Goodbye, Rajon. Finally the rumor that had earlier made the rounds 29, repeat, 29 times over the past eight years, or since Rajon Rondo became a Celtic in a draft-day trade with Phoenix in 2006 (what were you complaining about, Ray Allen, see what Rondo had to go through and still stuck with the Green, unlike you who just rose and scrammed to sign for less money with the enemy after having been almost dealt once, repeat, a total of one single time?). Of course, that kind of loyalty is what hurts the most as a passionate Celtic faithful like me sees the games best playmaker get traded to Dallas (now Dallas, youll get to see how a playmaker of Rondos caliber might just orchestrate your way to a championship). But in terms of basketball logic, the trade does make sense. Rajon Rondo is not a player you can build a championship team around simply because he is not a centerpiece player, someone who can carry his team on his shoulders by sheer scoring ability the way Paul Pierce could in his prime. Had Pierce still been the Pierce of old, then he could have been a perfect complement to Rondo at this stage when Rondo is no longer the rookie that he was in 2006 when they first got together. But Pierce himself is gone, as Father Time necessitated that he, along with Kevin Garnett, be dealt to jumpstart the rebuilding process for the Celtics. Oh, the Celtics had tried to keep Rondo, aware of his unique talent and sheer skills in handling the ball as long as he did not try to act as a primary scorer the way he was able to a few times in the past (remember that 40-point game against LeBron James and Miami in the 2012 playoffs?) on account of the presence of Pierce and Garnett and, well (Ill allow you this), Allen himself who gave him enough space to get around the defenses. The Celtics went after Kevin Love in the summer, thinking that the presence of that go-to scorer would maximize Rondos talent and value and thus give Boston two major pieces to get back as an elite team and thus start the road back to a championship. But Minnesota would not oblige, Flip Saunders having fallen for a Cleveland ploy - and some say a LeBron James scheme - of ensuring a Love trade to Ohio to lure back their prodigal son to his home state (tampering, anyone?). With no primary go-to scorer, the Celtics had a floundering first quarter of the season, losing a considerable number of close games in the fourth quarter with nobody, not even top scorer Jeff Green, able to bail them out down the stretch. Worse, Rondo seemed to have hit a roadblock in his scoring, averaging just 8.3 points while shooting just 41 percent from the floor (25 percent from three-point range) and, hear this, an even Shaq-worse 33 percent from the free-throw line. Somehow, the pressure of being the best player on a Celtic team now almost exclusively made up of youngsters seemed to have taken its toll, all the more demonstrating that the unique talent that we all came to love is indeed not a guy to build a championship team around. Perhaps the last straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, is the fact that Rondo will become a free agent after this season, and has indicated he wants maximum money. Although Celtics president Danny Ainge tried to play along with that wish, it’s obvious he believes his departing captain is not a max guy for obvious reasons. Max guys carry the team on their shoulders by constantly scoring 22 points or more and grabbing 10 or more rebounds, or maybe passing for 10 or more assists in Rondo’s case. Unfortunately, however, Rondo could not fill the stat sheet on the scoring side, and that’s where the Celtics fall short most of all especially when games are being decided, not when they’re just still in the unfolding stage where most anybody can score their decent share of points. Maybe the Celtics didn’t get their fair return for somebody as important or as unique as Rajon Rondo. But one thing is certain: This rebuild is going to take more time now with the Celtics’ decision to gut it down and start from Square 1. And we won’t know for sure if this will achieve its desired end, no matter if we do wish it would – if only to make sending Rajon Rondo away well worth it.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 10:37:33 +0000
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