Rajon Rondo

I had a feelings this was going to be a special game. The second phase of the Banner 18 Prophecy has been fulfilled. The Celtics have won in 6, just as the Cavs fell in 6. You can guess what I believe the Lakers series will go to.

Continue reading "EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS"

Earlier today, the Celtics awarded point guard Rajon Rondo with a 5-year contract extension believed to be in the neighborhood of $55 million. I like Rondo as a player but I’m a bit concerned about banking the future on a mercurial 23-year-old hot shot with a burgeoning prima donna complex and a history of instigating senseless scuffles.

Continue reading "C's Banking on Rondo"

Last night's Celts versus Orlando Magic game was different from the other games in this series. The Celtics came out looking determined to win this one and end the series in 6. The Cs had the lead the whole entire game (biggest lead 12) until the last 3 minutes. This is the first time during this playoff that a Cs lead in the 4th did not lead to a close out. Rondo had a good night scoring 19 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals, and so did Perkins scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds, an assist and 3 blocks. But it wouldn't be enough with Ray Ray only scoring 5 points and Davis 6 points -- this is not what C-Nation is used to! The Cs bench did play great Defense though, especially Scalabrine, and if he can keep that up, it will be huge in game 7.  But no offense from the bench -- I was hoping to see House step up when Allen was off, but no such luck.    Their "Superman" D. Howard had the night that Magic fans were waiting for and scored a game high 23 points and game high 22 rebounds and with help from R. Lewis scoring 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, it was just enough to give the Magic the win 83-75.  I thought that when the Cs were up 8 with 9 minutes left in the game, we were leaving with a win, but Pierce and Allen were 3-15 in the second half and that's what cost us. Pierce played an overall good game, scoring 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists keeping the Cs in the lead the whole game. But right down the stretch when Pierce usually single-handedly closes out the other team, he just didn't have it  and no one else stepped up. The Cs handed this game to the Magic!!! Pierce missed two free throws in the last 3 minutes and then the Celts just couldn't score and Orlando took advantage. They got the lead with under 3 minutes and kept it, sending this series to a game 7. Another crazy series but as Dato, G, Jon, KC, Rach, Ro,JR, Bobafet, Even-Murray, and I said from the start, this was going to a Game 7!!!( Rach has believed from the beginning that this series iwould be just like last year's, and she's right.) This will be back in Boston Sunday night at 8:00 where the Cs franchise is 32-0 in game 7. MIT believes the Cs are a lock. The Professor and I believe it's going to be a battle and could come down to the last possession. We will see Sunday. So Go Celts, get your green on; you don't want to miss this one!!!

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: It Can Get Awfully Hot in Orlando"

The Celtics came out with that fire and determination in their eyes last night and showed Orlando exactly where they were(OUR HOUSE) and who the Champs are (The Cs, of course]!!!  The Cs got a quick lead from the beginning of the game and did not let it go; in fact, they did what I had hoped--if House, Scale, and Marbury could give us one good quarter of ball, we'd take it.

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: Now that's Playing in our House!"

e and a half really display the type of player, the type of leader, and the type of heart he has.

Rajon Rondo had another double-double, and Kendrick Perkins definitely lived up to his moniker (Perk IS A BEAST!) by grabbing 19 boards and swatting another 7 shots. This was undeniably Perkins' best performance, and he continued his consistent level of play through the whole game. Glen Davis came up with some big shots and boards, and this series as well as the last 3 months in KG's absence has given him a great deal of confidence. You can see it in his body language and his knack for coming up with a big jumper.

Continue reading "Another game, another epic battle"

in the NBA playoffs for a while.

It was a matchup that the Celtics did not deserve to win today. Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen each played great basketball and Kendrick Perkins was solid down low, but despite his 29 points, Paul Pierce looked sluggish and made some critical errors that were very uncharacteristic of him. His Twitter update yesterday extolled the virtues of Portello's italian sausages in Chicago. He looked like he had eaten a few before the game today. 

