The Lakers game last night was the final straw for me. I've been waiting for it all season, waiting for a game where a team packed it in on Rondo and he took over, shot confidently, attacked the defense, and made them pay for pretending he did not exist when the ball was not in his hands.

Then the Lakers game happened. Kobe did what he always does, played five feet off Rondo, get his hands in all the passing lanes, and just dared Rondo to beat him shooting the ball. Rondo responded by idly pounding the ball into the ground for 5 or 10 seconds every time down the court, before throwing up a crazy off balance shot, or arguably worse, getting the ball to Pierce in an awful position with no time left on the clock.

I can't do it anymore, I can't watch his play anymore and keep telling myself "I know Rondo can shoot, he's just got to get confidence in it and then defenses will pay for backing off him." We have to accept the truth, a truth that Danny probably has known for some time, and the reason why all these trade rumors have come about. Danny knows Rondo is holding this team back, he knows smart defenses can beat the Celtics by taking advantage of Rondo's weaknesses and inability to make teams pay for leaving him open. This is why he's been trying to trade him, and I have no doubt he has been, no matter what he says.

Now, I finally have to admit it.

Rondo is holding this team back, and if they haven't traded him by the deadline, I'll be disappointed.