Rajon Rondo trade rumors: Teams afraid to trade for Rondo, stock low
When I worked as a lifeguard during high school, one of my co-workers was a lifeguarding demon sent from lifeguard hell. She wore long sleeves because she was allergic to the sun (might want to choose a different job, honey). She blew her whistle at every minor infraction. She screamed at kids — think Stan Van Gundy during his loudest fit of rage — even when they were just jogging.
If a kid beefed with her, it was probably her fault.
But I used a laissez faire method. If kids wanted to splash, they came to my section. If they wanted to run, they came to my section. If they wanted to use a Torpedo even though toys weren’t technically allowed (what kind of freaking pool did I work for anyway?), kids came to my section.
If any kid beefed with me, he was probably the jerk.
Which brings me to Rajon Rondo and Doc Rivers.
If you cannot get along with Rivers, the league-wide sentiment reportedly goes, you cannot get along with any other coach either. Due to the rumors (and/or truths) of Rondo’s insubordination, the Boston Celtics could potentially find a limited trade market should they wish to move the young point guard. (Sporting News)
But league executives know that Ainge could be a motivated seller when it comes to Rondo, and there is little chance he will get fair value.
“There’s no way they’re going to get talent-for-talent in a Rondo deal,” one general manager told Sporting News. “There’s a perception that if Doc Rivers, who’s such a player’s coach, has had a hard time with him, my coach is going to have a worse time with him.”
That perception may certainly exist. But the same perception also followed Glen Davis — and he was overpaid after an absurdly lopsided deal sent him to the Orlando Magic in exchange for the (considerably) better Brandon Bass. Even if 29 GMs are afraid of Rondo’s attitude, all it takes is one to strike with a golden offer.
I’m not the conductor of the “Move Rondo” train, but the Celtics should considering swapping him in the right deal (see: Chris Paul rumors this summer). Rondo’s fantastic and capable of magical nights, especially in big games, but even his most biased supporter would admit there is potentially room for an upgrade.
Yet moving him for 50 cents (or even 90 cents) on the dollar should not be an option. The Celtics have a cheap, 26-year old, three-time All-Star with the ability to tap dance occasionally in the realm of Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain. No need for a fire sale, even if he’s a bit of an asshole.
Related posts:
- Rajon Rondo trade rumors: Rondo being ‘aggressively’ shopped, Stephen Curry could be target, according to ESPN
- Rajon Rondo trade rumors: Is Dwight Howard part of the Boston Celtics’ Chris Paul plan?
- Rajon Rondo trade rumors: Boston Celtics reportedly ‘listening to offers,’ not dumping Rondo
- Danny Ainge denies Rajon Rondo trade rumors
- Josh Smith defends Rajon Rondo amid trade rumors
Celtics Blog | Jay King | March 8, 2012
Here you go again, calling Rondo an asshole. You just assume that any problems are Rondo’s fault, even though the very article that outed Rondo as a head case, the flung tea bottle article, pointed out that it takes two to tango, and that Doc has been known to bait Rondo and to go on tirades at him.
But see, you just want to join with all the other group thinkers in the Church of Saint Doc. It’s inane, and it certainly isn’t journalism, or even halfway reasonable commentary.
And no, Jay, I do NOT think there is room for an upgrade with Rondo. I think the claim that there is blind and stupid. You people act as though all those lovely birds in the bush out there had no flaws. You also assume that everything wrong with Rondo is 100% his fault, and never the fault of the situation he finds himself in, which continues to be difficult for a young player spreading his wings. EVEN IF I WERE TO AGREE that Chris Paul is a better player on paper – and on some levels, he certainly is – it’s like claiming that it would have been a no-brainer to trade Russell for Chamberlain, who certainly was far, far superior on paper.
I’m as frustrated as any Hater that Rondo failed to rise to the occasion this week, as we needed him to do. But unlike the rest of you, I don’t simply assume that Rondo is inconsistent because he is an “asshole”. I think that this weak, for example, he has become undone over the fact that he’s not getting calls from the refs when he attacks the basket. I think this is causing him to miss layups, because he feels that he has to put extra deviousness into the shot to give it a chance to go in, knowing he will be relentlessly bodied and hacked and that there will be no fouls called, and this in turn is throwing off his shot and his timing. I think that Rondo is a very SENSITIVE character, which is a weakness in some ways, but also a key to his strength. I’ve said this so many times. You will be able to understand his game better if you understand that it is both highly cerebral and highly emotional, though he doesn’t show the emotion most of the time.
I’ve also pointed out that Cousy was this way,and that Red was very careful of Cousy’s feelings. There’s nothing new about that.
I’d much rather try to find a way to help Rondo be a better player than dive into the shark-filled free agent pool. I think Ainge and the fandom have become obsessed with Big Trades and Big Deals and don’t give a rat’s tail about loyalty, about building a team, about anything but that famous “upgrade”. You treat players like pieces of meat, and it’s disgusting, and it’s counterproductive.
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We can work with Rondo, and possibly (there are no guarantees) have an amazing player to build a powerful team around, one of those rare players with his own vision of the game and a deeply felt commitment to the team, or we can trade him off for that famous “upgrade” in the bush, who most likely will feel no particular loyalty to us, and who very likely will not even turn out to be everything our Fantasy League visions told us he would be.
That said, I still expect Rondo to be traded, possibly to Indiana, and I think he might actually be better off there.
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please post photos of your rondo shrine/masturbation station.if rondo reads this blog hes already informed his security team.i agree about the layups being affected by the knowledge of the no calls he gets.but in all seriousness you are obsessed mang.
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Jay…there is NO ROOM FOR AN UPGRADE… Worst comments, or suggestion of a trade, you have ever made in my 3 yrs here. I’m with paul on this and Doc is also at fault. Maybe if the team rebounded the ball like RR then there’d be more wins and less bitching and dumb ass trade talk calling for the Cs to move RR???? Go Cs…
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Hmm let’s see I’m sure some of Kobe’s and MJ’s teammates thought they were assholes too. One is already a Hall-of-Famer the other one is a shue in on first ballot. Rondo is th ebest point guard in the league. People get dazzled by scoring and forget there is much more to the game thatn that. Can’t expect Rondo to run when no one wants to run with him.
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