Boston Celtics Wont Give Up on Season After Rajon Rondo Trade: BOSTON – No player on the Boston Celtics roster has spent more time alongside Rajon Rondo than Avery Bradley. The former backcourt starting mates have played the last five seasons together in green, through both the highs of a playoff run and the lows of rebuilding. After Boston’s 114-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, Bradley was understandably emotional about the team’s trade of Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. “Rondo’s someone I’ve been seeing every single day for the last four-and-a-half years,” Bradley said in his first public comments about the deal. “He’s like an older brother to me, but all I can do is wish all the best for him, tell him I’m going to miss him.” That kind of reaction was common throughout the Celtics locker room Friday night when Rondo’s name came up. The entire roster respectfully paid tribute to its former captain who was shipped out alongside rookie Dwight Powell for Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright and Jameer Nelson. Despite politely wishing their ex-teammate well in his new home, the tenor of the team seemed unaffected by the move. Many outsiders believe that the Celtics are, in essence, giving up on their season by trading away Rondo, but no one in the Boston locker room was willing to acknowledge that this team is even taking a step back without the 28-year-old point guard. “In the trade, we got three great players,” Kelly Olynyk said enthusiastically. “We got Brandan Wright, who is super-athletic and can do lots of things to change a game on both ends of the floor. Jameer Nelson, who is solid and can really shoot the ball. Jae Crowder is an energy guy that can make a difference. For us, I think it’s great. I love our team right now. The guys in here are working really hard and going in the right direction.” “This team is going to prepare everyday to win the game,” Brad Stevens declared Friday night. “There is a group in there right now that I can tell is ready to compete. [Without Rondo,] there has to be some ownership taken and some verbal leadership taken over by some of our younger guys that may or may not be considered old enough to do that. “That’s the situation we are in. The deal is, this is our team. This is how we are getting ready to win every single night. We are building every single night to be the best we can be. I’m excited about the guys in the locker room. Time will tell how we will do.” Stevens’ positive outlook has carried over into the locker room as well, as the team prepares for a variety of new roles, both on and off the floor, without their captain. “I wouldn’t say we are taking a step back, because we are in a good situation,” Bradley said after the game. “We have a lot of talent. The main thing is we know what we need to do in order to be successful.” Just how can the Celtics remain in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt without Rondo manning the point guard? Evan Turner got the start on Friday night alongside Bradley, but the team appears ready to hand the job to rookie Marcus Smart when he shows he’s capable of staying on the floor. The 21-year-old has looked promising in his time on the court this season, but he has been plagued by injuries that have forced him to miss significant action in the past couple of months. On Friday night Smart scored eight points in the fourth quarter in his return to the court from an Achilles injury, helping the Celtics pull away with the win over Minnesota. For his part, Smart is embracing the challenge of additional responsibilities without Rondo in the fold. “As a competitor, you are your own biggest critic, so I think every last one of us in here is going to step up and put a lot more pressure [on ourselves] than we used to. We just know that it’s going to be there,” Smart said. Smart’s teammates are also showing confidence that he can fill Rondo’s void on the floor. “He plays with confidence, but off the court, he knows he needs to learn,” Jared Sullinger said. “When he’s out there, you couldn’t tell if he’s a rookie or not with all the plays he is making. We just want him to play his best basketball as we move on during the season.” One reality that will make things easier for Smart and Co. is that the team has amassed some experience playing without the four-time All-Star already this season. Rondo missed all of the preseason due to a broken left hand, which allowed for Smart, Turner and Phil Pressey to handle point duties for eight games in October. “I really haven’t had to communicate anything different to any of those guys,” Stevens said of his guards’ duties. While Smart, Turner, Pressey and Nelson may be filling Rondo’s shoes on the floor, the team still needs to fill Rondo’s leadership presence in the locker room. Almost universally around the young squad, players acknowledged that it couldn’t just be one person that steps up. “It’s a lead-by-committee thing,” Olynyk said. “We are a community. We are a team and everyone is going to hold everyone accountable. I think that’s the best way to build a team.” Veteran Jeff Green concurred with Olynyk: “It’s a team effort, it’s a team game. Not one person can do it [alone], we have to do it as a team.” In his role as the longest-tenured member of the Celtics, Bradley acknowledged he has to step up as well. “It’s kind of hard to replace someone who was a leader like that,” Bradley said. “I’m going to try to come in here and continue to lead by example. I’m going to try to talk even more and encourage my teammates to go out and play as hard as I can every single night for them.” Despite their confidence, the Celtics will have a steep hill to climb to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference over the remainder of the season. For the time being, the Celtics are in the hunt. After Fridays win, Boston is riding a three-game winning streak that has put them in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a 10-14 record. With the constant struggles of teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets in the bottom half of the East, Boston will have a chance to remain afloat. With that modest goal in mind, Stevens’ positivity and focus appears strong, and for at least one night, an overwhelming amount of optimism is present during the start of a post-Rondo era in Boston. Read more NBA news on BleacherReport #Basketball #NBA #NBAAtlantic #BostonCeltics #fantasybasketball
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 09:57:11 +0000
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