Six other guards were taken before he was selected 21st overall in the 2006 NBA draft. There were question marks surrounding his NBA readiness when he opted to forgoe his two remaining years of eligibility at the University of Kentucky. Known as a proven defender, he hadn’t yet proven to be a viable offensive threat.
Now in his second season, Boston point guard Rajon Rondo has helped lead a rebuilt Celtics team in in their quest for an NBA championship.
However, there were struggles during season number one, and understandably so. Boston looked more like a glorified womens team last year, than one of the most storied franchises in professional sports. Despite playing on a lousy team, people still weren’t sold on Rondo being the point guard of the future in Boston. And while I’m not crowning him the next great point guard, he still deserves a lot of credit for his accomplishments and improvements on the court.
Eleven points, seven assists, five steals, and four rebounds was Rondo’s stat line in Tuesday’s game one win over Detroit. I don’t care who you are, that’s getting it done. And not to be overlooked is the fact that this took place in the Eastern Conference finals as opposed to mid-season. It’s one thing to have a dynamite performance in the regular season. Many young players have their moments in individual games scattered across a long NBA year. But for this young point guard to step up and deliver such a complete performance in a critical game one… that’s huge.
Not apparent in that stat line are the two clutch jumpers Rondo hit down the stretch that helped put the Pistons away for good. That coming from a guy who supposedly couldn’t shoot? Not bad.
He was already an excellent defender and skilled ball-handler, but over the course of the year, he improved his shot and decision-making ability. His progress has proven to be vital for the Celtics in this year’s playoffs.
Rondo doesn’t yet belong in the upper echelon of NBA point guards, and perhaps never will. But if this young player continues to show a commitment to improvement, Boston may already have their point guard of the future.
– CB
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