The argument over whether or not the team is truly better without Rondo continues full-force, but it also has evolved with continued team success. The stance in this article is that the team isn't necessarily better without Rondo, because a lot of the team improvements were likely to happen as the season progressed anyway (very similarly to how it happened last season). However, the kicker is that the team ALSO isn't appreciably WORSE because Rondo is out. In other words, like James Harden in Houston, Rondo can be a very good player but STILL be replaceable on a squad with even better anchors and excellent depth. This article explores this notion of replaceability vs. player quality in more depth.