Rondo making at least one doubter look foolish
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Color me stupid.
After watching the Celtics choke away Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series against Cleveland last weekend – and, in my opinion, waste a golden opportunity to put the Cavaliers’ backs against the wall – I emphatically declared Boston’s season over.
I’m not here to say I was wrong, because I still think Cleveland will win, but I’ll admit I should’ve known better, not because the Celtics have the “heart of a champion” or any of that clichéd rubbish you see written on motivational posters in teachers’ lounges, but because they have the best player on either team right now.
In a series featuring two-time reigning MVP LeBron James, nine-time All-Star Ray Allen and 2008 Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett, who’d have guessed wiry point guard Rajon Rondo (barely 170 pounds soaking wet) would steal the show through the first four games?
With 13 points and 19 assists in Game 2 and a triple-double in Game 4 Sunday, Rondo has single-handedly kept the Celtics alive and well against the top-seeded Cavaliers. The series is tied at 2 games apiece heading into tonight’s critical fifth game in Cleveland.
As much of a bully as “King James” can be – it’s like the Pamplona Bull Run when he drives the lane – no one sets the tone in basketball quite like a savvy point guard, and Rondo is making his counterpart, Mo Williams, look like a lead-footed oaf. LeBron is so disgusted he’s actually offered to guard Rondo himself, which would be a critical mistake, though not a major surprise since Cleveland coach Mike Brown is nothing more than James’ ventriloquist dummy (with a strong emphasis on “dummy”).
To be honest, I used to think Rondo’s prowess was a byproduct of the “Big Three’s” success. After all, how can you not average double figures in assists and run the floor effectively when you’re slipping most of your passes to three of the league’s Top 40 active scorers?
Again, color me stupid.
Suddenly, Rondo’s a legit scoring threat, and teams skeptical of his ability to shoot the ball as well as he can dish it are suddenly paying the price for their arrogance. Since 2008, Rondo’s playoff field-goal percentage has increased steadily from just a shade over 40 percent to a whopping 47 this season. We’re not just talking floaters and finger rolls, either; Rondo’s currently shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc – 14 percentage points higher than he shot three years ago.
He’s fearless, too. In between scoring 29 points and handing out 13 assists, Rondo mixed it up with the big boys in the paint and corralled 18 rebounds in Boston’s 97-87 win – just a small fraction of his fourth career postseason triple-double. Even “King James” gushed over Rondo’s performance, pointing out how the pint-sized point guard has done “everything” in this series.
Without him, the Celtics would’ve been parasailing in Cancun by now, because Garnett, Allen and Paul Pierce have contributed next to nothing. What amazes me the most about this series is how Boston has rebounded from not one, but two deflating losses, all thanks to Rondo exploiting the biggest mismatch since The Iceberg vs. The Titanic.
Will it be enough for the Celtics to win the series? I still say no, but shame on me for being so quick to rule out the team with the superior point guard.
Go easy – no one ever colored me rational.
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