Is IT better than prime Rondo? (POLL)

[CoachBo]

Prime rondo was a myth.  His stats were pretty empty.

TP. It is telling that all Rondo's legions can come up with is a handful of games here and there.

Rondo is the most overrated Celtic - easily - in the history of this blog.

And yet I certainly don't remember you posting anything positive about Rondo during his Prime years in BOS, from 09-12. Man laid it on the line for us many a night.

It's one thing to not like a player. That's yours and anyone's choice. But to have a bias against him (like a few others here on the Blog) is something else.

Rondo was not a great Celtic in my mind. He took nights off, plays off, was a disruptive presence and disregarded key parts of his game. Great players, players who deserve the same adulation as the numbers in the rafters, do not take glee in publicly admitting they haven't played defense for two years. I challenge anyone to defend that kind of selfish petulance.

All the hero worship for an obviously flawed player bores me. The Celtics would not be where they are today were he still on this roster. Wildly overrated.

To quote an earlier post: "Greatness, to me, is defined by consistency. Can you do it most every night? Do you take nights off? Do you take plays off? Do you disregard key parts of your game? Are you a positive or a negative influence on your team, on the floor and in the lockeroom?

If the answer is no to very many of the above, you are not a great player. Period. I am not impressed by players who just show up for the playoffs.

Greatness, to me, is not defined by a collection of playoff games. You have 82 games and then the playoffs to show me."

[GreenFaith1819]

I think both point guards were in ideal situations. Rondo was a perfect point guard for 3 future HOF'ers. IT is perfect for the team we have now.

The best post this thread.....but some here would probably toss Ray Allen to a pack of alligators before uttering HOF.

[alldaboston]

I LOVED rondo when he was here. He's still the only jersey I have. But this IT is flat out amazing.

[Smokeeye123]

Rondo is much too inconsistent and just didn't show up sometimes, but when he did he did big and was one of the funnest players ive ever watched. I'll never forget the playoff game against the Heat or that playoff game against the Magic where he dove and stole the ball.

[jpotter33]

No.  Prime Rondo pretty much single-handedly took the 2011-2012 Heat to 7 games in the conference finals.  He went for 21/7/11, playing almost every minute of that series (he sat out about 24 minutes over 7 games).

Prime Rondo didn't always show up, which IT does.  But when he did, he was Hall of Fame quality.

Exactly this. IT is much more consistent at a high level, but when Rondo hit shots and got going he was a legitimate two-way, Hall-of-Fame talent and was the best player in a series that involved Lebron James.

That being said, I take IT's consistency and mentality over Rondo any day. IT will never be a two-way player due to his limitations, but you never question his heart or motivation. You consistently questioned Rondo's, especially on defense.

[GreenFaith1819]

Prime rondo was a myth.  His stats were pretty empty.

TP. It is telling that all Rondo's legions can come up with is a handful of games here and there.

Rondo is the most overrated Celtic - easily - in the history of this blog.

And yet I certainly don't remember you posting anything positive about Rondo during his Prime years in BOS, from 09-12. Man laid it on the line for us many a night.

It's one thing to not like a player. That's yours and anyone's choice. But to have a bias against him (like a few others here on the Blog) is something else.

Rondo was not a great Celtic in my mind. He took nights off, plays off, was a disruptive presence and disregarded key parts of his game. Great players, players who deserve the same adulation as the numbers in the rafters, do not take glee in publicly admitting they haven't played defense for two years. I challenge anyone to defend that kind of selfish petulance.

All the hero worship for an obviously flawed player bores me. The Celtics would not be where they are today were he still on this roster. Wildly overrated.

To quote an earlier post: "Greatness, to me, is defined by consistency. Can you do it most every night? Do you take nights off? Do you take plays off? Do you disregard key parts of your game? Are you a positive or a negative influence on your team, on the floor and in the lockeroom?

If the answer is no to very many of the above, you are not a great player. Period. I am not impressed by players who just show up for the playoffs.

Greatness, to me, is not defined by a collection of playoff games. You have 82 games and then the playoffs to show me."

I'm not about to go into semantics or individual game breakdowns of two players whom I love dearly. That would drag me down in this conversation.

You obviously dislike Rajon Rondo and it is a deep-seated dislike. I obviously love him (and IT) and am grateful for the good times he had in BOS.

I'm not about to go into what Rajon Rondo accomplished as part of something special in BOS from 07-08 to 11-12. My memories speak for me.

Rajon Rondo has made history as a part of a Championship team AND contender (for several years) in BOS. IT4 is making his name right now and I'm happy for both.



Thanks for leaving it on the floor, Rajon - literally.

[Dino Pitino]

Isaiah is better than the average of all the kinds of Rondos we got while he was here. Probably as good as Rondo's prime handful of years. But peak, national television Rondo was a level of play better than any we've seen from Isaiah so far -- except for that one Game 3, and may that be the first of several more such games. Playoff/Showtime Rondo (ohhh, no, just got a Dead Zone flash of a future where the Lakers get Cousins and sign-and-trade Rondo for Russell and Randle and a 1st) was, like, a top 5 player in the NBA.

[Banner18now!]

**** off at some of you the way you're talking about Rondo like he wasn't great during his time with the Celtics. Without Rondo in 2010 the Celtics don't get to the finals he was their best player that playoff run. Without Rondo the Celts don't get the ECF game 7 in 2012 and who knows if it wasn't for a blown call in game two of that series when Wade hit Rondo on a layup attempt with no call the C's may have been in the finals that year beating a heavily favored Heat team. Rondo is a classic Celtic player who played big in the moment I don't know why some fans crap on him. Yes he had flaws but I will remember  all the big games and big shots he had. One of my favorite players to watch the way he controlled a game and didn't have to score 40 to do it. How many times did he have over 15 rebounds? He had some of the craziest stat lines you will see. One comes to mind that Cleveland game I believe was 32 points 18 rebounds 13 assist. People have short term memory around here.

