Spurs Blog Opinion of Rondo Trade

[Blaze4G]

The points of view on Rondo are in my opinion accurate and defensible but definitely on the negative end of the range of what could be considered as reality. It has only been one game but in that game, statistically, Rondo was about the same as he was here this season (and against the Spurs bench which no matter how you slice it is a pretty bad team by NBA standards).  I did not see the game but saw comments that he was playing more aggressive defense.

I also found the comments about Nelson interesting.  He was playing about 24 min and mostly just taking 3Pg shots (hitting I think around 37%).  That is a pretty limited role for Nelson.  He certainly has done more in the past but maybe that was the right role for him on that team.  It is certainly not a role that Rondo can assume though.

I guess my point is that if they had Nelson sitting in the corner staying out of the way because that was all they felt he could contribute, then Rondo can expand the role.  If they had him doing that because it was what was needed to give space to Ellis and Dirk, Rondo isn't going to be able to do that.

Based on that one game... Rondo was similar to his production in Boston... Dallas' offense was worse and less efficient.   Basing anything on one game is silly, but based on that one game alone, so far all the points made in this article are accurate.

   That game, although played against a depleted roster, was (from what I've heard) the first game Dallas has won against a WC team that made the playoffs last year. That's probably much more the reason they made the trade than trying to improve their regular season offense.

Jury is out whether or not Rondo is going to help them beat the better teams.  Obviously last night didn't count.  The champ's top 8 guys didn't play.  That's like a team beating the Celtics right now and claiming they just beat the 2008 Champs.

Since you like using one game to make judgements. How did the Celtics look tonight? I recalled you saying how much better the Celtics look without Rondo against Timberwolves. Well, hey there, the Heat were without Lebron obviously, Dwade and Bosh. Yet the Celtics got destroyed. Oh but you still think the Celtics looks better without Rondo? HAHA. Dont you dare give me any excuse about this just being one game either 

::)

I'm basing jack squat on one game, Blazey3g

Dallas was a good team prior to the trade... should be a good team after the trade.
Boston was a bad team prior to the trade... should be a bad team after the trade.

Rondo makes little to no impact on either situation.  If anything, he'll make Dallas worse and we'll be a little better without him.  Thanks.  Let me know if i need to repeat this for you another hundred times, I can PM you instead so everyone else doesn't have to plod through me saying it over and over.

My apologies if while careering through this forum with blinders on, you misinterpreted my commentary to mean that Boston was going to be a championship caliber team without Rondo and that Dallas was going to finish with 12 wins.  That wasn't at all what I was suggesting.  Boston will be a 25-30 win team regardless of that move... that's why Ainge made it.  Dallas will still be solid because they have Dirk... but I disagree with the idea that they will be making a leap with the addition of Rondo.  It doesn't jibe with what we know about Rondo and the Dallas offense.

I vaguely remember someone saying after the Mavs -Spurs game that the Mavs looks worse and the Wolves looks better because of the trade....yet you are not basing it off one game. Yes, that makes so much sense.

By the way, I do believe that Rondo did not fit into Stevens system although I believe he could have adapted with time if he wanted to. I also think that there will be some games that the Current Celtics will look brilliant then lay an egg the next game.

Regarding the Mavericks, you have been showing other persons opinions and other team post that they might be worse because of the trade. My belief? They will be much better when it comes playoff time / regular season games against top Western teams. Truth is? NO ONE KNOWS.

Therefore since no one can predict the future, stop guessing and assuming and let time tell. Whats with all the post of how you think Rondo will make Mavs worse? Can't you just wait and see?

[goCeltics]

i gonna enjoy laughing at all the rondo haters if the mavs win a series

rondo haters beware

[LarBrd33]

i gonna enjoy laughing at all the rondo haters if the mavs win a series

rondo haters beware

As someone you'd call a "rondo hater"... I don't care if the Mavs win a championship.  Good for them if it happens. Does doubting it will happen make me a h8rz?

