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December 4, 2008

Rondo's Patience (part one)

It started with Tubby Smith in Kentucky. It continued as an NBA pro with the Celtics. Both teams play a deliberate half court style of ball.

Doc Rivers and the Celtics have been patiently making Rajon Rondo a capable half court point guard. Rondo has been patiently receiving his NBA education in offensive half court management.

But like Bruce Springsteen, Rondo was born to run.

He has been adapting and embracing the widening of his abilities, much like someone learns to use his his other arm when the dominant arm is broken.

Rajon Rondo's personality can be interpreted (or misinterpreted) as either shy and quiet...or cool and aloof. Like Rondo's game, he is opening up a bit more this year.

A locker room conversation with Rondo a few weeks ago, before the Bucks game, brings his recent move forward and 'need for speed' full circle. Talk was about his improvement, even then.

But it struck me that we are talking about a player and a point guard at that, that has been asked to play a style of ball for 4 years running now (really not running very often) that does not play to his strengths. He has no jump shot to speak of. As an open court magician trapped in a half court world, he has done it with complete compliance, at least publicly.

Ironically, before these recent hoop assaults and pedal to the metal performances, I asked him (before the Bucks game) if it was frustrating to him having to play essentially a style of ball for 4 years that doesn't play to his strengths...

Not really. I mean we try to push it here as a Boston Celtic but..sometime you have to slow it down because you have...such great, great guys that can score the ball. You want to get a great shot down at the end of the floor everytime.

That's true, but we know you have an engine running inside you. He mentioned the importance of playing under control and that some fast breaks don't go that way...

Sometimes we run, we get out and we turn the ball over and take away from possessions of us being so efficient on (the) offense end.

No doubt. The Celtics were leading the league in turnovers at the time. They have sinced moved up to being 'only' 3rd worse in coughing up the ball.

So when you slow down, you're in the half court set, you know the guys..we got KG, one of the greatest all time leading scorers, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. If you have a turnover, you take away possessions of a chance to score the basket.

Doc has him thinking about every possession, crucial in the post season. Nice. Like a fastball pitcher, Rondo will still uncork an occasional high hard one that ends up in the stands, with everyone wondering what the heck that was. But he is currently 7th best in the league in assists to turnovers at 3.61 to one. Rajon averages just 2 giveaways a game. Pay attention Derrick Rose.

Until recently, his green light was on misses...

In transition, on a miss, get it and go. We try to score in the first 6 seconds, but if we don't have anything there, I just need to know as a point guard to set the ball up, set the offense up.

Set it up he has. 4th in the league in assists per 48 minutes (3rd in starters) at 11.8, ahead of Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Baron Davis, and behind only Chris Paul, Sergio Rodriguez, and Jose Calderone, Rondo can dish. He is entering the top tier of passers right before our eyes.

Quiet Rondo is a strong minded person. As a 22 year old apprentice, he has had brief words or open disagreements during games with Doc, Ray and Paul in that championship season. Yet he has learned from them all.

Doc is still coaching me and I still want him to coach me, and critique me and correct me so I don't feel any different (than last year). He hasn't been saying as much. But there will be games he will, I'm sure.

I don't think he will yell at me every game. I think I am improving as a young player...understanding what he wants me to do on the court...especially with play calling but...we have to be on the same page.

That's what your point guard and your coach have to be. I'm the extended coach out there on the floor. So that I know what he wants and be on the same page with (Doc).

He is making far better decisions with the basketball than last season. He knows the plays better and he is drawing coverage and now even double coverage going to the hole.

He has found a way to partially compensate for his lack of a jump shot by being uber aggressive in taking it to the middle and scoring at about 15 points a game. That hurts the defense enough to require more attention. His court vision is allowing him to find the Celtics deadly threesome at open spots now. He is finally making the game easier for his three stars.

Little mentioned, but one of my reservations last season was the need for Pierce, Allen and Garnett to help Rondo succeed. The glow of the championship dimmed the focus required to make something out of desperate passes, when Rondo was caught in the paint without a shot or a plan. It seemed Pierce, in particular would often bail Rondo out of bad passes with difficult shots with no time left on the shot clock with nowhere to go. Pierce should have gotten the assist instead of Rondo.

