Phenom's_Revenge wrote:If Rondo is doomed and has a ring, I'd be ecstatic with a doomed Rubio.
Rondo wasn't that big of role for when the Celtics won the title. Rubio's being paid to produce in a much higher role. So the Kidd with Dallas comparisons also don't do anything for me
Alex - He right there with everything, but the finishing in the paint. I would think that would be an area he could improve at more then anything. Is 45% a high number?
bleedspeed177 wrote:Alex - He right there with everything, but the finishing in the paint. I would think that would be an area he could improve at more then anything. Is 45% a high number?
Why would he be improving? He just got cleared for contact a short while ago so it's not like he's been able to work on it during the offseason.
Phenom's_Revenge wrote:If Rondo is doomed and has a ring, I'd be ecstatic with a doomed Rubio.
Rondo wasn't that big of role for when the Celtics won the title. Rubio's being paid to produce in a much higher role. So the Kidd with Dallas comparisons also don't do anything for me
I don't know about that. I seem to remember Rondo playing quite a big role (the role we hope Rubio to play) and having some big moments during that run. I also recall the big 3 saying afterwards that it was really a big 4.
bleedspeed177 wrote:Alex - He right there with everything, but the finishing in the paint. I would think that would be an area he could improve at more then anything. Is 45% a high number?
Why would he be improving? He just got cleared for contact a short while ago so it's not like he's been able to work on it during the offseason.
He could have hit the weights and got stronger to be able to push through contact. It just seems odd that a guy that has the ball on a string like he does couldn't kiss it off the glass in the paint at will.
bleedspeed177 wrote:Alex - He right there with everything, but the finishing in the paint. I would think that would be an area he could improve at more then anything. Is 45% a high number?
Why would he be improving? He just got cleared for contact a short while ago so it's not like he's been able to work on it during the offseason.
He could have hit the weights and got stronger to be able to push through contact. It just seems odd that a guy that has the ball on a string like he does couldn't kiss it off the glass in the paint at will.
It's maddening, isn't it? He actually has gained strength over the past couple of years. And he has elite length for a PG, so physically he has zero limitations to getting better.
I think the problem goes back to the fact he started playing pro when he was still so young and felt obligated to defer from Day One to the other guys and that just continued. Thus, to this day, when he puts the ball on the floor he is looking to pass down to the last available split second. And if the pass isn't there, he has very little time to elevate and go up strong to the hoop, so he often just flips it up without being very square to the hoop or elevating at all. It's habitual and I'm not sure it can be fixed. That's why I always have emphasized the need for him to work almost exclusively on a 3-point shot. Just knock down 35% of your 3's and it's probably good 'nuff.
bleedspeed177 wrote:Alex - He right there with everything, but the finishing in the paint. I would think that would be an area he could improve at more then anything. Is 45% a high number?
Why would he be improving? He just got cleared for contact a short while ago so it's not like he's been able to work on it during the offseason.
He could have hit the weights and got stronger to be able to push through contact. It just seems odd that a guy that has the ball on a string like he does couldn't kiss it off the glass in the paint at will.
I remember last year he came in with some huge guns. He just doesn't absorb contact well and he really doesn't have any moves like a floater or something to make up for that. Whatever the reason, it's going to be super hard to suddenly change that habit about yourself this late in your career while playing against the best competition in the world
Phenom's_Revenge wrote:If Rondo is doomed and has a ring, I'd be ecstatic with a doomed Rubio.
Rondo wasn't that big of role for when the Celtics won the title. Rubio's being paid to produce in a much higher role. So the Kidd with Dallas comparisons also don't do anything for me
I don't know about that. I seem to remember Rondo playing quite a big role (the role we hope Rubio to play) and having some big moments during that run. I also recall the big 3 saying afterwards that it was really a big 4.
I actually think Ricky is worse off than the Rondo situation in Boston because Rondo could finish at the rim and reliably hit that elbow jumper in the PnR to score when he needed to. They were a big 4 because Rondo was likely to go off for 20+ any given night if the defense tried to focus on the other guys and not stop the ball first. Ricky has never been that guy to take advantage of defenses giving him free looks. That's the biggest problem with Ricky that we will pay for in the playoffs if we make it there. He has to have a scoring mentality when the defense is forcing him to be the guy while focusing their defensive effort on others. So far he hasn't consistently stepped up enough scoring wise for us to be comfortable he even has that switch to turn on come playoff time.
The article focuses on shooting, but the real offensive detriment is scoring or lack thereof. When guys like Rubio and Rondo score 9 points per game it plays right into the opponents hand. They need more 15-20 point outbursts if they want to keep the offensive efficiency as a whole high because that's the only way they are going to keep defenses honest. Ricky had the luxury 2 years ago of playing next to an above average scoring 2, an elite scoring 4, an above average scoring 5 and a quick fast break bucket scoring 3. Right now he's not playing next to those same caliber of players so he needs to take on more of the scoring load himself if our offensive efficiency is going to get back to where it was.
bleedspeed177 wrote:I agree that Rondo is not a good comparison for Rubio. Honestly the only thing Rubio really does poorly is finishing at the rim. If he could hit near 45% at the rim, 80% at the line, and 35% from the 3 he will be near an All-Star PG in this league.
Well that's kinda like saying I could be a model if I wasn't 400 pounds. It's a pretty big elephant in the room.
My concern with Rubio has always been how he'll be in the playoffs. Just look at the finals and how teams can gameplan to exploit any weakness and take players completely out of the game. No doubt teams would go overboard in daring Rubio to shoot and beat them that way, and there's no way he can do that.
I don't think Rubio is our point guard in the playoff future
Damn it, Alex. Q is usually the one to steal my material. If I have to keep fighting you over the same takes there's gonna be issues...
[Note: As I noted before, I guess it's a good problem to have considering where the team has been. But it most definitely would show up in the playoffs.]
Rondo has been getting knocked around pretty good lately. Heck, for most of his career it seems.
But the guy has a title and had some big moments in it. And he became even more of a fixture on other Celtics runs deep in the playoffs... arguably as the team's "best" player at times.
His injury. Then, brooding persona seems to have run its course. Add in the shooting woes...
As much as I actually hope Rondo gets back to where he was as a player, my hopes are not high. That Sacramento franchise is a cesspool and I'm expecting the worst from everybody stuck there under the current regime.
[Note: It should be noted that LAL had success by putting Kobe Bryant on Rondo and letting him shoot every single time. Boston overcame that strategy once... because of elite players elsewhere.]
