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Rondo's agent responds to Danny's criticisms of Rondo, as Marc Spears reports:
“I am just surprised that Danny is speaking, even if he considers it constructively, in a public setting [about Rondo],’’ agent Bill Duffy said in a phone interview. “I don’t think that it’s appropriate to say that about one of your top players. Even if it’s spoken constructively, I don’t think it should be done in public. I don’t think [Ainge] would like it if [Celtics managing partner] Wyc [Grousbeck] was talking about him in public.
“What they’re saying about him critically is actually an asset to him. He is feisty. He is competitive, yes. Last time I checked they won a world championship with him at point guard. If the team wasn’t hurting they might have done it again this year. Rondo’s tough love from Danny isn’t necessary. He’s self-motivated and a self-starter.’’
. . . As of last night, neither Duffy nor Rondo had spoken to Ainge. When asked how Rondo felt about Ainge’s comments, Duffy said: “He knows. He’s all right.’’
. . . When asked if Ainge’s comments affected Rondo’s contract situation, Duffy said: “It doesn’t sound like a glowing endorsement. You say you love him and then you are critical? You’re certainly not recruiting him.’’
Duffy said Ainge “gave me every assurance that he wasn’t moving [Rondo]’’ on Monday, and the agent hasn’t requested a trade either.
“No, it’s not to that point,’’ Duffy said. “But if they choose to trade him, then that’s their prerogative.’’
I'm not sure what Danny's motivation was in being so candid, but I've got a mixed reaction. As a fan, I love being "in the loop", and actually knowing what's going on. Also, assuming the team is trying to motivate Rondo, and potentially get him to lower his contract demands, I understand the reasoning.
However, I also think that things like this have the potential to sour a relationship quickly. The last thing you want is a public war of words between your front office and your starting point guard. Not only would that lower Rondo's potential trade value, but most importantly, it could easily lead to resentment. If Rondo really is stubborn and really does have problems hiding his anger / frustration, then calling him out in public potentially doesn't help that.
This hasn't reached a criticial stage yet, but it's easy to see how this could escalate. Let's hope that Danny brings Rondo in behind close doors, they sort everything out, and agree to a reasonable extension this summer.