Is IT better than prime Rondo? (POLL)

[PaulAllen]

interesting poll..

They both share a similar ability to get to the rim and score (Rondo had trouble early but in prime was on)..

Rondo was a better passer..

IT is a much better shooter..

Rondo is a better defender..

IT is slightly a better clutch shooter..

IT much better FT shooter..


Its really tough and hard to compare because its IT ability to be a leading scorer where Rondo really couldnt handle that... Rondo was all world defense and one of the best points in the league.. Its really a tie or slight to IT..

[Celtics17]

I have to go with Rondo here. He just did everything, rebound, pass, score. Sure, he didnt shoot well but his percentages were still good. Rondo dominated big guys around the rim even as far as rebounding goes. IT is a great scorer but he's not 'prime' Rondo.. not yet anyway.

[Funk_e_Frank]

I'm late to this topic but here's what I see.

Rondo had a great team around him in his prime that could shoot and take pressure off. He had KG barking down his throat and HOF's backing him up till the end. He was crafty and fun to watch. Like I said he had HOF's so he could take more chances with the ball because they could cover up his flaws.

IT has a bunch of decent/good players making it all work. He scores and passes well. He's not a better defender but he is hard nosed and plays hard on D. He has to be the focal point and when everyone knows your the go to scorer it get harder for you.

If you ask at this point in Celtic ball would I rather have IT or (Prime) Rondo id say IT. With out IT here we aren't playing playoff basketball. Rondo wouldn't open up the lanes at all because he cant shoot. We all know defenders play off of him more because of that reason. Rondo was what we needed with the team he was on and IT is what we need with this team. They both had/having great times in GREEN.

[joepatsfan]

Rondo's usual detractors will post lengthy diatribes in vain attempts to discredit Rajon Rondo's time here.

Some...change their spots like chameleons.

Yet others are caught up in the new.

Like Bruce Hornsby and The Range - "That's just the way it is. Some Things Never Change........."

I'm happy for IT4, Marcus Smart and BOS.

I suppose that the Sully Fat jokes and the perennial Trade Marcus threads are on hold - for now.

So, we'll dig up CelticsBlog favorite Whipping Boy - Rajon Rondooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhh...........

I loved Rondo.  I still love him.  He was overrated here.

And Sully is still fat.  He's been awful in the playoffs.  Good chance we let him walk this Summer.  If he's not careful, he's going to follow Big Baby's path out of the league.

You speak with a forked tongue.

"You love him, but yet he was overrated."

As my shipmates used to say while I was in the Navy - "Pee or get off the pot."

He makes a perfect point though. You can love someone as  a player but that player can still be overrated. He understands rondo isn't the greatest thing ever but he also loves what he did as a Celtic. People wanted to claim rondo to be so good during his prime when many factors aided that prime and we saw the real rondo after the squad left

[Greenback]

Rondo may have been the WORST starting point guard the Celtics have ever had.  I have been a Celtics fan since 1964.

[SHAQATTACK]

The Rondo luv /hate battles will outlive the man

[celticsclay]

Rondo may have been the WORST starting point guard the Celtics have ever had.  I have been a Celtics fan since 1964.

Jeez weren't we starting milt palacio and jr bremer not that long ago?

[mmmmm]

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.

Good post.  Well thought out and stated.

[max215]

Rondo's usual detractors will post lengthy diatribes in vain attempts to discredit Rajon Rondo's time here.

Some...change their spots like chameleons.

Yet others are caught up in the new.

Like Bruce Hornsby and The Range - "That's just the way it is. Some Things Never Change........."

I'm happy for IT4, Marcus Smart and BOS.

I suppose that the Sully Fat jokes and the perennial Trade Marcus threads are on hold - for now.

So, we'll dig up CelticsBlog favorite Whipping Boy - Rajon Rondooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhh...........

I loved Rondo.  I still love him.  He was overrated here.

And Sully is still fat.  He's been awful in the playoffs.  Good chance we let him walk this Summer.  If he's not careful, he's going to follow Big Baby's path out of the league.

You speak with a forked tongue.

"You love him, but yet he was overrated."

As my shipmates used to say while I was in the Navy - "Pee or get off the pot."

I'm with LarBrd on this. I absolutely think Rondo is and was overrated. However, I will always love Rondo. I'll always smile when he succeeds, and remember fondly all of his antics from his time in Celtics green. He may not have left on the best of terms, but his legacy here will never be tarnished (cough****Ray****cough). It is possible to appreciate the man for what he was, while recognizing that he was not something more.

[BornReady]

Not gonna vote
but when rondo gets it really going, he can put up really big stats
even with stat padding
As well as a guarantee to put on a show and be seen in the highlight reel

[Hank Finkel]

IT is better because he can win a game with a big shot, something Rondo could never do.  Rondo was a liability at the end of games because he was a poor foul shooter also.  Rondo could change the game with his game management and great assists, but without clutch shooting you can't win a game when its on the line.  IT can.

[celticmania]

Absolutely. Put Rondo on this team in Thomas' place and we don't make the playoffs. I always thought Rondo was crazy overrated.

[ssspence]

Rondo may have been the WORST starting point guard the Celtics have ever had.  I have been a Celtics fan since 1964.

This is an awesome post.

[MJohnnyboy]

IT is better because he can win a game with a big shot, something Rondo could never do.  Rondo was a liability at the end of games because he was a poor foul shooter also.  Rondo could change the game with his game management and great assists, but without clutch shooting you can't win a game when its on the line.  IT can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDhWNdEZBSk

Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgjTumIO2Uw

Also Rondo hit some clutch shots in game 7 against the Lakers in 2010 but I won't show those highlights. Rondo was absolutely capable of hitting the big shot when the game was on the line.

[GreenFaith1819]

Rondo may have been the WORST starting point guard the Celtics have ever had.  I have been a Celtics fan since 1964.

Bob Cousy NEVER shot better than 40% from the field. And no one EVER speaks of this.

And I love Cooze.

I suggest you do more research.

Such a broad, baseless statement would get most posters on here enflamed, but since it's Rondo it gets a free pass.

Just what are you basing your statements on? Stats? What?