Price: Rondo's Shot Will Improve

by Jeff Clark on Nov 10, 2009 5:02 PM EST in News/Links Comment 35 comments

Shooting coach Mark Price says don't expect things to change over night and don't expect miracles. But he says by the time the playoffs come around in April, you should expect Rajon Rondo to shoot the ball better than he ever has before.

0 recs | Comment 35 comments | Add comment | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Can I have tomorrow's lottery numbers, too?

by USG on Nov 10, 2009 5:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Pfft, just gimme the money

by Tai on Nov 10, 2009 5:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

heh

I’ll believe it when I see it. Right now his free throw stroke is still bad which should have absolutely been the first thing they worked on.

by dobbs on Nov 10, 2009 5:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The change is already apparent...

Price has transformed Rondo from being a career 64% FT shooter…into a 38% FT shooter this year!

by Title 18 on Nov 10, 2009 7:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i know you were probably joking

but keep in mind rondo has also built up some muscle this summer…players take some time to get used to that kind of change when it comes to shooting the ball.

by friedgreentomatoes on Nov 10, 2009 8:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm hopeful, but skeptical...

Marquis Daniels worked with Price, as well, and yet his shot didn’t improve.

All the negativity in this town sucks. It sucks, and it stinks, and it sucks. - Rick Pitino

by Roy_Hobbs on Nov 10, 2009 5:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Are you serious?

When did Marquis work with him? I did not know that. hmm..

by TomHamilton30 on Nov 10, 2009 5:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep...

Among other places, check here. I guess he worked primarily on three pointers… after which Daniels shot a career low. Ouch.

All the negativity in this town sucks. It sucks, and it stinks, and it sucks. - Rick Pitino

by Roy_Hobbs on Nov 10, 2009 6:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I just Price better get his butt up here to do some finishing work on his proteges...

…or Rondo and Daniels could leave his professional reputation in tatters.

by clover on Nov 10, 2009 7:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Did he say Daniels should be better by this year's playoffs too?

by clover on Nov 10, 2009 7:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That'd be nice

But I’ll believe it only when I see it

by Greg Payne on Nov 10, 2009 5:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hate to say it

but I’m with you guys… I haven’t seen it yet, so I’ll remain “cautiously optimistic”.

by Hal Jordan on Nov 10, 2009 5:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

If he really had really improved his fundamentals and we were just waiting for him to settle in he should be making his Free Throws. Rondo should end every practice locked in gym until he makes over 70% of his FT’s out of no less than 100.

Rondo has shown himself to be a clutch shooter through out his NCAA and NBA careers, so maybe [the] Price is right.
However, basically the only time i want to see him shooting a jump shot is when a buzzer is about to go off.

by dead dog aids on Nov 10, 2009 6:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

i saw rondo shooting a few times this season and preseason

and his gesture still looked a bit weird as before…

hmmmm

lets hope for the best

by friedgreentomatoes on Nov 10, 2009 6:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

“shoot the ball better than he ever has before.”

Well, that doesn`t say much. Besides, what does Price know, he only worked with Rondo in two sessions. Not enough to really come to any conclusion, IMO.

I will believe it when I see it.

Besides his free throw shooting has been abysmal and that is just not a good signal…

by thebirdman on Nov 10, 2009 6:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

He has a better stroke IMO compared last year (but still odd)

Then again I he did do a fade away behind the backboard shot, so who knows what would happen

by Zzbeat on Nov 10, 2009 6:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Mark Price and Rhonda worked together alot more then twice

For reasons I don’t understand I keep seeing posts that Rhonda only worked with Price twice. According to former Providence coach Tim Welsh they worked together all summer.

http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2009/09/30/mark-price-is-right-for-rondo/

by aronth5 on Nov 10, 2009 8:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think Rondo should be the one saying his shot will improve…rather than Price

AKA: Linix129

by sw12 on Nov 10, 2009 8:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

55 million for a player who can't shoot

But that’s right! The intangibles. Ok, so when are we drafting our future 2 guard? Cuz Rondo can’t shoot.

I must apologize I like Chris Paul a lot as well as some other top point guards and I think our guard should keep his mouth shut and play ball knowing that he is who he is bec of the 4 HOFers around him.

