Not much has changed for Rajon Rondo since 2007. Well, except for becoming an All-Star, earning a spot on three All-Defensive teams and winning a championship ring. Also, his jersey is the third bestseller behind James and Bryant. So maybe a lot has changed in the literal sense. But in terms of those pesky invisible things, such as the perception of him and the degree to which he’s valued amongst other Point Guards in the league, he hasn’t made much progress. When ranking Point Guards in the NBA, analysts always seem to feel obligated against their will to fit him into the top tier. You name the NBA expert, and you can bet that he or she considers Rondo an afterthought to the likes of Derrick Rose, Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Nowhere in recent memory can I recall a player who has been so clinically underrated. There was even a time not too long ago, 2008-ish, when professional basketball analysts placed a higher value on Mo Williams. Unbelievably ridiculous.
Many believe that Rondo’s inconsistent jumper renders him more of a liability than an asset, therefore knocking him down in the Point Guard ranks. But it should be noted that lump scoring and flawless shooting isn’t necessarily characteristic of the Point Guard position. John Stockton -- generally considered the gold standard of the 1 Spot -- averaged 13.1 points per game. Rondo’s already at 10.7 and he’s maybe 25% into his career, and getting better each season. Alternately, Michael Jordan was by far the most skilled ball handler on the Chicago Bulls and could easily have played Point Guard, yet he played Shooting Guard. Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant are phenomenal ball-handlers who could easily qualify as the Point Guards for any team in the NBA, but they’re best-suited for the 2 Spot because of their uncanny shooting abilities. Point Guards distribute first and score when they have to, and Shooting Guards score first and distribute when they have to. Rondo fits into the Point Guard category, and he is indeed a Point Guard, but he gets blamed for not having the skill set of a Shooting Guard. Does this seem logical?
At times I think we mistake as the aberration of Magic Johnson as the norm. We also tend to consider guys like Derrick Rose and Deron Williams as heirs to the Magic Johnson throne, but that’s completely inaccurate. Not only was Magic great at everything, he also managed to be a great scorer while being surrounded by other great scorers. He was a rarity, a talent amongst talents. Yes, Derrick Rose and Deron Williams are great scorers, but they have to be great scorers. They have nobody else on their teams to carry the offensive load. Same thing with Chris Paul. If these guys don’t bank 30 points a night, their teams lose. So, despite being Point Guards, Rose and Williams and Paul are also expected to perform like Shooting Guards because of the deficiencies of their teams.
To hold Rondo’s lack of scoring prowess against him is, in effect, to blame him for being on a good team that includes three Hall of Fame players. I’ve seen every game Rajon Rondo has ever played, and I can say with certainty that he’s more than capable of nabbing 20 points a game. I’ve seen him score 25+ without breaking a sweat and with no more than one or two jumpers nailed. The field isn’t where he collects his point totals. Nearly all his points come in the paint, and at the tail ends of the shot clock on broken plays that force him to hoist-up shots which he usually makes. Scoring isn’t difficult for Rondo. Free-throw shooting is, but scoring isn’t. The basic fact is that he just doesn’t need to have 25 or 30 points to win ballgames. The Celtics win all the time with Rondo having 15+ assists and anywhere from a few to 15 points. He scores what’s needed from him to win games -- and a championship. Why on earth would he go out and score 30 every night? That’s what Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and KG are there for. Rondo’s not looking to score, but Rose and Williams and Paul are always looking to score. From the opening tip, they’re looking to collect points for their team so they have a chance to win.
So while everyone gets on Rondo’s case for his inconsistent jumper, I’m looking at all the things he does consistently -- like his dominant numbers in steals and assists and his double-doubles in the regular season and his triple-doubles in the playoffs. Not to mention the fact that he’s the best rebounding guard in the league. Also, he’s the leader of a team with three Hall of Famers on the roster. I’ll repeat -- he’s the leader. So again, while everyone’s questioning his jumper, I’m wondering why Paul wants to go to the Knicks. Could it be that he wants to distribute the ball to Amar’e and Melo, and that he doesn’t want the burden of having to score 30 a night? Why do you think Williams wants to get out of Jersey? Why do you think the Bulls aren’t winning titles? Rondo’s in a position all these other guards envy -- he’s on a winning team with other players who can score. So when are we gonna stop holding this jump-shot stuff against him?
It would be nice if he could hit his free-throws, but I won’t split hairs.
