CLEVELAND - The Celtics [team stats] held a video session at their hotel yesterday afternoon and then traveled the two blocks to the arena for a practice. They might have been better off with an intervention. In Saturday’s Game 1 against the Cavaliers, it was clear the Celts have developed a dependency issue. And Rajon Rondo [stats] is their drug of choice, and they may have to increase the dosage if they want to survive this series. He’s been their best and most consistent player all year, and Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said it was time to expand the Celtics pantheon into The Big Four. But even that may be selling the short guy short. Perhaps we should move Rondo out front, as with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. It can be the chart for some sweet Celtic music, but where it becomes a problem is when the rest of the group gets caught watching the lead instead of singing their parts. “A lot of times the ball was in other players’ hands, and we chose to bail them out taking jump shots,” said coach Doc Rivers. “We’ve got to attack more.” When Rondo isn’t driving to create open looks for others, they have to continue to move the ball and cut and run the system. But if they’re not willing to do that on a consistent basis - and the evidence we have over the last 88 games suggests they do not - then the point guard will have to do more. Rondo cannot step back and try to blend in as he did in the second half Saturday when the Celtics squandered an 11-point lead. Overall, the Celtics were a plus-1 with him on the floor and minus-9 in the six minutes he was not. The Cavaliers believe that switching 6-foot-6 Anthony Parker onto him forced the alteration in the 6-1 Rondo. “They do?” said Rondo. “That’s their opinion. I don’t see the first guy. I’m looking at the second line of defense, regardless of who they put on me. I’ve seen him before. I don’t think it’s going to stop anything.” It’s pretty clear the Celtics applied their own brakes in the opener, and Rondo didn’t like that he’d taken more shots than everyone but Kevin Garnett in the first two quarters. “That’s why in the second half I tried to be more passive, but Doc was still telling me to be aggressive. . . . You know, I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know if everybody was just watching me. I still try to get everybody involved. I don’t want to shoot for like stats and numbers, but I think I did a pretty good job of passing the ball. “It’s still a team game, so I don’t want to try to do too much - but it starts with me. I don’t like dominating the ball and trying to score every time down. That’s not how my mentality is. I’m a pass-first point guard, so I’m always looking for the other guy. http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...on Celtics - Celtics & NBA - BostonHerald.com)
Crazy how there were trade rumors last off-season. The team seems to love him now. He's one of the best pointguards for sure.
That's because none of the rumors were true. It all started because nothing was going on for news and some guy at insidehoops took a quote from Doc out of context, so people started talking. A few teams bought in and made some offers, but the Celts never intended to trade him.
