RONDO KEY TO CELTICS D, OUTPLAYS TERRY
Being on the West Coast I don't get to see enough Boston Celtics games and I like most people have attributed their "D" to the arrival of Kevin Garnett.
Wrong I am again.
Rajon Rondo's on-ball defense clearly is the difference-maker in this equation. Don't get me wrong. Even Paul Pierce's new slimmed down version of himself has bought into Doc River's scheme which features excellent jump-traps, pick & roll defense, but most importantly gritty foot-shuffling by their bigs on even the quicker, smaller offensive opponents. Brian Scalabrini (tell me that the red-headed, D-playing, Irish-looking white guy doesn't play well with the Bahston crowd) and James Posey are excellent examples of this. Throw in a tenacious shot-blocking Kevin Garnett and you have the Baltimore Ravens of the NBA.
But after watching Rajon Rondo play against arguably one of the quicker players in Jason Terry it was clear that Rajon Rondo can hang with any of the quicks in this league (Devin Harris who was out with injury, Allen Iverson, Tony Parker, and Steve Nash). Terry was forced to start the offense well outside of the 3 point area all night long and had a difficult time entering the ball into Nowitzki in the high post. While Terry got his points, they came on switches, scrambles, and intermediate breaks.
The Celtics may have found a gem in Rondo who as a result of his new teammates has been thrust into the spotlight....and he's basking in it. He looks and acts like a player who knows he's better than other better known players at his position. In tonight's nationally televised game pitting top teams from the West and the East he drove to the hoop over and over making big shot after big shot. And unlike other young players on a rush he played within himself. The play of the night is when he skied over the 7 foot Nowitski (my new candidate for NBA bitch of the year...and last year too), stole the rebound from his hands directly underneath the hoop, and put it right back up over him to put the Celtics up for good. And he looks a shade under 6 feet tall.
If Rondo keeps playing like this I see no reason why Boston can't pull the Trifecta and yank all 3 championships in 1 year. After all, who doesn't like throwing up to the thought of more Boston fans jumping on the bandwagon?
Wrong I am again.
Rajon Rondo's on-ball defense clearly is the difference-maker in this equation. Don't get me wrong. Even Paul Pierce's new slimmed down version of himself has bought into Doc River's scheme which features excellent jump-traps, pick & roll defense, but most importantly gritty foot-shuffling by their bigs on even the quicker, smaller offensive opponents. Brian Scalabrini (tell me that the red-headed, D-playing, Irish-looking white guy doesn't play well with the Bahston crowd) and James Posey are excellent examples of this. Throw in a tenacious shot-blocking Kevin Garnett and you have the Baltimore Ravens of the NBA.
But after watching Rajon Rondo play against arguably one of the quicker players in Jason Terry it was clear that Rajon Rondo can hang with any of the quicks in this league (Devin Harris who was out with injury, Allen Iverson, Tony Parker, and Steve Nash). Terry was forced to start the offense well outside of the 3 point area all night long and had a difficult time entering the ball into Nowitzki in the high post. While Terry got his points, they came on switches, scrambles, and intermediate breaks.
The Celtics may have found a gem in Rondo who as a result of his new teammates has been thrust into the spotlight....and he's basking in it. He looks and acts like a player who knows he's better than other better known players at his position. In tonight's nationally televised game pitting top teams from the West and the East he drove to the hoop over and over making big shot after big shot. And unlike other young players on a rush he played within himself. The play of the night is when he skied over the 7 foot Nowitski (my new candidate for NBA bitch of the year...and last year too), stole the rebound from his hands directly underneath the hoop, and put it right back up over him to put the Celtics up for good. And he looks a shade under 6 feet tall.
If Rondo keeps playing like this I see no reason why Boston can't pull the Trifecta and yank all 3 championships in 1 year. After all, who doesn't like throwing up to the thought of more Boston fans jumping on the bandwagon?
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