The Proverbial Torch Finally Passed To Rajon Rondo

Seems like every time Rajon Rondo has one of his otherworldly games, the talk rises again of the Big 3 passing the torch to the star point guard. Then Rondo will take a half step or two back to earth (or merely have a great game instead of a jaw dropping one) and one of the other stars will step up and take the limelight for a bit. But that's what stars do, they shine.

There's a little something different about this time around. There seems to be a finality about things going on now. The clock is ticking and while the Big 3 still have plenty of fight in them, everyone seems to agree that Rondo is the engine that drives this team now.

Celtics tradition passed to Rondo -Celtics blog - Boston Globe basketball news

Rondo's emergence signals the final stages of the Celtics' changing of the guard. It's clear now more than ever that Rondo is ready to lead the franchise into the future. "He put the whole team on his shoulders," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "It's tough to have him play that way and not win the game, because he did everything right."

Allen was asked if the championship experience of the veterans had rubbed off on Rondo. He flipped the question. "We feed off what he's doing now," said Allen.

Well said. And it isn't just the present. The future appears to be in his hands as well...

The Celtics Superfreak Not Quite Enough Vs. The Superteam - SBNation.com

On the bright side ... Rondo's night will live on long past this series. Whatever happens to the Celtics over the next week, there's life after this era, and it all starts with Rondo, the freak of nature point guard who can wrap his endless arms around a game when his team needs it most. He'll need to do it more often in the future, but after Wednesday, there's no questioning his talent.

Kevin Garnett never had a problem deferring to one of the other stars and Ray Allen has been the supporting role star since he arrived in Boston. But it seems like more and more Paul Pierce can't have Truth nights every night any more and even if the team's core comes back next year, they'll have to rely on Rondo to carry them even more. And if the Big 3 gets broken up, then it really will be Rondo's show to take as far as he can go.