Continue reading "The agony of defeat"

The Celtics don't have a single lockdown defender on the roster, other than maybe Rajon Rondo. Pierce plays solid defense, but he's going to be guarding the other team's best player on most nights. Without Garnett, the Celtics are an average to above average defensive team, which will be enough to get them through the first round and maybe the second, but if and when they get to Cleveland, above average is not going to cut it. 

Continue reading "What's next for the Celtics"

The Boston Celtics got their 59th win of the season, and Rondo was the man! Rondo scored 31 points (33 is his career high), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and had 3 steals-- amazing! The bench stepped up huge

Continue reading "The Rajon Rondo Show"

h home-defeat against the Spurs, the Celtics have lost Tony Allen, Kevin Garnett, Brian Scalabrine, Rajon Rondo and Big Baby Davis to one ailment or another. Tonight in Miami, Boston will dress a group of ten players that includes a pair of newcomers who have been on the team less than two weeks, two rookies who never play, and a second-year guard who no one knows if Doc even likes and recently returned from a DUI suspension.

Continue reading "Injuries Slow Celtics - Accentuate ..."

one talks about "The Boston Three Party," or quite simply: "The Big Three," but Rajon Rondo is the determining factor for the Celtics. If he can perform with consistency about 75-80 percent of the time, there's no doubt that this team is getting back to the finals. Right now Rondo is at that level or above, so there's little reason to jump off the Celtics' bandwagon. Eddie House and "Big Baby" Glen Davis have picked up their play off the bench as well.

Continue reading "We're headed for a Lakers/Celtics ..."

efense better than his counterparts Garnett and Pierce, but he can't carry this offense on his own. Rajon Rondo can't shoot a ball into the ocean right now, and bench slasher Tony Allen looks out of sync.

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics: Spiraling Out of Control?"

          Coming into his own is Boston’s guard Rajon Rondo. Now he might not be posting the scoring numbers of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett but he leads his team in assists per game and steals per game. He’s the guy you want to have the ball in his hands; he has become Boston’s playmaker. As far as the bench is considered they too are able to hold down the fortress and give their starters the required rest to put away their opponents and more often then not the big three are finding themselves on the bench more and more as the fourth quarter comes around. With a strong defensive rotation it’s no wonder why the green team is putting away its opponents so handily.

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rnett (though ignoring them will certainly kill you) and should make it a point of emphasis to keep Rajon Rondo out of the paint.  It's easier said than done, I know, but keeping Rondo in check is a proven way to disrupt the Celtics' offense and stagnate Boston's ball movement.  If the Blazer defense isn't forced to collapse on Rondo or help out on him down low, then the Celtics won't get as many open looks for the perimeter jumpers that are the bread and butter of their offense.  Rondo's been on a tear of late, culminating with Wednesday's gargantuan triple double (16/17/13) against the Pacers, and when he's playing well and creating opportunities for the rest of the Celtics they are impossible to stop.

Continue reading "Celtics v. Blazers Preview Extravaganza"

Rajon Rondo should bake a nice cake with the words "thank you for trading Chauncey Billups" written in icing on the top and send it to Detroit Pistons GM Joe Dumars.  It wouldn't hurt if all of the Celtics helped (even Scalabrine), but Rondo in particular should take the lead on this one.  Stop scratching your heads and looking confused and don't ask why, you should know very well by now that some rambling, tangential diatribe of an explanation is forthcoming...

Continue reading "Raving About Rondo Part Deux: A Pat ..."

he floor.  Although the trademark defensive intensity was present for the game against Denver (Rajon Rondo had seven steals), there were several defensive sequences where the lane was wide open for Denver as a result of poor rotation or simple mental lapses.  I almost never saw this from the Celtics last year, and as a result, Denver was able to punish the Celtics and get easy baskets in the paint or an open shot on the perimeter off of penetration.  

Continue reading "Alarm Bells are Ringing"

It's been a while since the Detroit Pistons haven't been near the top of the league. Their players buy into the team concept, they play good defense, and they are consistently well coached and well managed from the front office.