Don’t like him as you can tell.

by Dubai on Nov 10, 2009 8:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

well

He’s played pretty well with 3 HOFs for the last few years, Sheed just joined this year. And than in last year’s playoffs he was only playing with 2 HOFs. And those 2 HOFs played pretty poorly in last year’s playoffs, so it was sort of like playing with no HOFs, and he almost averaged a triple double while doing it….Do I need to go on?

by misterx2day on Nov 10, 2009 8:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Complete agree

CP3 is the gold standard today for what a PG should be. Rondo is not there yet… and no other team would have paid him for his talents as the Cs have. For this team, though, he may be worth it, because he has proven his value here. But to put him up there with the more-complete PGs in the league is not right.

by DRJ1 on Nov 10, 2009 8:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Complete means more than outside shooting

I don’t know why you’d label good shooters that don’t rebound, pass or defend as well as Rondo “more-complete PGs”.

by BballTim on Nov 10, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You're right...

… about rebounding, and to some extent, defending as well. Rondo is probably the best top-tier-PG rebounder around. His defense is also excellent, better than par… WHEN and IF he doesn’t mess it up by gambling too much. As for passing, all the great PGs are great passers. That’s almost by definition.

And just like great passing is a sine qua non for a great PG, I believe so should shooting be. Those two skills are so integral to the game, and especially to the PG position, that they rise above all the others in importance. Which is why I believe that until and unless Rondo develops a reliable outside shot, including from 3-point territory, he cannot be considered a member of the all-elite PG club.

by DRJ1 on Nov 11, 2009 12:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Disagree

Unless you don’t think Magic was a great pg until later in his career, or that DJ was one, or Payton before he was in his late 20s, or Jason Kidd (a career 40% shooter). That’s off the top of my head.

by BballTim on Nov 11, 2009 4:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Magic?

Not sure I understand your post. But if you are implying that Magic’s early career shooting was not very good, here are the facts:
Magic Johnson’s rookie year: 53% FG%, 81% FT%. The year after that was 53%/76%, then 54%/76%, then 55%/80%.

Sorry, but I don’t consider Jason Kidd an elite PG…. exactly because of his shooting… but even he has a near-80% FT%, while Rondo’s is a ridiculous 63%.

by DRJ1 on Nov 11, 2009 5:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The facts?

Did you watch him play? He made tons of layups. His outside shooting was weak for years. CHeck out his 3 point shooting. Your post is no different than if I said that Rondo was a great shooter because of his fg%. And saying Kidd wasn’t an elite pg is insane.

by BballTim on Nov 11, 2009 7:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

standard?

i dont see what the difference is in defense between cp3 and A.I. (back to the 76er days)

dude could not defend big guards but only cut the passing lines (read: piling up numbers)

rondo is by far a better defensive player

by friedgreentomatoes on Nov 10, 2009 10:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

also when parker got his 66m contract he couldnt really shoot well either

by friedgreentomatoes on Nov 10, 2009 10:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Looks like...

Rondo`s FT shooting coach is Stevie Wonder!!!

by Title 18 on Nov 10, 2009 8:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Rondo

Rondo’s FT shooting is a complete nightmare. I must say, however, that his jump shooting has showen slight improvemt.

I hope Mark Price is right or it’s gonna be another post season of “don’t guard Rondo, he cant shoot”….

Nick Gelso

My Blog:
http://www.northstationsports.com

Win a FREE Larry Bird Autograph plaque! Click the link below.
http://northstationsports.com/?p=653

Follow me on Facebook & Twitter:
http://northstationsports.com/?p=634

My Profile:
http://www.google.com/profiles/nicholas.gelso.

by North Station Sports on Nov 10, 2009 9:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Mark price should do some consulting for the lakers. thanks MARK

by vgarcia890 on Nov 10, 2009 9:49 PM EST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Glad he worked on it, but...

…the best shooters don’t always make the best coaches. I’d also rather have a designated team shooting coach to watch each game tape with Rondo and work on form every day, to watch practice every day so that he NEVER gets a chance to reinfrorce bad habits. Especially for foul shooting. Seems like within a 90,000,000 player budget plus coaches, there’d be room for one assistant like that.

by Fan from VT on Nov 10, 2009 10:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree with Mark

8 games in, I’ve seen a willingness from Rondo to take the jumper he’s given, especially behind the pick. I’ve seen improved form.

I’ve also seen a lack of balance on his jumper from time to time, where he isn’t set and squared to the rim. I’ve also seen his form waver from game to game.

Basically, it’s hard to change your form on the NBA level and see results immediately. As long as Rondo keeps working and keeping taking the shots he should (he didn’t even take those shots last year—and you can’t make them until you take them), he’ll be fine and I expect to see results by post-All Star break.

His free throws have been disappointing SO FAR, but lets all remember that it’s only be 8 games and he’s had little opportunity to practice. Not only did the 8 in 12 stretch sap our strength, it basically made us go 2 weeks without practice. That means no practicing free throws either….

Basically, everybody needs to take a step back and understand that it’s too early to tell either way…

by SalmonAndMashedPotatoes on Nov 10, 2009 10:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs