Has Ibaka even made an all star team? Yes, he's a great athlete, but he's also punked Blake Griffin a few times and those were dirty plays - no question about that. Maybe it's me, but I don't want players like that on our team. He also has no inside game and isn't a passer or rebounder, so aside from his shot blocking prowess, I just don't see the appeal for us.
Rondo, on the other hand, while he does have his flaws, is the most unique player in the game and is unguardable, imo. He's kind of like a mini-Bird (even though he isn't even close to Larry) with how he sees things that no one else does, and teams cannot scheme for him. He's too smart. The difference between Rondo and someone like Tony Parker, who's grossly overrated imo, is that Rondo makes everyone better, so he doesn't have to score to dominate a game.
For example, when Parker was guarded by Lebron, in both the '13 and '14 NBA Finals, not only did he fail to score, but he also didn't use the matchup to his advantage to set up his teammates. Rondo, on the other hand, as Danny has said (and I rarely agree with him on anything haha), has been the best player in a series with Derrick Rose and Lebron James. Game 1 aside in 2009, Rose didn't do anything much for the rest of that series, while Rondo ended the playoffs averaging close to a triple double at 6'1"
He was amazing, and the next year, incredibly, he was even better. Cleveland's defense was arguably, along with ours, the best in the league at that time, and they simply had no answer for Rondo. I remember those games. The Cavs nearly went through their entire roster looking for anyone who could stop him, and it still wasn't nearly enough. Mo Williams? No chance. Anthony Parker? Forget about it. Delonte? Sorry. Even Lebron couldn't do anything to stop Rondo - a trend that would continue in Miami. The Heat simply had no one who could guard him. Wade? Except for purposely injuring Rondo, nope. Chalmers? Get lost. Lebron? No chance. Rondo takes advantage of everything the defense gives him. They'd put Lebron on him and sag so far off of him, virtually daring Rondo to take the jumper (which he made, more often than not), but Rondo used the space given to him to his advantage and still always got guys great shots because of his passing ability and smarts. I really don't understand why everyone wants to get rid of him. Yes, he's 28, but with his freakishly-long arms, why couldn't he continue to play effectively like Derek Fisher well into his mid-to-late 30s? It's an honest question. Trade Rondo for Ibaka? Where can I put my head through a wall?