[kozlodoev]

People have short term memory around here.

And better manners.

[the TRUTH]

Prime rondo was a myth.  His stats were pretty empty.

Rondo's 09-10 finals run was pretty [dang] awesome. He was our best player in the run to the '11 ECF finals too.

Completely agree. IT has had some great moments thus far in the Hawks series, but they've all been in the FIRST ROUND. Rondo had a number of phenomenal games deep in the playoffs. I think IT has a long way to go to equal what Rondo did here.

[the TRUTH]

**** off at some of you the way you're talking about Rondo like he wasn't great during his time with the Celtics. Without Rondo in 2010 the Celtics don't get to the finals he was their best player that playoff run. Without Rondo the Celts don't get the ECF game 7 in 2012 and who knows if it wasn't for a blown call in game two of that series when Wade hit Rondo on a layup attempt with no call the C's may have been in the finals that year beating a heavily favored Heat team. Rondo is a classic Celtic player who played big in the moment I don't know why some fans crap on him. Yes he had flaws but I will remember  all the big games and big shots he had. One of my favorite players to watch the way he controlled a game and didn't have to score 40 to do it. How many times did he have over 15 rebounds? He had some of the craziest stat lines you will see. One comes to mind that Cleveland game I believe was 32 points 18 rebounds 13 assist. People have short term memory around here.

Couldn't agree more with this post.

[playdream]

**** off at some of you the way you're talking about Rondo like he wasn't great during his time with the Celtics. Without Rondo in 2010 the Celtics don't get to the finals he was their best player that playoff run. Without Rondo the Celts don't get the ECF game 7 in 2012 and who knows if it wasn't for a blown call in game two of that series when Wade hit Rondo on a layup attempt with no call the C's may have been in the finals that year beating a heavily favored Heat team. Rondo is a classic Celtic player who played big in the moment I don't know why some fans crap on him. Yes he had flaws but I will remember  all the big games and big shots he had. One of my favorite players to watch the way he controlled a game and didn't have to score 40 to do it. How many times did he have over 15 rebounds? He had some of the craziest stat lines you will see. One comes to mind that Cleveland game I believe was 32 points 18 rebounds 13 assist. People have short term memory around here.

Ask Kings fans if Rondo is a selfish stat padder and you will get one answer

[crimson_stallion]

It is absolutely impossible to say which of the two guys is better, as they are just so fundamentally different as players. 

Comparing Rondo to Isaiah is kinda like comparing a Porsche 911 GT3 to a Bentley Continental.  Both are expensive European coupes sure, but one is stripped out and tuned for a track while the other is smothered with opulent luxuries and built to pamper.

Rondo built his entire career on his ability to dominate the game without scoring.  Early in his career Rondo was a genuinely elite defensive player (many people forget this), and he also will likely go down in history as one of the best rebounding and passing point guards ever to play the game.  He was at or near career assist leader every year since around his 3rd or 4th year, and the things he could do with the ball were spectacular and at times almost hard to believe.

The only major criticisms with Rondo were his arrogance, and his lack of versatility as a scorer.  He wasn't a good outside shooter, and that at times hurt the team and limited his ability to dominate as a scorer consistently.

Thomas is entirely different because his entire game is based around his ability to score.  He's developed into a good playmaker, a good ball handler and a tough kid, but his ability to score points in a variety of ways is what makes him so dominant. 

It's impossible to argue which of those guys impacted games more.  They both impacted games at an elite level, just did it in different ways.

I feel like Thomas is the better guy to choose if you want somebody you can build a team around.  His ability to carry a team offensively on a consistent basis makes him an excellent fit for that type of role.

I feel that Rondo is more suitable to being your #2 or #3 guy - a complimentary star on a team with multiple skilled scorers.  That doesn't necessarily mean Rondo is any less a player, or that he has any less of an impact - it's just a reflection of the fact that he isn't a pure scorer, and so being a #1 guy doesn't really suit his game.

[walker834]

Totally different teams.  Rondo was drafted to go with guys like Pierce, Ray and KG.  He was great at setting those guys up and used to push the pace and the ball enough in the paint where it made a difference. IT is a much more well rounded scorer and playmaker where he can create his own offense off the dribble and shoot from the outside on a team that lacks shooting and scoring ability.

That 08 team wouldn't have been as good without Rondo because he allowed the big 3 to really dominate and was a really good scorer and talented himself in spots who could take over a game when teams took other players away.

Isaiah really is the guy on this team.  He's better in that regard but it's the same thing.  We lose IT and Smart steps up and we had better players around Smart.

That 08 team was a championship team. This team is still trying to be that so hard to say.  I think if we win with IT and this team he's probably better simply because he is the guy. We have more depth in ways than that 08 team but not really.

Scal keeps saying IT would be the  best offensive player in the game if he was 6'1".  We will see I guess.  I get what Scal is saying there.  But I also think the NBA is kind of limited that way right now.  IT does have a unique ability to drive, pull up and hit shots on the fly. Not many players can do that with his quickness. Durant has length and does it but IT is so quick and creative with his scoring and passing.  Durant does not have that same skillset.  Neither does Lebron.  Curry does and is that size.

I think IT and Rondo are kind of on the same level.  They have some drawbacks that keep them out of the top top tier.  Rondo was his shooting. IT is his height.

IT is definately a better fit for this team.   Rondo was a better fit for that 08 team.

[Csfan1984]

IT has more offense and seems to really get others playing well. He is constant full effort and heart. Rondo was a general and when he was focused was a terror. Both great at what they do.