Rondo: "I haven't played defense in a couple of years..."

[kozlodoev]

I'm talking about effort too. People might not remember that far back but there were plenty of posts back then about how much more effort those guys were putting in on the defensive end. It wouldn't surprise me if you could find quotes from them about how they were playing better defense because they had to do so much less on offense.

Right, except Rondo's usage rate in Dallas is a career-high 25% (for comparison, it was 18% with the Celtics this season, and 195 last season) so the "don't have to do as much on offense" theory doesn't seem to hold. Which pretty much passes the eye test, too -- Rondo wasn't doing all THAT much on offense here.

Yep, I was posting that at the same time lol He does seem to be doing more on the offensive end in Dallas.

Technically, it's a bit of a flawed way to be looking at things, because usage only considers possessions when the player shot, got to the free throw line, or turned it over (so it can't measure playmaking necessarily).

Then again, I'm still waiting for an explanation why Rondo is taking five full shots more in Dallas, where his teammates are clearly offensively superior to what he had in Boston. After all this talk about how Rondo makes his teammates look better, it may turn out to be the other way round.

[TwinTower14]

Pretty sweet comment from the captain. Haha. Can't see how any logical person can defend this quote? He dogged it on defense, he is tell is that. The words came out of his mouth. I also like the comment "young guys"...he is what 28? So he is too old to play defense? Tell that to guys like KG. Guy was and always will be a clown.

[ScoobyDoo]

Not acceptable under any circumstances for a guy whose supposed to be the team leader, the captain and the guy asking for a Max contract.

As someone else said, I think this is more evidence that Rondo is not a guy you can build your team around. Pierce and KG provided the leadership on that squad over their term with Rondo. While Rondo put up a lot  of great performances it wouldn't surprises if it took "considerable maintenance" to manage him.

You want a max contract but admittedly say you're mailing it in on defense - shameful actually.

[BballTim]

I'm talking about effort too. People might not remember that far back but there were plenty of posts back then about how much more effort those guys were putting in on the defensive end. It wouldn't surprise me if you could find quotes from them about how they were playing better defense because they had to do so much less on offense.

Right, except Rondo's usage rate in Dallas is a career-high 25% (for comparison, it was 18% with the Celtics this season, and 195 last season) so the "don't have to do as much on offense" theory doesn't seem to hold. Which pretty much passes the eye test, too -- Rondo wasn't doing all THAT much on offense here.

edit: For comparison, Ray Allen's usage dropped from 29% to 21% when he came to the Celtics, and Pierce's went from 30% to 25%.

  His rebounds are down, his assists are down, the percentage of his shots that are assisted is up about 50% and unless something radically different happened the last game or so he's spending less time with the ball in his hands. The number of assist opportunities he's creating is way down, but the percentage of his assist opportunities that are converted are way up.

[puskas54_10]

I'm quite shocked by some Rondo fans reaction. There is a PR blunder, and here comes the cover-up. But, but, but... Rondo with this quote proved that he is not so bright off the court.

[Neurotic Guy]

I'm shocked there's anything to debate about here. The quote is discouraging, plain and simple.

Rondo in a nutshell the past season "I played no defense,  let AB, Smart do the dirty work,  made KO , Sully look bad".

Let's all be honest - it doesn't take much to make Sully and Oly look bad defensively. They do that just fine on their own because they're not very good defensive players. There's a reason there's a ton of trade ideas where we receive a defensive minded center to "pair" with either Sully or Oly.

As far as the original quote - I'm sure he'll be asked to further talk about what he meant/clarify at some point before the game or postgame. What I think he meant - and this is my opinion, I'm not declaring it as fact - is that he didn't play on ball defense at the point of attack very much. If you've watched any Dallas games since he's been there, they've basically asked him to play AB's role - applying full court pressure, being the main guy to defend opposing points and allowing Monta (a pretty solid steals guy) to basically play free safety.

I think you are correct. 

When I first heard about the quote (not in Rondo's voice), I was sure that this was Rondo doing a dead-pan, sarcastic, "Yeah, I played no defense for the last 2 years".  His MO has been to frequently use straight-faced sarcasm.   However, after hearing the quote from Rondo's mouth, I don't think it was sarcasm.  On the other hand, to think that he meant literally that he hasn't played defense in two years, is absurd.  You watched -- he played defense. 