Rondo would often go to the hoop and pass up a good shot for no reason. Last night's triple double showed the complete change in intelligently controlling the offensive attack.

Go back to the beginning of last season and you will remember that they so had so little confidence in Rondo that Pierce or Ray Allen would bring the ball up or take it after clearing half court to make the passing decisions in the half court.

My, how times have changed. Rondo is now directing three of the game's biggest stars and making things easy for them. 'In Rondo We Trust' is their motto. Rondo is arriving as a truly great point guard right before our eyes.

He is now at a lofty 7.7 assists per game, tied with Dywane Wade for 7th best.

The last Celtic team to have someone average over 7 assists was the 1996-7 team with David Wesley at 7.3. You have to go back 16 years to 1993-4 for someone higher than 7.7 with Sherman Douglas at 8.8 assists per game. Both were solid players. But neither could impact a game like Rondo can.

Frankly, you really have to talk about Dennis Johnson if you want to talk about impacting the game as Rondo does.

He is right behind the Big Three (4th best on the team) with how much his absence impacts the game's score with a difference of 6.6 points with him off the floor. His presence is felt. This season, he makes a positive difference every night.

The game is full of ups and downs. The hardest thing is staying consistent.

Rondo is getting it indeed. Previously, the consistency was lacking. He is learning to produce in all circumstances now. That issue separates great from good players.

Besides repeating as NBA champions, Rondo has two personal goals this year:
1) making the All Star team (encouraging you to vote him in on his blog)
2) Being Defensive Player of the Year at PG.

The Celtics haven't had a guard on the All Defensive Team for 22 years, since Dennis Johnson in 1996-7. Goal number two could happen, and if he keeps playing like he has the past few weeks, his All Star dream isn't as far fetched as it seemed at the beginning of this season.

It looks like he is heading for big endorsement money with NIKE, though the contract is still being hammered out. An All Star appearance will only expedite the Rajon Rondo Phenomena.

Rondo has a unique game. His leaping ability, speed and quickness combined with a wingspan and big hands that are appropriately described as 'freakish' allow him to play taller than he is.

In last year's play-offs, Tayshaun Prince marveled to me at Rondo's ability to rebound even over much taller players.

There is really no one playing today who you can compare him to. I'm not sure who he would remind you of from the past either. He's like the Andre Kirlilenko of point guards, stat-wise. He fills the sheet and scoring isn't his dominant stat.

But adding scoring to equation was necessary to open things up for the rest of the team. Rondo's is doing that basically without a jumpshot. His foul shooting is showing marked improvement, which is critical to driving to the basket. If you can't convert the free throws, the other team is happy to foul you

But even the strategy of drawing fouls to get the other team into the penalty sooner is a goal of Rondo's aggressiveness to help his stars score.

I want to shoot a lot of free throws. One of my strengths is to get to the basket and draw fouls... put the (other) team in the penalty early. That way I'll get Paul and KG easy free throws if they need it. You know...if they're struggling some games, get 'em to the line. Be in the bonus in 6 minutes (of the quarter). Help my team mates out in that situation.

Last year, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett were concerned with Rondo's game. Now he is all about about getting them going.

Rondo mentioned in his blog that he changed his pre-game ritual about 2 weeks ago to break out of his mini-slump. Obviously it worked.

If the Celtics continue this new found uptempo pace whenever possible, and Rondo presses the issue at the basket, it largely offsets his lack of a jumpshot, and the Celtics just become that much harder to beat.

In the education of a basketball player named Rondo, we are watching his development. Promotion to the next grade has arrived.

Mostly, he finally gets to apply his strengths to what he has already learned.

Posted by Tom on December 4, 2008 1:44 PM

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Comments

Posted by: ManchvegasBob at December 5, 2008 7:12 AM

Posted by: gloria at December 6, 2008 12:22 AM

Posted by: Tom Halzack at December 7, 2008 3:07 PM

Posted by: gloria at December 10, 2008 5:50 PM

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