Continue reading "What is Joe Dumars thinking?"

onger, I dare you to prove your not related to one of those two.

Cassell was brought in to mentor Rajon Rondo, who was deemed unfit to run a championship team and then proceed to run a championship team. I think it's safe to say his apprenticeship is over now. The Celts then re-upped Eddie House and brought back Gabe Pruitt, filling both the veteran and prospect point guard slots. So where does Cassell fit in exactly?

Continue reading "Ready for the roster rollercoaster"

my near future.

On a positive note, the core of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins should be much more comfortable playing with each other next year, which could mean that the Celtics will dominate even more next year than they did last season.  It’s a stretch, but imagine how much more smoothly the offense could run with everybody on the same page and having spent even more time developing rapports with one another.

Continue reading "Return of the Rivalry"

ars and the team's comeback this season, a young player's name may have gotten lost in the shuffle, Rajon Rondo. Sure, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and KG are the present heroes of the Celtics, but it's the young players like Rondo who are the future of this franchise. With his remarkable intelligence at the ripe age of 21, Rondo is a promising leader as point-guard for a team that will undoubtedly be successful in the playoffs for several more years. Look at where he's led his team so far. Although he makes some unwise decisions, this is to be expected from a second-year player. Some fans have criticized Rondo's inexperience as it was evident in game five of the finals against the LA Lakers. During one play,

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think that “Big 3” undervalues the contributions and efforts of the other Celtics like Rajon Rondo, Eddie House, James Posey, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, Tony Allen, Glen Davis, PJ Brown and the alien from the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull… er, I mean Sam Cassell (don’t forget Scal and Scott Pollard!).  Each and every one of those guys, especially Scalabrine, made contributions to the team and were vital parts of this championship run.  The Celtics are all about teamwork, sacrifice and selflessness, and it won them a title.  Highlighting just the three all stars as the contributors goes against every key characteristic of the Celtics’ identity.

Continue reading "Defense Dominates"

Pierce, Allen and House and gave them the most minutes instead of messing around with the likes of Rajon Rondo and Leon Powe (which is like messing with Tryon skanks). 

Just win.

Continue reading "Redraw"

...  (pause) ... Did that really happen?  Was I dreaming (or possibly too fucked up to really see the TV)?  You mean to tell me that the Celtics rallied from an 18-point halftime deficite to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91 and put a hammer lock on this series?  And Kobe only scored 17, in LA?  You can't be serious.

Continue reading "Hallucinating in Tandem, or Real?"

Sorry about the delay in the game one post, but it wasn't until very recently that I was able to pick my jaw back up off the floor after Thursday's game one 98-88 Celtics win in game one of this year's NBA Finals.  As giddy as I am about the Celtics' win, I am equally terrified for the health of Paul Pierce's knee and Boston's future in this series.

Continue reading "Joyful Panic"

s career.  Following Pierce to the lane (and then the charity stripe) should be Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen at the very least.  Rondo is so much quicker than Derek Fisher that he should be in the paint every time he drives the ball, ditto for Ray Allen as long as Kobe isn't guarding him.  As for KG, he should focus on being as aggressive as possible and going right at Gasol, Turiaf, Odom and whomever else the Lakers throw at him, using his length, quickness and arsenal of post moves to get some easy shot opportunities.  

Continue reading "Middle Men"

ainst Lamar Odom (when they aren't guarding Kobe), and put everybody else on the Black Mamba.  Rajon Rondo should also be able to cope with Derek Fisher better than Fisher will be able to handle Rondo, which should work in Boston's favor (though Fisher is consistent and confident, crucial traits that Rondo is LACKING). 

