He was supposed to be through with this stage of his career. The immaturity Rajon Rondo displayed at the end of the Celtics game one loss to the Hawks could go in one of two ways. It may just be a hiccup in the road to a championship run, or it could be a precursor to the demise of the “Big-Three” era Boston Celtics.
To begin the season, reports surfaced that Rondo had to be locked out of the team’s practice facility during last seasons failed attempt against the Miami Heat in the playoffs after throwing a glass bottle of iced tea at the TV monitor used to watch game film. Rondo apologized but the damage had been done. This is Rondo’s second suspension of the season; he was suspended for two games earlier for throwing the ball at a referee.
Could you really fault Team President Danny Ainge for trying to trade Rondo for a-then-available Chris Paul? Paul is on an entirely different level as a point guard in this league, a calibrated maestro if you will. This is someone who players sacrifice paychecks and playing time to come play with. You can see it clearly when watching the Los Angeles Clippers play this season. Paul elevates everyone else around him, while taking over scoring-wise (if needed) at the end of games. While CP3 was busy rallying and leading his team from 27-point fourth quarter comeback in his Game One against Memphis, Rondo was making his teammates jobs for Game Two that much more difficult.
This is not to overshadow Rondo’s on court accomplishments at all. From a personal standpoint, Rondo is one of my favorite players to watch, and not just because he plays for the Celtics.
There may not be a more exciting player in the league with the ball than Rondo. Considering that this is a league with an abundance of riches with young talented point guards, that is saying a lot about the Kentucky alum. His outside jumper and free throw percentage may still be problematic from time to time, but at least for this season, it has not hindered his game much at all.
I have never watched a player as unique as Rondo, and that may be why many experts have a hard time dissecting his game. He’s already sixth among active players in career triple doubles, and tied for sixth all time in postseason triple doubles. He’s also just in his fifth season.
Part of the fire that propels Rondo to succeed and silence the critics who thought he was nothing more than a skinny point guard without a polished offensive game, is also what can land him in hot water.
In just his second season in the NBA, Rondo was tasked with playing the point for a legendary franchise with championship expectations. New additions Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett on top of Celtic mainstay Paul Pierce, were not just established stars in a star-driven league, they were sure-fire hall of famers who were not shy about asking for the ball or getting on their younger teammate when he failed to execute.
Rondo handled the pressure in stride. The Allen-Garnett-Pierce trio, dubbed the “Big Three”, received the majority of the accolades that championship season (deservedly so). Rondo played second fiddle as well as any second-year point guard not named Magic could play.
Even in subsequent years when it was clear Rondo deserved to be mentioned with his more celebrated teammates, he did not let it boil over incessantly. At least not publicly.
Fast forward four years after that 2008 Championship run, and while the “Big-Three” moniker is still used somewhat sparingly to describe the Allen, Garnett, and Pierce outfit, it is false in every way when describing the new (or old) Boston Celtics.
It is clear that Rondo is the straw that stirs the drink, or as KG likes to call him, “the head that forms Voltron”. Boston may be a team that relies on every small part of its game – from Pierce’s rebounding and point-forward skills and Ray Allen’s spacing, to Greg Stiemsma’s shot blocking ability and Mickael Pietrus’ unbridled enthusiasm – but Rondo is the team’s most important player.
I don’t want to dive into the officiating because I like my blood pressure where it is. In short, the officiating in Game One was an embarrassment to an already scrutinized league.
Rondo is 26 years old. With the reins of the Celtics seemingly being turned over to him in the near future, it’s time Rondo started showing leadership qualities in every capacity.
Boston witnessed Pierce’s growing up first-hand, from the disgraced Indiana series in 2004 to the MVP of the NBA Finals in 2008. Allen and George Karl clashed in Milwaukee, with Karl ultimately trading the beloved Allen for a just-about washed up Gary Payton. Garnett had to deal with a multitude of issues during his long stay in Minnesota, including an overly inept team of management.
Great players have to overcome some sort of adversity to achieve ultimate success in the league, just ask LeBron James. Does Rajon Rondo have the ability? One thing is for sure, we won’t find out Tuesday night.
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