What Rondo seemed to mean is that over the last 2 years he did not play defense at the same intensity level as he had in the past, or as his "younger" teammates are doing in the present.  I took it to mean that his focus was on running the offense and preserving some energy on the defensive end.  It does protray a changed and less assertive approach to defense than in previous years.  And it does indicate a purposeful let-down in defensive intensity -- reduced effort by design.    However, in the context of recovering from his surgery, and in the context of maximizing his more essential role on the team, he decided to let the young guys provide the bulk of the defensive intensity.

This doesn't absolve him as I do think he IS saying that he let up defensively for the last 2 years.  And in the context of asserting that he is now defending at a higher level with Dallas, we are left to conclude that he could have been defending at a higher level when he was here.   BUT, let's not blow this out of proportion by taking a literal interpretation of his words.  He said he didn't play defense for 2 years and we all know that this comment is not literally true.

[kozlodoev]

I'm talking about effort too. People might not remember that far back but there were plenty of posts back then about how much more effort those guys were putting in on the defensive end. It wouldn't surprise me if you could find quotes from them about how they were playing better defense because they had to do so much less on offense.

Right, except Rondo's usage rate in Dallas is a career-high 25% (for comparison, it was 18% with the Celtics this season, and 195 last season) so the "don't have to do as much on offense" theory doesn't seem to hold. Which pretty much passes the eye test, too -- Rondo wasn't doing all THAT much on offense here.

edit: For comparison, Ray Allen's usage dropped from 29% to 21% when he came to the Celtics, and Pierce's went from 30% to 25%.

  His rebounds are down, his assists are down, the percentage of his shots that are assisted is up about 50% and unless something radically different happened the last game or so he's spending less time with the ball in his hands. The number of assist opportunities he's creating is way down, but the percentage of his assist opportunities that are converted are way up.

And yet, he's taking 1.5 more unassisted shots per game in Dallas.

[Eja117]

have you played basketball,he tore his acl,do you know what  strain lateral movement takes or how physical and dangerous it is going over the top of screens and multiple screens in todays offense.Dallas is playing for championship is boston.Would you threaten your career for a rebuild and losing season.Sorry,that wasn't meant to come off that way but i suffered a career ending knee surgery so my perspective is different.

I give him a pass for the 2nd half of last year for that reason.  But not for this year.  On a team where they know they're in big trouble if the ball gets in the paint, they all realize how important it is to try to pressure the opposing guards to make it harder for them to get where they want to go - and there were too many occasions where he just refused to do it.  And he was moving fine since the start of the season.

Yep, exactly. You don't see Smart out there going half-arse on defense letting his man consistently get by him for lack of trying.

They just get by him anyway

[Tr1boy]

have you played basketball,he tore his acl,do you know what  strain lateral movement takes or how physical and dangerous it is going over the top of screens and multiple screens in todays offense.Dallas is playing for championship is boston.Would you threaten your career for a rebuild and losing season.Sorry,that wasn't meant to come off that way but i suffered a career ending knee surgery so my perspective is different.

I give him a pass for the 2nd half of last year for that reason.  But not for this year.  On a team where they know they're in big trouble if the ball gets in the paint, they all realize how important it is to try to pressure the opposing guards to make it harder for them to get where they want to go - and there were too many occasions where he just refused to do it.  And he was moving fine since the start of the season.

Yep, exactly. You don't see Smart out there going half-arse on defense letting his man consistently get by him for lack of trying.

They just get by him anyway

Dude what are you talking about??   

[jpotter33]

I'm shocked there's anything to debate about here. The quote is discouraging, plain and simple.

Rondo in a nutshell the past season "I played no defense,  let AB, Smart do the dirty work,  made KO , Sully look bad".

Let's all be honest - it doesn't take much to make Sully and Oly look bad defensively. They do that just fine on their own because they're not very good defensive players. There's a reason there's a ton of trade ideas where we receive a defensive minded center to "pair" with either Sully or Oly.

As far as the original quote - I'm sure he'll be asked to further talk about what he meant/clarify at some point before the game or postgame. What I think he meant - and this is my opinion, I'm not declaring it as fact - is that he didn't play on ball defense at the point of attack very much. If you've watched any Dallas games since he's been there, they've basically asked him to play AB's role - applying full court pressure, being the main guy to defend opposing points and allowing Monta (a pretty solid steals guy) to basically play free safety.

I think you are correct. 

When I first heard about the quote (not in Rondo's voice), I was sure that this was Rondo doing a dead-pan, sarcastic, "Yeah, I played no defense for the last 2 years".  His MO has been to frequently use straight-faced sarcasm.   However, after hearing the quote from Rondo's mouth, I don't think it was sarcasm.  On the other hand, to think that he meant literally that he hasn't played defense in two years, is absurd.  You watched -- he played defense. 

What Rondo seemed to mean is that over the last 2 years he did not play defense at the same intensity level as he had in the past, or as his "younger" teammates are doing in the present.  I took it to mean that his focus was on running the offense and preserving some energy on the defensive end.  It does protray a changed and less assertive approach to defense than in previous years.  And it does indicate a purposeful let-down in defensive intensity -- reduced effort by design.    However, in the context of recovering from his surgery, and in the context of maximizing his more essential role on the team, he decided to let the young guys provide the bulk of the defensive intensity.

This doesn't absolve him as I do think he IS saying that he let up defensively for the last 2 years.  And in the context of asserting that he is now defending at a higher level with Dallas, we are left to conclude that he could have been defending at a higher level when he was here.   BUT, let's not blow this out of proportion by taking a literal interpretation of his words.  He said he didn't play defense for 2 years and we all know that this comment is not literally true.

Unless you're employing the Sacramento owner's style of 4-on-5, you're playing defense. Even if Rondo is in the halfcourt just standing there between the opponent and the basket, he's playing "defense." I don't think anyone is taking it as literally as you're suggesting. What we are suggesting, though, is that if he's getting paid millions of dollars every year TO PLAY A FREAKING GAME then he can at least be motivated and not let his younger teammates play all of the defense. It's not like he's KD out there scoring thirty points a game and literally has no energy to play defense. Out of respect for the game and being a professional, we're making a normative claim that he should have been playing harder on defense.

[Eja117]

have you played basketball,he tore his acl,do you know what  strain lateral movement takes or how physical and dangerous it is going over the top of screens and multiple screens in todays offense.Dallas is playing for championship is boston.Would you threaten your career for a rebuild and losing season.Sorry,that wasn't meant to come off that way but i suffered a career ending knee surgery so my perspective is different.

I give him a pass for the 2nd half of last year for that reason.  But not for this year.  On a team where they know they're in big trouble if the ball gets in the paint, they all realize how important it is to try to pressure the opposing guards to make it harder for them to get where they want to go - and there were too many occasions where he just refused to do it.  And he was moving fine since the start of the season.

Yep, exactly. You don't see Smart out there going half-arse on defense letting his man consistently get by him for lack of trying.

They just get by him anyway

Dude what are you talking about??   

He gets into the passing lanes and is a fine pest, but that's about it. If you think he's going to really put the clamps down on an above average pg in this league you may be disappointed for a while.

[blink]

[Eja117]

Nobody on the Celtics outside Avery has played defense in 3 years. Neither have the 76ers lately.

[jpotter33]

have you played basketball,he tore his acl,do you know what  strain lateral movement takes or how physical and dangerous it is going over the top of screens and multiple screens in todays offense.Dallas is playing for championship is boston.Would you threaten your career for a rebuild and losing season.Sorry,that wasn't meant to come off that way but i suffered a career ending knee surgery so my perspective is different.

I give him a pass for the 2nd half of last year for that reason.  But not for this year.  On a team where they know they're in big trouble if the ball gets in the paint, they all realize how important it is to try to pressure the opposing guards to make it harder for them to get where they want to go - and there were too many occasions where he just refused to do it.  And he was moving fine since the start of the season.

Yep, exactly. You don't see Smart out there going half-arse on defense letting his man consistently get by him for lack of trying.

They just get by him anyway

Even if this was true, which it definitely is not by any stretch lol, at least Smart gives full effort on that end. Nobody is claiming Rondo has to be Bruce Bowen out there. If he gave it his all that's literally all you can ask for. Smart does give it his all out there on defense, and that's all you can really ask of a guy.

[jpotter33]

Nobody on the Celtics outside Avery has played defense in 3 years. Neither have the 76ers lately.

I hope you're trolling us, because this might be the most asinine comment I've ever read on this blog lol  Smart routinely plays the best defense on our team. He is EXCELLENT at fighting through screens, court awareness, help D, and staying in front of his man. What team have you been watching?