But what about Rajon Rondo?
You mean the career high 32 points on a scalding 13-18 shooting, ten assists, six rebounds and three steals on his 23rd birthday? That was definitely nice, but what'd you expect from him against the matador defense of the Phoenix Suns? Rondo gets to the cup against some of the league's tightest defenses defenses and best perimeter defenders (ask Chris Paul, Tony Parker or any of the Lakers that played last June), so forgive me if I'm not shocked that he embarrassed Steve Nash on his way to a career night against a terrible defensive team.
Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that Rajon Rondo played so well, and I think that this game is a huge confidence builder for him and his teammates, but this kind of play from Rondo isn't new to me. Rondo's development is a favorite topic of mine (read more here and here), and I've always maintained that he is capable of great things. I mean, he was the catalyst on a championship team that played perhaps the fiercest defense that the NBA has ever seen, and he maintains a delicate balance between his three All-Star teammates while running one of the NBA's best offenses that often requires him to sacrifice his own numbers for the benefit of the team. He can flat out play, and we all (at least I) already knew that.
Going into the game against Phoenix, the point guard match-up between Rondo and Nash jumped out at me as the most favorable for the Celtics (though the other backcourt pairing of Allen against Captain Barbosa was a close second). God bless his Canadian heart, but Steve Nash is a defensive liability for Phoenix* (I'd say at this point in his career, but he's always been one), and he had zero chance of containing Rondo on Sunday afternoon. And sure enough, Rondo dominated the Suns, getting anywhere he wanted and any shot he wanted against defenders that more often resembled cardboard cutouts than actual live bodies. The word layup drill comes to mind, but it doesn't fully illustrate the lack of resistance Rondo encountered on his way to the rim time and again on Sunday.
*As a quick aside about Steve Nash and defense, I'm just wondering if anyone else noticed that Paul Pierce started heating up as soon as the Suns started switching the pick & roll to contain Rondo, leaving Nash on Pierce in an isolation? Not that many defenders in the NBA can handle Paul Pierce, but still, as soon as Nash was on Pierce he started making shots that were rimming out in the first half.
Aside from the abhorrent defense played against him, Rondo benefited greatly from the increased game tempo and the void left by KG in the offense. In my last post, I called for the other Celtics to step up and each do a little bit to fill KG's shoes, and on Sunday, Rondo proved that he has big feet, so to speak. For the season, Rondo is averaging nine field-goal attempts per game (and converting at a rate of 51%) and just over three foul shots per game (converting only 63% of those). On Sunday, he took 18 shots (of which he made 13, including a three-pointer) and got to the line nine times (only hitting five), while still having time to feed his teammates for ten assists. With more space to spread his wings and against a defense that would be indifferent were they not so physically overmatched, a performance along the lines of this one seems to me to be more par for the course than an enlightening foreshadowing of this young player's career to come.
Perhaps the only exciting thing to see was Rondo's marksmanship with his jumper, which has always been the one hole in his game. Yesterday, he hit several mid-range jumpers to punish Phoenix for playing off of him, and a three-pointer that was actually pretty contested by Phoenix standards. These jumpers, however, came only after Rondo was well into an offensive rhythm established by a multitude of uncontested drives to the hoop. For that reason, I'm going to try and not get too carried away about those makes, instead filing them appropriately under "heat-check" (see also LBJ v. Bucks) for now. When any player is feeling it like that, shots just seem to fall. What I will hope for is that this game gives Rondo and his teammates a confidence boost, and that it drives him to work even harder than he has been on developing a solid jump-shot (Rondo has been steadily improving that aspect of his game throughout his short career).
The chorus of the media says "Rondo has arrived" after this game; I say, "he's already been here for a year plus." It's not that I'm unimpressed with the way he played, in fact, I'm elated that a young guy like him relishes the challenge of rising to the occasion to get a win for his injury depleted team. I feel as though he's been capable of such greatness for a while, and its eventual manifestation against a clearly inferior opponent shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. To Rondo, I say keep fighting the good fight, and even if you don't ever score 30 again, I'll still appreciate you for what you do on the court for the Boston Celtics. Doc Rivers said a while ago that Rondo was the most irreplaceable Celtic, and I'm tempted to agree (if only because we're thinner than Kate Moss at the point right now). But while it's great to see a big game out of Rondo and another win without Garnett, I still maintain that I expect nothing less from the defending champs, especially against a team that they can clearly beat.
In other news, Andy Roddick deserves a pat on the back for withdrawing from the Dubai tennis tournament in protest over their treatment of an Israeli tennis player and using his celebrity status to send a meaningful message to the world. It's not often that sports and politics or the historical narrative intersect at significant points, so it's always nice to see somebody capitalize on the opportunity to make a statement, even at the risk of losing sponsorships, prizes and the like. So what if you can't beat Federer or Nadal, this is a much better way to go out, and it will hopefully be remembered for years to come. Hats off to you, my friend.
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