Rajon Rondo most overrated offensive player ever?

[JR Giddens]

I think so. He makes good passes but he rarely uses his speed to his advantage. If he's one of the quickest players in the NBA according to Tommy why doesn't he ever dominate. Tommy claims older point guard can't keep up with Rondo but Rondo never does anything. The only time he gets assists is when he penetrates but he doesn't do that enough. He misses more layups than any other player in NBA history. He thinks way too much in the open court. His shooting touch from the outside and floaters are awful. Shaq is a more reliable free throw shooter than Rondo. I know he's a top defensive player in the league but lets stop all this future all-star crap until he atleast stops playing worse than he did last year. His performance in game 6 of the finals was fools gold.

[xChopsx]

I wouldn't say hes overrated. But I think he needs to focus more on his shooting. Maybe overrated offensively he is.

[fairweatherfan]

Allen Iverson is the most overrated offensive player ever, and it's not even close.  But Rondo needs to work on his consistency.  He did hit one of those big Avery Johnson-style jumpers last night, though.

[xChopsx]

Allen Iverson is the most overrated offensive player ever, and it's not even close.  But Rondo needs to work on his consistency.  He did hit one of those big Avery Johnson-style jumpers last night, though.

Wow, Allen Iverson? Thats hard to say.

[JR Giddens]

Yeah and he had that airball that landed in Delaware last nite too. He's not the most overrated but he's levels behind the elite point guards in the NBA.

[guava_wrench]

"Most overrated" thread are pointless.

[cordobes]

Offensively? Probably yes, but only on CelticsBlog.

Overall, and among NBA fans, I feel he's a tad underrated, like many defensive players.

[BballTim]

His performance in game 6 of the finals was fools gold.

  What else was fool's gold in the playoffs? Games 1 and 2 of the finals? Games 2 and 6 against Detroit? Games 1 and 5 against Cleveland? Games 1,2 and 4 against the Hawks? We got an awful lot of good games out of Rondo offensively considering it was his first playoffs. And, as you noticed, his defense is top notch.

  He's not scoring at his best right now, but I wonder how much of that has to do with the fact that teams are defending him by putting him on the ground as aften as possible when he drives.

[wdleehi]

What were the great expectations? 


10 and 7? 

[xmuscularghandix]

i hardly ever hear anyone say anything about rondo's offense. so i'm gonna have to sell this. he needs to be way more AGRESSIVE. he can get by anyone.

[nickagneta]

J R you just love being the contrarian when it comes to Celtic basketball matters, huh?

Most over-rated, I don't think it's even close. Please find me one guy here at Celticblog that will even call him a good shooter, never mind anywhere else in the country. He is a very good passer. Not Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, John Stockton, or Chris Paul good but definitely way above average. He is fast and can drive past almost every guard in the league.

His outside shot is not good right now but neither was Magic Johnson's early in his career. He needs a lot of work on his finishing at the basket, when to shoot and when to drive, and his outside shot. But he is 23, playing with 3 Hall of Famers who logic dictates should be the ones scoring on the first team, and he is already a championship ring holding starting PG that got his ring under the age of 23. As far as I know there are only two others, Magic and Tony Parker.

I do believe he will eventually be an All-Star. But he is still a work in progress and it will come eventually. My guess is maybe next year. Remember, there's been a bunch of All-Star PGs that were on the team because they were extraordinary defensive PGs and not necessarily great offensive players. Mo Cheeks comes to mind.

[cordobes]

i hardly ever hear anyone say anything about rondo's offense. so i'm gonna have to sell this. he needs to be way more AGRESSIVE. he can get by anyone.

No, he can't. That's a myth that I read here all the times. Players who can't keep their defenders minimally honest, and allow them to position 4 or 5 steps away, can't just break down anyone. They'll be successful here and there, but it's simply not that easy.

[quote author=BballTim link=topic=23616.msg379178#msg379178 date=1226613668
  He's not scoring at his best right now, but I wonder how much of that has to do with the fact that teams are defending him by putting him on the ground as aften as possible when he drives.
[/quote]

It pays. If he was better finishing through contact and making free-throws, teams would still foul him but not so much.

[fairweatherfan]

Allen Iverson is the most overrated offensive player ever, and it's not even close.  But Rondo needs to work on his consistency.  He did hit one of those big Avery Johnson-style jumpers last night, though.

Wow, Allen Iverson? Thats hard to say.

I like Iverson, as I'm a little guy with speed who has to scrap my way around to score.  But while he's a great volume scorer, he's incredibly inefficient, both in needing a lot of shots and a LOT of touches to score a lot of points, and in dominating the ball to the point that his teammates often struggle with their own offensive rhythms.  But, he's still considered a top offensive player by many who follow the league.

In other words, he's overrated because his own scoring is inefficient, and because he impairs the rest of the team's offense in getting it.  There's a reason why he's really only been on one good, successful team, and it was in a weak conference with some good role players around him, and there's a reason why Detroit was less than thrilled by the trade.  In my opinion, at least.

To keep this from being a total threadjack, I see Rondo as eventually being a Jason Kidd type on offense - great passer, great rebounder for a PG, can score some points, but with a below-average to horrible jump shot. 

[thecaptain34]

Unfortunately Rondo doesnt look like he's gotten any better..and his shot looks alot worse...I dont even recall him shooting his patented jumper he starting knocking down with some consistency last year Not a good sign at all, because this team is counting on him to get alot better.

Game 6 wasnt exactly fools gold..he missed alot of shots to start that game but was very aggresive throughout and played a great game which he is capable of...I dont understand, were you expecting him to put up numbers like that in every game this year?

[Steve Weinman]

I think so. He makes good passes but he rarely uses his speed to his advantage. If he's one of the quickest players in the NBA according to Tommy why doesn't he ever dominate. Tommy claims older point guard can't keep up with Rondo but Rondo never does anything. The only time he gets assists is when he penetrates but he doesn't do that enough. He misses more layups than any other player in NBA history. He thinks way too much in the open court. His shooting touch from the outside and floaters are awful. Shaq is a more reliable free throw shooter than Rondo. I know he's a top defensive player in the league but lets stop all this future all-star crap until he atleast stops playing worse than he did last year. His performance in game 6 of the finals was fools gold.

Seems like a fair bit of hyperbole here, JR.

As for your qualms about assists and not penetrating enough, while it's a bit early to be too concerned with average statistics, it seems fair to note in response to your point that Rondo is putting up 6.7 dimes per game this year compared to 5.1 for last season.  And perhaps speaking more to the issue of penetrating, he has taken 39 foul shots this season.  A year ago, he didn't reach his 39th FT attempt until the seasons' 23rd game.  Teams aren't fouling this guy on his jumper, and that difference isn't purely a result of opponents fouling him on purpose at the end of games.  Hard to imagine that this doesn't speak to his getting in the lane with increasing regularity.

Yes, he's done a poor job once at the foul line, and he *must* improve significantly from there, not only from where he is now but to a point well better than the 61.8 percent he shot last season.  But the fact that he is using his explosiveness to attack the rim and earn trips to the line is a good thing in my book.  I'm willing to be patient and trust him to improve on the free throws - seems worth noting that he only hit 21 of his first 39 last season compared to 20 of his first 39 this year...just a slow start?

Rondo hasn't been great this season offensively, but I don't think too many folks are calling him great.  He frustrates me sometimes, and he gives me reason to be encouraged a lot of the time - that's the world of having a 22-year-old, third-year point guard.  He's surrounded by plenty of veteran help, he has a championship run under his belt, and he is likely to only keep getting better.  I can live with that.

-sw