Rondo out indefinitely

[Forza Juventus]

Do You Rondo!

[GreenFaith1819]

But, as I've said before - Dirk is DALLAS. He can do no wrong.

Dirk is 36 YEARS OLD.  For most players, even great ones, that age means you left the end of your prime about at least 2 years ago.

Rondo is 29 YEARS OLD.  He should be smack dab in his prime and very close to his peak at a player.

It is ENTIRELY NORMAL AND APPROPRIATE for Dirk to be cut some slack at this point in his career.  It is ENTIRELY NORMAL AND APPROPRIATE  to not cut Rondo that same slack at this point in his career.

This is not rocket science.

Mike

It's never rocket science.

But if Dirk was never known to be a defensive guru, what else would he have to offer DAL if his J started going south?

KG is still in the league (and STARTING in Minny AND was doing the same in BKN before he was bought out) because of his defense. He already announced that next year will be his last.

When will Dirk's?

I love KG but saying he is Starting in Minny is pretty misleading. He was injured most of his time there and is really only physically capable of playing 20 minutes rights now. If he is a starter it is an honorary nod to his legacy there and the fans and not reflective of where he is at this point in his career. You do realize that?

Have you looked at Minny's roster, lately?

The PFs on the roster are Adrien Payne and Anthony Benett.

Their Centers are Nikola Pekovic, Gorqui Dienq and Justin Hamilton.

Nikola Pek is not a great defender. Dienq, Hamilton, Payne and AB are raw.

As crazy as it sounds, I know - Kevin Garnett has earned a starting spot in Minny if health. Nothing given to him.

Do you really think that the KG we know would intentionally take someone's spot if he didn't earn it or was simply the better player - even at this stage of his career?

And in Minny?

No, he wouldn't.

Or would my argument be more acceptable coming from the Anti-Rondo base on here?

[Eddie20]

Jalen Rose and Doug Collins were pretty vocal on Rondo during the pre-game show. Rose said that Rondo flat out quit on his team, while Collins applauded the move in removing the distraction from the team.

Nowitzki on Rondo...

"Besides what I said, I’m not going to comment more,” Nowitzki said. “I don’t know if anything happened with his back. I didn’t talk to him. I wasn’t there, if (Mark) Cuban or them talked to them. I wasn’t there."

[GreenFaith1819]

Jalen Rose and Doug Collins were pretty vocal on Rondo during the pre-game show. Rose said that Rondo flat out quit on his team, while Collins applauded the move in removing the distraction from the team.

Nowitzki on Rondo...

"Besides what I said, I’m not going to comment more,” Nowitzki said. “I don’t know if anything happened with his back. I didn’t talk to him. I wasn’t there, if (Mark) Cuban or them talked to them. I wasn’t there."

And HOU will have removed the distraction called DAL away from the playoffs by Sunday.

#gonefishing

#windowclosed

#retiredirk

[Eddie20]

This is a really good article on Rondo's lack of effectiveness and reasons for the slip in his game.

His shot chart, which is absolutely brutal:

After playing less than ten minutes in the Dallas Mavericks' Game 2 loss to the Houston Rockets, the Mavericks announced Rajon Rondo is out indefinitely with a back injury.

Asked whether he could see Rondo ever wearing a Mavs uniform again, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle stunningly said, "No, I don't."

The Rondo trade turned into a disaster for the Mavs. He didn't fit with the team's fast-paced, spread offense and he didn't jell with Carlisle, with the two fighting during and after a February game over play-calling duties.

That Rondo couldn't fit into one of the best offenses in the NBA — one that exemplifies much of what a modern NBA offense looks like — spells trouble for his future. As a free agent this summer, finding an ideal team fit for Rondo is difficult, simply because he plays differently than most successful point guards do in 2015.

Seeing Rondo in a "pace-and-space" offensive system wasn't encouraging for his future. What played out on the court with the Mavs is the same thing people worried about upon his arrival: Rondo needs to dominate the ball to run an offense, and when he doesn't have the ball, defenses don't respect him as a shooting threat.

NBA offense has evolved rapidly over the last three years. Just look at the 2011-12 Boston Celtics, which made it to the Eastern Conference Finals (stats via NBA.com/Stats):

That year — that last year of the Garnett-Pierce-Allen era — the Celtics played at the 22nd slowest pace in the NBA, averaging 92.6 possessions per game. In 2014-15, that would be dead-last in the NBA.
In 2011-12, 12 teams averaged over 20 three-pointers per game, with the Orlando Magic leading the league in attempts per game with 27. In 2014-15, 19 NBA teams took over 20 three-pointers per game, four of them averaging over 27 per game.
In 2011-12, 22 teams averaged 24 or more shot attempts from midrange. In 2014-15, nine teams averaged 24 or more shot attempts from midrange.
In the span of three years, the NBA has realized that fast-paced offense with an abundance of three-pointers and shots at the rim is the most efficient way to score, while teams have begun to ignore less efficient midrange shots.

Enter Rondo. In 2011-12 he was an All-Star, averaging 12 points on 45% shooting, 24% from three, and 5 rebounds and 12 assists per game. He thrived for a Celtics team that played at the 22nd slowest pace, were third in the NBA in midrange attempts per game, and 24th in three-point attempts per game. For a championship contender, they pushed hard against emerging norms in offense, perhaps because they were elite defensively.

The Celtics also possessed three future Hall of Fame players in Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, all of whom were past their primes and willing to sacrifice on offense for the betterment of the team, thus handing Rondo the keys to the offense. And Rondo excelled, but it was in such a unique situation that it seems impossible to replicate in 2015.

Finding the 2014-15 equivalent of the 2011-12 Celtics is tough to do. Team that rank in the bottom third of the league in pace, bottom third in three-pointers attempted, and top third in midrange jumpers attempted simply don't have much success. Some teams that come close to those qualities: the Knicks, Lakers, Timberwolves, Bucks, Wizards, and Hornets, only one of whom finished above .500 this season. And none of them had three future Hall of Famers on their rosters.

So where does Rondo, a free agent for the first time on July 1, fit in the NBA?

Ball-dominant point guards aren't uncommon in the NBA, but Rondo's type of ball dominance just doesn't seem to fit.

Using the NBA's player-tracking data, we can see how often players touch the ball. In 2014-15, Rondo ranked 15th in touches per game. Yet, among the 14 other players , Rondo was was lowest in points per touch, scoring only .08 points per touch. In comparison, the leader of that top 15 was Russell Westbrook with .309 points per touch — more than triple Rondo's output.

So what was Rondo doing with the ball? He didn't average an exceptional number of drives per game — he was 28th in the NBA. He only averaged 3.2 points per game on drives.

While he was first in the NBA in passes per game, he was eighth in the NBA in assists per game. Rondo was seventh in points created by assists with 18.7 points per game on the season, but this was also a function of him dominating the ball. Though he can set up good shots for teammates, he doesn't necessarily promote good ball movement. The NBA tracks secondary assists — assists given to a teammate after they received a pass from a player — and Rondo was only 45th, meaning he didn't set teammates up to make good passes.

And if Rondo doesn't have the ball? He's a non-threat on offense. Here was his shot chart for the year:
See image above)

According to NBA.com/Stats, Rondo shot just 34.6% on catch-and-shoot opportunities, but he shot a respectable 35.9% on three-pointers. The problem is, Rondo prefers to dominate the ball, and he only averaged 1.5 catch-and-shoot opportunities per game and 0.8 catch-and-shoot three-pointers per game. Where there's the potential for Rondo to leverage a weakness into a skill, he hasn't adapted.

So as Rondo enters a fairly strong free agent class, where does he fit? It's not a matter of if a team will sign him — somebody will — but it's who. What team can use a ball-dominant point guard who can't shoot? Theoretically, a team would need three very good shooters to surround Rondo to make up for his lack of spacing, but they'd also need players who don't dominate the ball, either.

The Celtics provided this with Pierce, Allen, and Garnett, who were happy to catch and shoot, but again, that team didn't have a great offense — they had a great defense. The Mavericks provided the spacing around Rondo, but he and Monta Ellis, who also commands the ball, didn't fit well next to each other.

Rondo is as unique a player as the NBA has ever seen, and he's undoubtedly gifted in several areas. Unfortunately, the times he's proven most successful with were in a system that is now outdated.

A team will still take a chance on Rondo, but the days of thinking he's a max player are over. In another era, Rondo could skate by without being an elite shooter and dominate the ball while teammates waited patiently.

But in an NBA where teams emphasize ball movement, three-pointers, and space, Rondo doesn't seem to fit. Unfortunately for Rondo, after the breakup of the Big Three Celtics, the NBA passed him by.

http://www.businessinsider.com/rajon-rondo-free-agency-2015-4

[Jonny CC]

This is easily the most lopsided trade of the 2014-2015 season.

Rondo netted us
13mil trade exception
4 draft picks
a player that helped us turn this team around and get into the playoffs

Rondo is no longer even worth the trade exception he generated for us.

It's amazing that Ainge got so much grief on CB for (1) trading Rondo and (2) not getting equal value in return.  Once again, Danny did what was best for the Celtics and proved a lot of critics wrong.     

[TA9]

This is easily the most lopsided trade of the 2014-2015 season.

Rondo netted us
13mil trade exception
4 draft picks
a player that helped us turn this team around and get into the playoffs

Rondo is no longer even worth the trade exception he generated for us.

It's amazing that Ainge got so much grief on CB for (1) trading Rondo and (2) not getting equal value in return.  Once again, Danny did what was best for the Celtics and proved a lot of critics wrong.     

The only reason Danny got so much grief on trading Rondo was because he was a likeable guy on this team. Personally I didn't think it was a bad trade, but it was definitely hard to see a guy like Rondo leave the Celtics

[Jonny CC]

This is easily the most lopsided trade of the 2014-2015 season.

Rondo netted us
13mil trade exception
4 draft picks
a player that helped us turn this team around and get into the playoffs

Rondo is no longer even worth the trade exception he generated for us.

It's amazing that Ainge got so much grief on CB for (1) trading Rondo and (2) not getting equal value in return.  Once again, Danny did what was best for the Celtics and proved a lot of critics wrong.     

The only reason Danny got so much grief on trading Rondo was because he was a likeable guy on this team. Personally I didn't think it was a bad trade, but it was definitely hard to see a guy like Rondo leave the Celtics

I must have missed the times when he was a "likeable guy".  He always seemed like a moody hammerhead to me.   

I don't know how anyone could think now that it was a bad trade.  We could have received a bag of balls in return and it would have been a good deal.

[saynomore]

The only reason Danny got so much grief on trading Rondo was because he was a likeable guy on this team. Personally I didn't think it was a bad trade, but it was definitely hard to see a guy like Rondo leave the Celtics

I'm in the minority, but i'm totally agree on this. Whenever this topic about the trade pops up in my head, i'm feeling sad and empty.  He's my favorite player, really can't do anything about it 
Perhaps, he is going to LA, but from day one he was quite passionate, fightful, he was a big part of the Celtics team through the years. I've been worried about him since he torn ACL, guess my worries were for a reason and makes sense actually. Right now i'll hope he's bounce back but i don't know

[LarBrd33]

The only reason Danny got so much grief on trading Rondo was because he was a likeable guy on this team. Personally I didn't think it was a bad trade, but it was definitely hard to see a guy like Rondo leave the Celtics

I'm in the minority, but i'm totally agree on this. Whenever this topic about the trade pops up in my head, i'm feeling sad and empty.  He's my favorite player, really can't do anything about it 
Perhaps, he is going to LA, but from day one he was quite passionate, fightful, he was a big part of the Celtics team through the years. I've been worried about him since he torn ACL, guess my worries were for a reason and makes sense actually. Right now i'll hope he's bounce back but i don't know

Much like the 2015 Playoff Celtics,  Rondo had all the heart, all the drive and all the attitude of a Boston Celtic.   Much like the 2015 Playoff Celtics, there wasn't enough talent for it to matter.  Still some hall of fame talent next to Rondo, and you can make a splash.   Stick some hall of fame talent on the 2015 Playoff Celtics, we prob don't get swept in Round 1.

[Sixth Man]

This is a really good article on Rondo's lack of effectiveness and reasons for the slip in his game.

His shot chart, which is absolutely brutal:

After playing less than ten minutes in the Dallas Mavericks' Game 2 loss to the Houston Rockets, the Mavericks announced Rajon Rondo is out indefinitely with a back injury.

Asked whether he could see Rondo ever wearing a Mavs uniform again, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle stunningly said, "No, I don't."

The Rondo trade turned into a disaster for the Mavs. He didn't fit with the team's fast-paced, spread offense and he didn't jell with Carlisle, with the two fighting during and after a February game over play-calling duties.

That Rondo couldn't fit into one of the best offenses in the NBA — one that exemplifies much of what a modern NBA offense looks like — spells trouble for his future. As a free agent this summer, finding an ideal team fit for Rondo is difficult, simply because he plays differently than most successful point guards do in 2015.

Seeing Rondo in a "pace-and-space" offensive system wasn't encouraging for his future. What played out on the court with the Mavs is the same thing people worried about upon his arrival: Rondo needs to dominate the ball to run an offense, and when he doesn't have the ball, defenses don't respect him as a shooting threat.

NBA offense has evolved rapidly over the last three years. Just look at the 2011-12 Boston Celtics, which made it to the Eastern Conference Finals (stats via NBA.com/Stats):

That year — that last year of the Garnett-Pierce-Allen era — the Celtics played at the 22nd slowest pace in the NBA, averaging 92.6 possessions per game. In 2014-15, that would be dead-last in the NBA.
In 2011-12, 12 teams averaged over 20 three-pointers per game, with the Orlando Magic leading the league in attempts per game with 27. In 2014-15, 19 NBA teams took over 20 three-pointers per game, four of them averaging over 27 per game.
In 2011-12, 22 teams averaged 24 or more shot attempts from midrange. In 2014-15, nine teams averaged 24 or more shot attempts from midrange.
In the span of three years, the NBA has realized that fast-paced offense with an abundance of three-pointers and shots at the rim is the most efficient way to score, while teams have begun to ignore less efficient midrange shots.

Enter Rondo. In 2011-12 he was an All-Star, averaging 12 points on 45% shooting, 24% from three, and 5 rebounds and 12 assists per game. He thrived for a Celtics team that played at the 22nd slowest pace, were third in the NBA in midrange attempts per game, and 24th in three-point attempts per game. For a championship contender, they pushed hard against emerging norms in offense, perhaps because they were elite defensively.

The Celtics also possessed three future Hall of Fame players in Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, all of whom were past their primes and willing to sacrifice on offense for the betterment of the team, thus handing Rondo the keys to the offense. And Rondo excelled, but it was in such a unique situation that it seems impossible to replicate in 2015.

Finding the 2014-15 equivalent of the 2011-12 Celtics is tough to do. Team that rank in the bottom third of the league in pace, bottom third in three-pointers attempted, and top third in midrange jumpers attempted simply don't have much success. Some teams that come close to those qualities: the Knicks, Lakers, Timberwolves, Bucks, Wizards, and Hornets, only one of whom finished above .500 this season. And none of them had three future Hall of Famers on their rosters.

So where does Rondo, a free agent for the first time on July 1, fit in the NBA?

Ball-dominant point guards aren't uncommon in the NBA, but Rondo's type of ball dominance just doesn't seem to fit.

Using the NBA's player-tracking data, we can see how often players touch the ball. In 2014-15, Rondo ranked 15th in touches per game. Yet, among the 14 other players , Rondo was was lowest in points per touch, scoring only .08 points per touch. In comparison, the leader of that top 15 was Russell Westbrook with .309 points per touch — more than triple Rondo's output.

So what was Rondo doing with the ball? He didn't average an exceptional number of drives per game — he was 28th in the NBA. He only averaged 3.2 points per game on drives.

While he was first in the NBA in passes per game, he was eighth in the NBA in assists per game. Rondo was seventh in points created by assists with 18.7 points per game on the season, but this was also a function of him dominating the ball. Though he can set up good shots for teammates, he doesn't necessarily promote good ball movement. The NBA tracks secondary assists — assists given to a teammate after they received a pass from a player — and Rondo was only 45th, meaning he didn't set teammates up to make good passes.

And if Rondo doesn't have the ball? He's a non-threat on offense. Here was his shot chart for the year:
See image above)

According to NBA.com/Stats, Rondo shot just 34.6% on catch-and-shoot opportunities, but he shot a respectable 35.9% on three-pointers. The problem is, Rondo prefers to dominate the ball, and he only averaged 1.5 catch-and-shoot opportunities per game and 0.8 catch-and-shoot three-pointers per game. Where there's the potential for Rondo to leverage a weakness into a skill, he hasn't adapted.

So as Rondo enters a fairly strong free agent class, where does he fit? It's not a matter of if a team will sign him — somebody will — but it's who. What team can use a ball-dominant point guard who can't shoot? Theoretically, a team would need three very good shooters to surround Rondo to make up for his lack of spacing, but they'd also need players who don't dominate the ball, either.

The Celtics provided this with Pierce, Allen, and Garnett, who were happy to catch and shoot, but again, that team didn't have a great offense — they had a great defense. The Mavericks provided the spacing around Rondo, but he and Monta Ellis, who also commands the ball, didn't fit well next to each other.

Rondo is as unique a player as the NBA has ever seen, and he's undoubtedly gifted in several areas. Unfortunately, the times he's proven most successful with were in a system that is now outdated.

A team will still take a chance on Rondo, but the days of thinking he's a max player are over. In another era, Rondo could skate by without being an elite shooter and dominate the ball while teammates waited patiently.

But in an NBA where teams emphasize ball movement, three-pointers, and space, Rondo doesn't seem to fit. Unfortunately for Rondo, after the breakup of the Big Three Celtics, the NBA passed him by.

http://www.businessinsider.com/rajon-rondo-free-agency-2015-4

His shot chart is beyond 'brutal.'  Also, the author of the article didn't even examine the issue of Rondo's defense, which has been laughable at best for quite some time now.   

Well, at least he's a superb free-throw shooter, right?! 

[Eja117]

I had a Rondo thought and didn't think it deserved its own thread.  I think a potentially very good option for him at this point might be Europe. Although they might expect him to be able to shoot there.
It might be better for him to be a starter there for a year or two at close to the MLE than to do be a backup here for the MLE.  Possibly grow his brand and put himself in line for a Euro pension as well as an NBA one.

I just think he needs to be thinking that way at this point.

[jambr380]

I had a Rondo thought and didn't think it deserved its own thread.  I think a potentially very good option for him at this point might be Europe. Although they might expect him to be able to shoot there.
It might be better for him to be a starter there for a year or two at close to the MLE than to do be a backup here for the MLE.  Possibly grow his brand and put himself in line for a Euro pension as well as an NBA one.

I just think he needs to be thinking that way at this point.

I think you will be amazed at just how much Rondo gets in FA this summer. I can't imagine it will be any less than $12M/yr, but think it is likely to be in the $15-16M/yr range.

There is almost no way a team who signs him this summer is planning to use him as a back-up. He may not have ended the year stellarly, but a gm who plans to use him the correct way will definitely be wooed by Rondo's unorthodox skills and triple double ability.

[MJohnnyboy]

I had a Rondo thought and didn't think it deserved its own thread.  I think a potentially very good option for him at this point might be Europe. Although they might expect him to be able to shoot there.
It might be better for him to be a starter there for a year or two at close to the MLE than to do be a backup here for the MLE.  Possibly grow his brand and put himself in line for a Euro pension as well as an NBA one.

I just think he needs to be thinking that way at this point.

TP for not starting another rondo thread. Europe didn't come to my mind but it has stuck out to me how much Rondo has murdered his value this off-season I seriously can't think of many teams who are going to take a flyer on Rondo at this point. It's gotten so bad that I don't think I will really care if he does sign with the Lakers because frankly, I think its more likely than not that he'll make things worse in LA.

Atleast we had him when he was good.

[Roy H.]

I had a Rondo thought and didn't think it deserved its own thread.  I think a potentially very good option for him at this point might be Europe. Although they might expect him to be able to shoot there.
It might be better for him to be a starter there for a year or two at close to the MLE than to do be a backup here for the MLE.  Possibly grow his brand and put himself in line for a Euro pension as well as an NBA one.

I just think he needs to be thinking that way at this point.

Rondo will land a starting gig, and for more than the MLE. 

Even accepting your premise, though, how many guys have gotten a larger future NBA contract by playing in Europe for a couple of years?