Y'all are ignoring/overlooking an entire host of reasons why you guys could very well be incorrect.
first bolded
Rondo hasn't been 100% since the beginning of the 2012/13 season. This is obviously due to multiple injuries (including the one he suffered right before the season started and his more recent injury to his face)
second bolded
to our knowledge, Rondo clashed with Doc Rivers only once (which was when they almost came to blows); since that incident, Doc has been on record praising Rondo as a player and a teammate (even now that he's with the Clippers); the reason Doc left wasn't because of Rondo but was because he didn't want to be part of a rebuilding process; the narrative about Rondo clashing with coaches is shaky at best
Ray Allen and Rondo didn't get along but judging by how they played together, you would've never known; Ray left because he didn't want to be pushed out of the starting lineup and come off the bench (at that point of the career); moreover, Ray was salty that the Celtics were looking to deal him before the trade deadline in his last season; Rondo and Ray's relationship (although far from friendly) was never a major issue...or at leats not to the point where Rondo needs to be question
moreover, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Jared Sullinger, and other teammates have nothing but positive things to say about Rondo and remain in frequent contact with him on a personal level.
in short, the whole "Rondo doesn't get along with coaches/players" argument is overblown.
third bolded
you're being ridiculous now.
not top 5 (based on this season alone)? most likely. not top 10? arguable. not top 15? you buggin.
dude's still the league leader in triple-doubles, leading rebounder for PGs, and is near the top of the league with assists; before he was dealt, he was the league-leader in assists THIS SEASON with a much poorer supporting cast than the PGs you compare him to
safe to say, had he not been traded, he would've likely been at the top of the league for assists
you focus on his one weakness (his shooting) and overlook a couple of things:
1. EVERYBODY knows Rondo is a pass-first PG; this isn't a secret; however, everybody knows Rondo's beautiful body of work (especially in the playoffs when
he's surrounded by good/great players)...expecting Rondo to dominate on offense (in terms of shooting) is ridiculous and is pointless to mention...Rondo
dominates on offense by being an excellent playmaker/assist man
2. players' free agency value is determined based on teams' needs; arguing that Rondo doesn't deserve to be one of the highest-paid players on his team
because of his shooting % is ridiculous...a healthy Rondo is a top-passer/playmaker and a superb defender, no questions asked...plenty of teams need
a player with Rondo's skill-set (alleged shooting deficiencies aside) and playoffs experience to win...Rondo will get paid.
3. the teams that will be looking at Rondo will presumably be contenders/playoff teams with much superior supporting casts than the one he had in Boston (or
even now in Dallas); the idea of a HEALTHY Rondo on a contender/playoff team with great pieces is enticing to any savvy coach or GM; Rondo will get paid
go take your medicine. seriously. your comment reeks of being "in the moment" and of selective amnesia.
as mentioned before, Rondo hasn't been 100% healthy since the 2012/13 season.
since his return at the end of last season (where he played 30 games), he had to play with a very different team than he had before. the team was practically ready for rebuilding. this points to the fact that Rondo in the past 2 years (aside from being less than 100% healthy) had to play with vastly inferior teammates as compared to, say, Curry, Westbrook, Wall, Lowry, Conley, Lillard, and even Parker. yet, even before he was traded mid-season, he was the league leader in assists
make no mistake about it, Rondo is still a starter and is still a very good PG...if he doesn't finish strong this season, you can count on next season being his best season
hell, name me a PG right now who puts up triple-doubles for fun in the PLAYOFFS and leads his team to conference finals and finals
you saying he's not even a starter is ridiculous
the Rondo disrespect on this site...