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e and Kevin Garnett both had efficient and productive games last night, as did emerging point guard Rajon Rondo, who missed a triple-double by only one rebound and two assists.  Pierce scored 26 points on 9-16 shooting and added four rebounds and six assists as well.  Garnett played even better, scoring 24 points on 11 of 19 shooting, gobbled up 13 rebounds, and added two blocks just for good measure (one of them, by the way, was an incredible feat of athleticism where Garnett chased down Rip Hamilton by himself on the break and met him at the rim for the crushing rejection that saved an easy basket).  Garnett's play was once again stellar, proving once and for all that serial panic like Simmons (and everybody else in the Boston sports media) are full of it and no better at predicting the fortunes of the Bean town clubs than anybody else, not even a lowly college grad with a laptop stuck in rainy Portland, Oregon.

Continue reading "Silver Lining?"

best for last, I'd like to once again rave about the skinny second year point guard from Kentucky, Rajon Rondo.  Rondo's stat line is very impressive by itself, 20 points (9-15 FG's), 2 steals, 2 blocks and 13 assists with only one turnover in 42 minutes last night.  Rondo sparked the Celtics run that brought the team back into the game in the first half by hitting two huge three pointers on consecutive trips down the floor.  Though his jumper is still inconsistent, Rondo was wide open both times and punished Cleveland's defense for leaving him unattended.  

Continue reading "B E Aggressive!!!"

 Rajon Rondo should have no problem locking down Delonte West and Daniel Gibson, neither of whom are consistent threats to do anything but spot up from behind the three-point arc and let it fly.  They are dangerous from out there, however the Celtics have defended the three-point line better than anyone all year, and Rondo's length should make things more difficult for the Cavalier's point guards.  

Continue reading "Cross Your Fingers"

Come on... really?  What a nightmare.  There's not too much to say, other than the officials hosed Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics yet again.  Paul Pierce fouled out on the ticky-tackiest of calls (on a foul that hadn't been called all series), and the Hawks had more than forty attempts at the free throw line, while the Celtics had only 25 attempts from the stripe Regardless, the Celtics still had a chance to win it at the buzzer, and they failed to execute anything resembling an offensive set or a game plan.  And they had two chances. 

Continue reading "You Can't be Serious"

to drive and shoot all night, thanks to some uncharacteristically loose defense from Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.  That's not to say that the burden or blame falls solely on Rondo and Allen, however the defense on Bibby and Johnson was suffocating in games 1 and 2, and very lackluster during the two games in Atlanta.  If the Celtics are going to put Atlanta away, they need to really clamp down on Johnson, Bibby and Smith and force Atlanta's other players to beat them. 

Continue reading "Should I be Worried Yet?"

News here.  The writing was on the wall then, and now it's as plain as day.  Last night, Rajon Rondo turned in a great performance that showed how far he’s come this year and flashes of the potential of future of his game.

Continue reading "Rondo On a Roll, Plus Superstars Shining Bright"

Turkoglu of the Orlando Magic.  Not even my home town bias will allow me to make the case for Rajon Rondo (though he's definitely made great strides this season with and surpassed every expectation of him).  Hedo is Orlando's best passer and playmaker, and he's playing with confidence and passion like never before.  The Magic wouldn't be anywhere near where they are right now if Turkoglu hadn't been playing so well all year, and he's elevated his own personal statistics in an equally impressive fashion.

Continue reading "Award Tour"

ny given night can tip the scale in the Celtics favor.  But second year sensation point guard, Rajon Rondo, is the one who brings complete balance to the team. He's like a Buddha pest out there. He'll pick your pocket like a subway punk, then  cash in on the other end.  He's tough enough to take it to the rack for two and creative enough to find open bigs for jams, or shooters on the wing for threes.  But what really impresses me about Rondo is that when the green get it in gear, he knows how to Push it Real Good.  Even if the fastbreak doesn't create a lay up, Rondo's good at finding open trailers for wide open looks(like a peeping tom redneck), or smart enough to pull up and run an offensive set. He's quick, fast, has a pretty good handle, and just looks confident running the offense.  He's the dog who decides what game the Celts are going to unleash.

Continue reading "Celts Reach Sixty With Help of Bill Bixby"