I always thought it was adorable when I'd have valid criticism of Rondo or accurately claim his trade value was minimal and people would say something like, "oh man I'm going to laugh so hard if Rondo proves you wrong"...   Uh... yeah.  Me too.  I'm a Celtic fan.  Nothing would have pleased me more, as a Celtic fan, than to be proven wrong about Rondo.  Alas, I never was.

If he proves me (and Danny Ainge apparently) wrong now that he's on Dallas...  bummer for all of us. 

[sed522002]

If I'm a Mavs fan I would've preferred to trade for a stretch four in the Robert Horry/Boris Diaw mold, someone who can space the floor, rebound, defend, push Dirk Nowitzki to the three, Chandler Parsons to the two and Ellis to the point.

Instead of acquiring Rondo, the author thinks the Mavs would have been better of getting a stretch four and moving the 36 year old Dirk Nowitzki to small forward ... (crickets)

This is his solution to fixing the Mavs defensive problems in frontcourt. Dirk at SF = Solution to defensive problems.

Honestly I'm surprised that Rick Carlisle signed off on this, but I guess that's why he's the coach and I'm writing about the deal at McDonald's.

Now that's extremely funny. Seeing Dirk guard SF's would look a little like this 

[thirstyboots18]

i watched that game also.  if anyone is crazy enough to predict Rondo's future on one game, go back and look at his defense.  It was top notch..hardening back to "all defensive" accolades.

[goCeltics]

if dallas beats golden state or the thunder in the playoffs it would be clear that rondo a better player than Curry and Russell, which I suspect may be true

[D.o.s.]

I think we're reaching here.

[ThaPreacher]

i gonna enjoy laughing at all the rondo haters if the mavs win a series

rondo haters beware

As someone you'd call a "rondo hater"... I don't care if the Mavs win a championship.  Good for them if it happens. Does doubting it will happen make me a h8rz?

I always thought it was adorable when I'd have valid criticism of Rondo or accurately claim his trade value was minimal and people would say something like, "oh man I'm going to laugh so hard if Rondo proves you wrong"...   Uh... yeah.  Me too.  I'm a Celtic fan.  Nothing would have pleased me more, as a Celtic fan, than to be proven wrong about Rondo.  Alas, I never was.

If he proves me (and Danny Ainge apparently) wrong now that he's on Dallas...  bummer for all of us.

Why do you hate Rondo?  :::::ah I get it, he beat you at Connect Four:::: LOL

[loco_91]

Most of the post I find fairly exaggerated. The idea that Wright is such an epic offensive player, that you'd just as soon have the ball in Monta Ellis' hands as Rondo's, the bashing about Rondo being all about empty assists. I think Rondo is a clear upgrade for their starting lineup, and it remains to be seen how much the loss of Wright hurts them.

The one argument I do like is that you shouldn't fix what isn't broken. The #1 offense in the leagues is something you usually don't want to mess with unless you're getting a huge defensive upgrade, but I doubt Rondo helps them very much defensively, as his D has obviously deteriorated over the years. Maybe he just needs a proper rim protector (formerly KG, now Tyson) to bail him out when his gambles don't pay. Or maybe even replacement-level D is a big upgrade-- was Nelson a sieve?

[Eddie20]

  Is there any evidence the guy knows at all what he's talking about? First of all, he doesn't seem to understand that assists don't count towards usage rates. Also, "What Rondo does is pass the ball a lot to guys who take bad or contested shots" isn't really accurate. It's just a regurgitation of claims by people who don't really like Rondo and (also) don't really know what they're talking about.

Glad to see you back. I was really worried about you. Thought you were a goner.

[D.o.s.]

Most of the post I find fairly exaggerated. The idea that Wright is such an epic offensive player, that you'd just as soon have the ball in Monta Ellis' hands as Rondo's, the bashing about Rondo being all about empty assists. I think Rondo is a clear upgrade for their starting lineup, and it remains to be seen how much the loss of Wright hurts them.

