Rajon Rondo has been equal parts awesome and awful over the past few weeks. He has been both a huge reason the Celtics have taken some of their huge leads, and a huge reason why they haven’t held them. His favorite saying lately has become “it starts with me” after particularly soul crushing losses.
This has done nothing to help either side of the “keep him/trade him” debate. In fact, all it’s done is further entrench everyone deeper into their positions by providing each side with solid, irrefutable (to them) proof that they’re right and the other side is just blinded by their devotion to their position.
It’s driving everyone crazy…
Everyone except Rondo, that is.
Referring to Tom Beady’s early season struggles with the Patriots, Rondo said after today’s practice, “It doesn’t matter to me. I’ve been here the longest, I’m the team captain and I’m the point guard. Just like in football at the beginning they blamed Brady a lot. That’s just part of it, and it’s not wearing on me at all.”
Here’s more from Rondo’s brief but telling talk:
On whether his recent turnover trouble has resulted from new teammates and combinations: “It’s getting our chemistry together, and you have to practice. We just threw Tyler Zeller in the starting lineup. It’s getting the rhythm, getting the chemistry, and knowing what plays we’re going through in the fourth quarter.”
Rondo does have solid points here. It’s only December 11, and even the Cleveland Cavaliers and their new super-team struggled to get their shit together. That prompted people to debate the downfall of LeBron, so this really shouldn’t be that shocking. The Cavs have a much better team (thanks, Captain Obvious), so with worse players come worse results. And in the clutch, when teams know they can just pack lanes and force Rondo to shoot jumpers if he’s going to score, life changes for the Celtics.
That doesn’t absolve Rondo of his responsibilities as the captain and the team’s best player. He’s a smart player with a smart coach and some guys who should also be playing better. We can run down a whole list of guys who need to be better at key times. But like Rondo says, it starts with him. If he can fix it, on this team, with these players, then he makes a case to stay and get paid. If he doesn’t, then he becomes more expendable than we originally thought.
Rondo hears all this too. He hears the stuff people are saying. He just doesn’t care.
