SI's Enemy Lines

by Jeff Clark on Oct 23, 2008 8:04 PM EDT in News/Links Comment 5 comments

Got my SI NBA Preview issue today. One of my favorite features is the Enemy Lines analysis by opposing teams' scouts. Now it is even better because you can see the expanded comments here (the stuff that didn't fit in the sidebar in the print version).

One of my favorite parts involves Rondo:

When they brought in Sam Cassell in midseason, I wondered if they would lose faith in Rondo. But Rondo held up terrifically. The veterans appeared to back him up and help him get better as a floor leader, and I look for him to show even more improvement this year. His quickness gets him over the top and creates room for him to be a distributor. He's never going to be a great shooter, but they've got other shooters and he's able to score going to the basket because of his quickness. They can initiate plays through Allen and Pierce, and they can run offense through Garnett, so they aren't depending on Rondo to be a traditional point guard. What they need from him is to get the ball up the floor fast and to hawk the ball defensively, where he can be a pest. But their help defense covers up his deficiencies -- he's a slight guy who takes a beating out there. Most teams have the ball in the point guard's hands a lot of the time, and that means a little guy like Rondo is getting smacked by the Yaos and Shaqs while fighting through screens in the pick-and-roll. But you always see Rondo getting up, and he's a pretty durable guy.

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Okay, so Rondo fits perfectly into his role. But the next question is how does he actually compare to other point guards around the league? The scouting report complements Rondo, but at the same time it conveys him as a sort of specialist, someone whose success depends on the types of players surrounding him. I hear fans all the time say, “Rondo matched up really well with Steve Nash (or insert any other name) in that last game – he’s turning into quite the player!” It makes it a lot easier to match up with the Steve Nash’s of the world when your team is filled with future hall of famers who carry almost all of the offensive burden. Celtics fans can be happy with Rondo’s development; he’s maturing every year, becoming more and more savvy every game, working hard to improve his jumper. There’s not much you can say against him. Just be careful who you campare him to, because starting alongside KG, Paul, and Ray can make a lot of point guards look like stars.

by Toine43 on Oct 23, 2008 10:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Toine43 said:

“Just be careful who you campare him to”

Since 1) the writer didn’t compare him to anyone, and 2) you’re the first person to leave a comment … so far, you’re the only one who IS comparing him to anyone.

The writer wasn’t ranking Rondo or putting him on an all-star team. He was just saying he thinks Rondo is a good player, despite some deficiencies. I agree.

by Cousin It on Oct 24, 2008 12:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The can run the offense through Rondo too. Shooting is a deficiency, but passing isn’t.

by Brickowski on Oct 24, 2008 7:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rondo is the perfect PG for the Celtics. Not needed to do too much and willing to listen and he still has the ability to take over a game. Perfect.

Save the ‘Curb your Enthusiasm’ posts.

by Birdbrain on Oct 24, 2008 1:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Cousin It said:

the writer didn’t compare him to anyone

I never said the writer compared him to anyone. What the writer did say prompted me to write what I did. If it wasn’t clear to you, my main point was that it is still tough to know how Rondo actually compares to the rest of the league, because of the circumstances in which he’s played so well thus far. But don’t mistake me for a person who thinks Rondo’s effort should be entirely forgotten just because he plays for a great team. I simply believe that the jury is still out on how much success Rondo can have in this league.

Birdbrain said:

Save the ‘Curb your Enthusiasm’ posts.

I knew this would happen when I made my original post. Birdbrain- this is NOT an anti-Rondo post, and I am certainly enthusiatic about the player Rondo is. Does that mean that everything I say about him has to be 100% positive? I hope not. Things are going to get pretty boring around here if that’s the case.

And also Birdbrain, I AGREE with yours and the writer’s point that Rondo is perfect for this team. My original post addresses a separate issue.

by Toine43 on Oct 24, 2008 5:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs