Injuries Slow Celtics - Accentuate Rondo’s Awesomeness

Injuries are sweeping through the Boston Celtics locker-room quicker than the Rage Virus infected London in 28 Days Later. Since their February 8th 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.

The recent acquisitions of Starbury and Mikki Moore have morphed into something more vital than previously anticipated as the players in front of the duo on the depth chart have both succumbed to the fashionable injury bug that has plagued the team. The loss of the bench players hurts, but is not nearly as painful as KG’s absence or severe as Rondo’s.

Over the last two seasons, my cousin, the A-Train, and I have always made note of the stagnancy of the Boston offense without Rondo on the court, and Monday, his absence was excruciatingly noticeable as Celtic point guards combined for a ghastly nine points, two assists and four turnovers in a loss to Orlando. Unless the LeBrons go frigid at some point in the next six weeks, it appears as if the mounting Celtic injury number will evolve into an insurmountable deficit between the Green and the Cavaliers. Cleveland is 28-1 at home this season, and the home team has won the last 15 meetings between the two squads, but for all those worried about Boston having to go on the road to beat the Cavs should they meet in the Eastern Conference Finals should be more worried about the health of the Big Ticket and Rondo. Although neither injury appears to be season-threatening, if an extra few games out of the lineup helps assure their full recovery, especially in Rondo’s case, so be it. This opinion may seem novel to some, but if the Big Ticket were to miss the remainder of the season, Boston’s chances of a repeat would surely be dealt a crushing blow but still be feasible. If the team was to be without Rondo, I’d have to give a serious second thought to that playoff ticket package. Let me reiterate, if I had to choose one of the pair to go AWOL, it would be Garnett. The Celtics cannot and will not win without their starting point guard. I know, it’s craziness.

The rise of Rondo has truly been remarkable. A player the Phoenix Suns drafted 21st overall in the 2006 and traded basically for cash, the Razor (as I like to call him since he slices through the opposition’s defense like a razor slices an emo kid) has swiftly developed into a near and inevitable all-star, and although he isn’t regarded as a top tier point guard by most, he soon will be, and I say he already is. The trade for KG two offseasons ago was an immeasurable addition. The Big Ticket changed Boston’s mentality and the face of the franchise. My argument is that even without KG on the court, his impact is still felt. The Celtics’ defense is an imposing force sans KG which is evident in the team’s 18-5 record without him in the lineup. Rondo’s impact on the other hand is completely irreplaceable.

Oscar Robertson’s triple-double season in 1961-62 will probably never be duplicated, but if you were to ask the media and fans which NBA player is most likely to finish a season averaging a triple-double, the consensus pick would undoubtedly be LeBron James, and I’d agree. I say Rondo is the second most likely player. The third-year guard averages 11.6 points, 8.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game or 1.5 more assists and 1.5 less rebounds than LeBron, and Rondo’s seven inches shorter and 79 pounds lighter while playing the point. Rondo averages the fifth most assists in the league and owns the fourth best assists-per-48 minutes. Among the top ten assist collectors, Rondo has the fourth lowest turnover per game average and the fourth highest assist-to-turnover ratio. He is tied for the second most rebounds per game among point guards, the highest field goal percentage of all guards, and along with Chris Paul and Jason Kidd, is one of three players in the NBA in the top five in assists and steals. What makes Rondo even more exceptional is his knack for raising his game against the game’s elite at his position. Assuming Paul, Kidd, Steve Nash, Deron Williams and Tony Parker are the five best point guards in the land, Rondo averages 17 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds against those players, all better averages than his career and 2008-09 season totals. This all sounds like a top tier point guard’s resume to me. Detractors like to say he doesn’t have a jumper, one that when he passes up analysts claim he needs to take to keep defenses honest, but when he misses assert he should have never thought about. But when his field-goal percentage is .511%, what are we complaining about?

Sure, KG is the man, but the Celtics have plenty of players who can score and play defense in his absence. Rondo’s contributions cannot be replicated. Who would have thought a season after the additions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen on a team that already had Paul Pierce that a scrawny 23-year old point guard nicknamed E.T. by his friends and the Razor by me would be the key to a Boston repeat? I don’t think the Phoenix Suns did.

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