The one argument I do like is that you shouldn't fix what isn't broken. The #1 offense in the leagues is something you usually don't want to mess with unless you're getting a huge defensive upgrade, but I doubt Rondo helps them very much defensively, as his D has obviously deteriorated over the years. Maybe he just needs a proper rim protector (formerly KG, now Tyson) to bail him out when his gambles don't pay. Or maybe even replacement-level D is a big upgrade-- was Nelson a sieve?

Jameer has never really been a good defender. His peak was probably 'decent in a team sense' in that all he had to do was give Dwight enough of a heads up on the pick and roll.

[mmmmm]

Most of the post I find fairly exaggerated. The idea that Wright is such an epic offensive player, that you'd just as soon have the ball in Monta Ellis' hands as Rondo's, the bashing about Rondo being all about empty assists. I think Rondo is a clear upgrade for their starting lineup, and it remains to be seen how much the loss of Wright hurts them.

I concur - the article's confusion over "ball dominance" with USG kinda kills it's arguments.  Ellis has had possession of the ball an average of 3.6 minutes per game this year.  That's more than you'd see for a pure shooter SG (Klay Thompson, for example, averages 2.1 minutes), but no where near the ball dominance of a SG like Harden, who owns the ball some 6.3 minutes per game!   Ellis has possession of the ball roughly 10% of the time when on the floor.

The majority (77%) of PG minutes in Dallas went to Nelson and Barea who, when on the floor, tended to have possession of the ball just under 18% of the time (a little lower for Nelson, a little higher for Barea). 

So far this year, Rondo has averaged possession of the ball about 20% of the time when he is on the floor.  So while that's slightly up from Nelson/Barea, that's hardly a dramatic difference.

EDIT:  Just to add data from the one-game sample so far, Rondo possessed the ball just 4.5 minutes out of his 33.8 in his first game with Dallas, or a mere 13.3% of his floor time.   Most likely that will change going forward.

The one argument I do like is that you shouldn't fix what isn't broken. The #1 offense in the leagues is something you usually don't want to mess with unless you're getting a huge defensive upgrade, but I doubt Rondo helps them very much defensively, as his D has obviously deteriorated over the years. Maybe he just needs a proper rim protector (formerly KG, now Tyson) to bail him out when his gambles don't pay. Or maybe even replacement-level D is a big upgrade-- was Nelson a sieve?

Rondo is a most definitely a huge defensive upgrade over Nelson.  Nelson is wicked slow on defense these days.  He moves as if his feet are weighted down with ankle weights.   

[BballTim]

  Is there any evidence the guy knows at all what he's talking about? First of all, he doesn't seem to understand that assists don't count towards usage rates. Also, "What Rondo does is pass the ball a lot to guys who take bad or contested shots" isn't really accurate. It's just a regurgitation of claims by people who don't really like Rondo and (also) don't really know what they're talking about.

Glad to see you back. I was really worried about you. Thought you were a goner.

  Still haven't gotten a handle on that whole "reading and comprehending" thing, I see.

[BballTim]

i gonna enjoy laughing at all the rondo haters if the mavs win a series

rondo haters beware

As someone you'd call a "rondo hater"... I don't care if the Mavs win a championship.  Good for them if it happens. Does doubting it will happen make me a h8rz?

I always thought it was adorable when I'd have valid criticism of Rondo or accurately claim his trade value was minimal and people would say something like, "oh man I'm going to laugh so hard if Rondo proves you wrong"...   Uh... yeah.  Me too.  I'm a Celtic fan.  Nothing would have pleased me more, as a Celtic fan, than to be proven wrong about Rondo.  Alas, I never was.

If he proves me (and Danny Ainge apparently) wrong now that he's on Dallas...  bummer for all of us.

  You've been predicting Rondo's trade incessantly for quite a while. We're literally years beyond the point where you can claim to have been right with any real credibility.