5 subs playing 12 minutes a game.  It never works like that. 

I don't think the makeup of our team is perfect.  The biggest hole is clearly at the center position.  However, I don't see having too many guards who deserve minutes as one of our big issues. 

[wdleehi]

In theory, we could play all 3 (Smart, Bradley, Rondo) as part of a rotation. Although ideally that 3rd guard would be somebody that brings a different dimension to the table. A player with good size and that can create offensively. In a rotation with Rondo and Smart that player needs to have less playmaking abilities and better shooting. In a rotation with Smart and Bradley that player doesn't have to shoot as well, but does need to be a pretty good facilitator.

That's what I like.  Maybe not the exact minutes, but something like that. 


Turner would still get minutes at the 2 and the 3. 

[LooseCannon]

I don't really see a problem if Rondo, Bradley, and Smart are allocated minutes similar to how Parker, Danny Green, and Ginobili are given playing time in San Antonio. (32, 29, and 24 mpg this season, with playing time left over for Cory Joseph and Marco Bellinelli.) 

[wdleehi]

I don't really see a problem if Rondo, Bradley, and Smart are allocated minutes similar to how Parker, Danny Green, and Ginobili are given playing time in San Antonio. (32, 29, and 24 mpg this season, with playing time left over for Cory Joseph and Marco Bellinelli.)

Yep, though I want to see Smart start with Rondo. 

[sofutomygaha]

If someone asks a question about whether there's a question... is there a question?

[Eddie20]

In theory, we could play all 3 (Smart, Bradley, Rondo) as part of a rotation. Although ideally that 3rd guard would be somebody that brings a different dimension to the table. A player with good size and that can create offensively. In a rotation with Rondo and Smart that player needs to have less playmaking abilities and better shooting. In a rotation with Smart and Bradley that player doesn't have to shoot as well, but does need to be a pretty good facilitator.

If your starters are Rondo/Bradley that third guard is Smart, a player with good size that can create offensively.

If your starters are Rondo/Smart that third guard is Bradley, a player with less playmaking abilities, but better shooting.

The problem is none of the 3 are great creators (Smart isn't there yet) and don't have ideal size (Smart is big for the 1, not for the 2). The 3 don't compliment meant each other particularly well.

You don't think Rondo's a great creator?  He's one of the best in the game.

 "Smart isn't there yet"?  Yet, many of you are ready to ship Rondo out to make him the full-time starter at the point? 

Smart is easily big enough to guard twos.  What he lacks in height, he more than makes up for in strength.  I believe he can even successfully guard a lot of small forwards.

I like the future of that three guard rotation.  I've been excited about its potential ever since we drafted Smart.  The notion that every time a player has a good game, we have to trade somebody else who plays the same position is the height of the kind of short-sighted, over-reaction kind of thinking that we see all the time around these parts.

My belief is that the next Celtics contender will not be one that is top heavy, but rather one that relies on depth and chemistry, 1 through 10.   

No, none can create their own shots. Smart isn't there yet. He has the potential to get there, but he's not there yet.

I'm definitely onboard with giving the reigns to Smart at the 1 because I think that's where he can take advantage of his biggest strength, which is his strength over smaller 1's. We aren't going to win this year, or next for that matter, so let's groom Smart at the 1.

Teams that win titles have stars. Depth is awesome, but at the end of the day it's about having stars that bring it home down the stretch. The Spurs had good depth to compliment Duncan, Parker, and Leonard, 3 players that are easily top 5 at their positions.

[Celtics4ever]

I am sure Stevens will continue to start Sully and Rondo.   But as a game progresses, he will play the hot hand or whomever is matching up well.  His philosophy is all team and less about individual stars.  It is clear he will bench a guy for poor D and poor shooting regardless whether they are starter or not.   Whether this was a trend or just discipling a player for poor effort, we have seen it happen several times this season.   It will happen again.

I think, Blakely, is premature in his conclusion.  How did this guy become the insider?  He simply is not that good.

[Kuberski33]

The bigger point is whether this team works with Rondo as the highest paid player and to me it doesn't.  Smart is going to soon be the alpha dog and if Rondo's on a max contract, it doesn't work at all.  This team responds with Smart on the floor.  It doesn't with Rondo.

Yes some of us are jumping to conclusions, but its what fans do.  Don't forget, they paid Bradley and will have to weave Young into the lineup soon because of where they drafted him.  Turner looks like a solid pickup.

Something has to give and to me, going in the Rondo direction - unless he's willing to take a lot less money to stay here - isn't going to work.  Nothing against Rondo.  He's still a very good player.  But the team will be better off putting his money into the front court.