Rajon Rondo Is Better Than You Think

Since the Celtics made their first NBA Finals run with the Big 3, and until the middle point of last season, most people’s opinion about Rajon Rondo seemed to be very positive. Many compared him to the league’s very best, and both during and after the 2010 playoffs, some people argued that he was the best point guard in the NBA. This past season, Rondo started off playing like he was just that, generating talk about the possibility of him breaking John Stockton’s assist average record for a season. Then, he got injured. That first injury, coupled with the other ones he had throughout the season, hindered him and diminished his level of play. His scoring and his passing were both diminished, and, as a result of that, the number of people who counted him among the league’s best at his position decreased rapidly.

That, however, doesn’t mean they were right to change their minds. Actually, the facts indicate that they were, and still are, wrong. In the 2009 and 2010 postseasons, Rajon Rondo showed a level of versatility that only Jason Kidd might have had at the time, and no one else has now. The fact that he started the 2010-2011 season playing as well or better than he had in the previous postseason, and that he never reached that level again after the injury are proof enough that he wasn’t 100% healthy and that if he had been, he probably would’ve had the best season of his career. And if he had had that type of season, people would still be talking about how great he is. That’s why it makes no sense to say that Rondo has declined or that he hasn’t or won’t fulfill the potential he seemed to have.  I don’t believe he was going to break Stockton’s record, but I do believe he could’ve averaged over 12 assists, and given his limited offensive game, that would’ve further bolstered the argument that he is the league’s best distributor.

If Rondo had stayed healthy, he would be viewed by many as one of the league’s best point guards, and arguably its best distributor. But he didn’t, so instead, he is seen as a good-but-not-great player, one or two steps below the top tier.

When healthy, Rajon Rondo is one of the best point guards in the league, and if there’s an NBA season and he can stay healthy, he’ll show that he deserves to be called one of the top point guards in the league.