Westbrook-Durant altercation (Let the Rondo for Westbrook trade ideas begin)

[CelticSooner]

rondo > westbrook

I agree. Westbrook is a good player but he's really a two guard playing the point. He's averages about seven assists per game. That doesn't cut at the point.

[BballTim]

So, we mock what we don't really disagree with?

 My point was, sure, Westbrook looks crazy hot, doesn't add a crazy hot amount to your team though. If he's not a better fit in OKC and he's not a better fit with the big three, why's he a better option moving forward?

Do you disagree that you heart Rondo-4-eva?

  I don't know. I was planning on watching more of players like CP3 and Williams this year to see how accurate my comparisons between them are. I've always thought that my opinion of Rondo (he does some things poorly that hurt the team, he does other things great that help the team, the net is a pretty large positive) was reasonably accurate.

No, all kidding aside, I think the people in favor of his trade grade Rondo below Westbrook, especially as a rebuilding piece/franchise cornerstone. THat's why I made the initial analogy.

  Maybe I could have come up with a better add-on to your analogy.

[indeedproceed]

  Maybe I could have come up with a better add-on to your analogy.

You keep your mitts off my metaphors!

[Kane3387]

If they didn't trade him for CP3 then I don't think they are going to trade him at all.

[BballTim]

  Maybe I could have come up with a better add-on to your analogy.

You keep your mitts off my metaphors!

  Obviously I should.

[Tradetime]

Even if we stink it up badly this year, (so far A+ in that category), then we always have the luxury of Jared Sullinger, Brad Beal, Austin Rivers, or some other very talented guys in this draft. Don't we have 3 picks this year if the Clips' pick is not top 10?

[Swoopz]

Secondly, Rondo is showing C's glimpses of the future. Where he single-handedly dismantled the Cavaliers in 2010. His shooting is coming around. 6 years into his NBA career, Rondo has a lot of room to improve as a player. Last but not least, Sam Presti has gotten the better of Danny Ainge. I would advice DA to stay far away from Sam Presti. Last time those two made a deal, Celtics got fleeced.

If the future is a place where Rondo will put up massive fantasy stats, but we're going to lose, ship him out of town right away. Someone like Mo williams can do that for a fraction of  the cost

Rondo has been asked to be the alpha dog this season, and so far he hasn't gotten it done. The Big 3 may not be viable first options anymore -- but they're still a pretty good supporting cast. Probably better than anything we will be able to put around Rondo for a while.

Rondo's the one who hasn't been getting it done?

And you really think the squad we have out there is great supporting cast?  JO has played like the worst offensive player in the league and his defense has been slow and ineffective.  KG has been extremely disappointing to start.  We get nothing from the 3 position each night.

Getting it done = getting a win. So yeah, with this supporting cast Rondo hasn't been getting it done.

And if you think you'll pick up a bunch of roleplayers that will contribute better than Garnet, Allen and Pierce will -- you're delusional.

Pierce/Garnet/Allen on their last legs > average league role-player.

So yeah. Rondo has been a great piece, and his contribution has been amazing when the team didn't live and die by it. But I'm yet to see any indication that he can put the team on his back and carry it to wins with just average supporting cast (see Kobe, Durant in their prime, or Tom Brady in other sports).

In this sense, while he's great to have, you either have to acquire a true franchise player, or ship him for one. I fully understand the management's attempts to achieve this, especially given that we'll probably only be able to get a very-good-but-not-great player through free agency next season.

Pierce hasn't even played yet and while I don't think Pavlovic or Daniels is as bad as some here say, they're clearly a step(or several) down. And Garnett, who hasn't exactly played badly, has looked extremely slow on both ends of the floor.

IMO Rondo did everything he could against the Knicks and made the game so close. At some point the players other than the "alpha dog" have to step up.

And really, I don't understand how anyone would want Westbrook over Rondo in any case. He would be a worse fit with the big 3 now, and probably a worse piece to build around in the future. Why would a superstar want to play with someone who will shoot the ball as much as or more than he does.

[mc34]

Rondo would be the perfect fit on the Thunder. Unselfish, can get great looks for all the Thunder's players, efficiently attack the rim. Rondo's problem of letting up the aggression (shot-taking wise, at least) in the 4th can be covered up because he can get the ball to KD. Rondo is on a cheap long-term contract while Westbrook is gonna want max money next year. If I'm OKC, I trade Rondo for Westbrook in a heartbeat. This would be a pretty bad trade on our part.

[kozlodoev]

I agree. Westbrook is a good player but he's really a two guard playing the point. He's averages about seven assists per game. That doesn't cut at the point.

Pfff, spoiled by Rondo much?

There were exactly 10 players in the _entire_ NBA who averaged more than 7 assists last season. Just 8 the season before that.

Actually, before Rondo there was no-one on the Celtics who averaged 6 assists or more for the last 10 years.

For that matter, Westbrook has averaged 8 apg for the last 2 seasons, but that's another story.

[wdleehi]

While I think they are close in terms of talent, I wonder if Rondo would be a better draw for free agents versus Westbrook? 


Rondo is the more respected passer, Westbrook the more respected scorer. 

Rondo keeps the three stars happy.  Westbrook frustrates the one star. 



I would be worried about this trade.  I still think Westbrook is more of a SG then a PG.  I would like it better if the Celtics had a big PG to go next to him.


I don't think this would be a good move straight up.

[Marcus13]

I dont want Westbrook at all.  I watched that game last night completely unbias and I was just shocked watching him continue to throw up brick after brick after brick when Durant was on fire

[BballTim]

I dont want Westbrook at all.  I watched that game last night completely unbias and I was just shocked watching him continue to throw up brick after brick after brick when Durant was on fire

  After a while, it ceases to be shocking.

[birdwatcher]

The only other PGs I'd trade Rondo for are Paul & Rose. I'm not even sure I'd take Deron Williams over him. Rondo, Rose and Paul have this fire in them that only a handful of the best players in the league have. Problem with Rondo is that he hasn't let it burn consistently for whatever reason, whether it be distractions or frustrations. Westbrook is more of a headcase than Rondo is in my opinion, and you really want your PG to be able to defer to others which he has a problem doing. When you see Durant on the floor next to you and can't figure out that he's the man in OKC, then you ain't gettin' it!

[indeedproceed]

Rose, Paul, Williams, I would all take over ROndo. I could be pursuaded to believe in some guys a tier lower (Lawson, Lowry, Collison, etc..), but only as a package bringing back lots of talent aside from the PG swap.

[guava_wrench]

How are conflicts at all surprising? Westbrook shoots everything. He can be a superstar on a bad team, scoring 30ppg. OKC should look elsewhere though if they want to win.