"Inconsistent Rondo" Showed Up in Game 5, "All Star Rondo" Needed For Game 6

I think one of the best things to happen for Rajon Rondo in the second half ot this season was that he turned into a more consistent player. Each night, regardless if his shot was falling or not, he'd set up his teammates for 10 plus assists a game. Aside from getting tossed out of game 1 and having to miss game 2, he had played pretty well in the series. Then Game 5 happened.

celtics - Game 6: It's Rajon Rondo time - WEEI | Paul Flannery

In a brief stretch of Game 5, Rondo was the best player on the planet, scoring six points in under a minute and in the words of coach Doc Rivers, willing the tired Celtics back into the game. In most of the other 42 minutes he played, Rondo was decidedly average at best and a non-factor at worst. (Passing up on an uncontested layup to make a tough bounce pass that led to a turnover was one of many questionable decisions). Finally, his steal at the end of regulation could have been entered into the Havlicek-Bird pantheon, but instead he dribbled into a trap and couldn’t get off a final shot. So it goes with Rondo.

As Flannery points out, the stage is set for Rondo to make his presence known. He can almost single-handedly take over game 6, shut up the critics, and carry the team into the next round on his shoulders. If the injuries keep slowing the veterans down, he might have to.

Everyone has bad games from time to time. That's understandable. But Rondo is our future and a huge part of our present. If we are going to make a run this year, he has to be consistently good-to-great.