Is Rondo more of a role player?

[TheFlex]

im starting to get frustrated with Rondo. he is supposed to be our max player and hes only averaging

8.2ppg, 7.6rpg, 10.8 apg.

the rebounds and assists are nice. but you expect your star player to score more than 8points a game. he should be taking over these games and try to be the best player on the floor. when the big 3 disbanded I was hoping that Rondo would take a more active scoring role on the team. but he still seems content to sit back and dish, let others score.

and when Jeff green/sullinger are your top two scoring options you are going to lose alot of games. and thats nothing against those guys.

I think rondo is what he is at this point. he is a guy who you need to put other stars around and he makes a nice #3 option of a big 3 where he can let others score and just kind of quarterback the game.

We'll he is a pass first point guard after all

And thus not a max player.

Okay so what?

I already answered your question directly as to my thoughts on Rondo's star-status (not a star, but a quasi-star) so I figured I'd offer my thoughts on what this means for Rondo's future with the Cs.

A rebuilding team will not pay the max or anything close to it for a player who can't put the team on his back. Rondo is gone whether it be in February or July.

That doesn't mean I think we should trade him just to trade him, as I posted in another thread. The cap space Rondo would free up is too valuable to relinquish for a mid-to-late 1st rounder if it means we have to take on contracts that extend past this offseason in the process. It'd take a lotto first or a good young player to get it done if we had to absorb a multi-year deal. For anyone who doesn't think a quasi-star could net that type of return, consider what the Rockets gave up for Omer Asik (lesser player, higher positional value) this summer.

The less player/higher positional value is interesting topic. There are so many PG's in the league that it devalues the position. Not with the top guys (Paul, Curry, Westbrook), but with players in 10-15 range at their spot. Positional scarcity being key, Rondo being a PG in the 10-15 range means what caliber player at other positions? Interesting in terms of value.

Agreed, it is somewhat unfortunate that the position our best player occupies is occupied by half of the league's PGs who are better than, equal to or not much worse than Rondo.

A team like Houston just makes too much sense to me. They have what should be a late lotto first and the contracts to make it work. They also lack PG depth.

[Rondo9]

im starting to get frustrated with Rondo. he is supposed to be our max player and hes only averaging

8.2ppg, 7.6rpg, 10.8 apg.

the rebounds and assists are nice. but you expect your star player to score more than 8points a game. he should be taking over these games and try to be the best player on the floor. when the big 3 disbanded I was hoping that Rondo would take a more active scoring role on the team. but he still seems content to sit back and dish, let others score.

and when Jeff green/sullinger are your top two scoring options you are going to lose alot of games. and thats nothing against those guys.

I think rondo is what he is at this point. he is a guy who you need to put other stars around and he makes a nice #3 option of a big 3 where he can let others score and just kind of quarterback the game.

We'll he is a pass first point guard after all

Pass "first" for a PG implies score second, not doesn't score or can't score. It implies a PG that gets others involved as an unselfish act, not a stat grabbing act or an act to avoid a weakness in your game.  I think this phrase (pass first) is being over used and making it seem like it is OK that Rondo can't / won't shoot because he is pass first. 

Ben Wallace and Rondo are similar in that both are freakishly talented in certain basketball aspects but also both extremely weak shooters for their position. They play different positions so this manifests itself in different ways so you can't treat it purely literally.  You can't try to say Wallce was pass first to compensate for his flaws but you can say things like he was a blue collar big or whatever. It is Ok he couldn't shoot because he did the dirty work would be the kind of thing you would say instead of he is a pass first PG.

It is the same for Wallace as it is for Rondo. They are both able to be valuable NBA players due to freakish talents in spite of having massive shooting/scoring flaws relative to the expectation of their position ( even for a pass first or blue collar version of their position).

Big difference, Rondo runs the offense while Ben Wallace is seen as an afterthought on offense. I've never said it wasn't okay to shoot a lot I'm just saying it's not his top priorty and besides Rondo has more moves than Ben Wallace.

I've never understood this All Star role player. Is that some form compromise? To me: An All-Star is an All-Star. Very good players, but not franchise ones.

[mgent]

I mean, yeah, if you consider rebounding and running a team "roles."  By the same logic you could consider Ben Wallace a role player, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a pivotal part of their championship (and an All-Star).  No, Rondo, probably can't be the best player on a championship team, but I don't see anybody ever claiming that.  If he had 3-4 other players on the same tier as him like Big Ben had, I don't think he'd have trouble winning a title whatsoever.

A team with Rondo and Ben Wallace as star players would never ever win a championship.

What does that have to do with what I said?

I misunderstood what you wrote. After a second reading, I don't think Rondo would win anything if had same tier players with him. It needs to be above his level a notch.

I think Rondo will have a tremendous amount success with players on his level.

Thank you, the problem is he only has 1 that's close in Jeff Green.  If he had Green/Prince, Hamilton, and both Wallaces, that would easily be a championship, and Rondo would probably win the Finals MVP.  Hamilton would be the best offensive player he's played with since 08 Pierce.  Wallace would be the best inside option/interior defender/floor spacer since 08 KG.  Ben would be the best defender/rebounder since KG in 08 (better at rebounding, similar on defense).

Even though those guys aren't as good as 08 Pierce/KG, the overall talent would still be enough to win it.

[TwinTower14]

Rondo is an elite passer with average to below average skills across the board. It worked when KG, Paul and Ray were in their primes but when he is asked to be your best player it doesn't work. He doesn't have the skills. The most disappointing part of Rondo is that he has been in the league for awhile and he never progressed as a shooter, at the line or from 3 and his defense has really fallen off. He is a top 10-12 Pg in the league and I bet he signs with the Lakers in the offseason.

[Tr1boy]

Rondo is an elite passer with average to below average skills across the board. It worked when KG, Paul and Ray were in their primes but when he is asked to be your best player it doesn't work. He doesn't have the skills. The most disappointing part of Rondo is that he has been in the league for awhile and he never progressed as a shooter, at the line or from 3 and his defense has really fallen off. He is a top 10-12 Pg in the league and I bet he signs with the Lakers in the offseason.

Above avg rebounder for a pg also. Very disappointing he hasnt been able to shoot the FT at 70 percent by now

Danny will trade him vs letting him walk.

[GreenFaith1819]

Rondo is an elite passer with average to below average skills across the board. It worked when KG, Paul and Ray were in their primes but when he is asked to be your best player it doesn't work. He doesn't have the skills. The most disappointing part of Rondo is that he has been in the league for awhile and he never progressed as a shooter, at the line or from 3 and his defense has really fallen off. He is a top 10-12 Pg in the league and I bet he signs with the Lakers in the offseason.

KG, Ray and Paul were well past their primes, especially KG.

KG was nowhere near the Minny KG, even back in 07-08...and even less after his injury.