Rondo is cut from Team USA.

[saritasbora]

I think Rose would've been cut if Rondo didn't have an extremely urgent family crisis he needed to handle immediately. Billups is versatile and can play two positions and has veteran savvy and guile; Curry's game is well-suited to FIBA ball and he can drain several threes in a row if USA is in desperation mode; and Westbrook plays quite well with Thunder teammate and USA superstar Durant and is a better playmaker than Rose.

I'm rather disappointed one of Rondo's family members needed him suddenly, since it would've been entertaining watching an elite playmaker set up all-star after all-star. Now we won't have that. I may be tempted to root for Spain, since Rubio is now the closest thing I'll have to watching an elite point guard in this tournament. I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping a family crisis doesn't rip him away too. Still, I will probably root for USA, but I won't be crushed if Rubio and his elite point guard skills make Spain World Champions.

Green Font please

[Ortho Stice]

Let me go back and fix it

[the_warden]

I'd be relieved if I were a Celtics fan. He needs a break.

[celticfan42487]

You don't go from the starting PG to cut. There is a reason coach K started him every game except for the last.

This isn't Rondo v Rose. It's either Rondo or Gordon(has he played?) or Curry.

I don't think family issues are the reason, and I doubt they cut their starting PG. So it's likely Rondo clashes with some management on the team and it's a PR issue.

Does this mean that Rondo is now no longer held to the 2 year thing?

It's well known Rondo didn't want to be apart of team USA but was told by his agent that it was a great necessity that he couldn't passed up. It's also well known that Rondo makes his own decisions about life so I'm sure at some point Rondo decided that he no longer wants to do the right "financial move" aka win a gold medal until Rondo decided he wanted to. It's the whole reason he never responded to the invitation in the first place.

[coldfish]

Re Rondo versus Rose:
The Bulls board has some posters who are overly sensitive about Rose. People call them the "Derrick Rose Defense Force". It gets pretty irritating even as a Bulls fan. If you comment anything about Rose not playing perfectly, someone jumps down your throat.

That being said, the Rose Haters on the general board are just as bad if not worse. Some of the stuff is borderline (Please Use More Appropriate Word) and frequently has absolutely nothing to do with how Rose actually plays on the court. The attacks on Rose are relentless by a few people. I don't know if these two groups actually created each other as an overreaction, but its really painful.

.......

I don't know if this has been posted, but this was from Arbitrob809 on the Bulls board:
Rondo (93.97 minutes played):
P/40: 7.2 (last)
A/40: 10.6 (leader)
R/40: 5.5 (4th)
ST/40: 3.0 (4th)
TO/40: 6.4 (last)
A/TO: 1.7 (2nd)
ST/TO: 0.5 (5th)

Westbrook (92.82 minutes played):
P/40: 17.7 (4th)
A/40: 3.9 (3rd)
R/40: 7.8 (leader)
ST/40: 3.9 (3rd)
TO/40: 5.2 (5th)
A/TO: 0.8 (3rd)
ST/TO: 0.8 (3rd)

Rose (100.70 minutes played):
P/40: 13.1 (5th)
A/40: 7.5 (2nd)
R/40: 4.4 (5th)
ST/40: 4.0 (2nd)
TO/40: 3.2 (2nd)
A/TO: 2.4 (leader)
ST/TO: 1.3 (2nd)

Rondo just didn't play well. He turned the ball over a ton, didn't score and wasn't getting a lot more steals than anyone else.

[Excellence]

Rondo left Team USA for family reasons just like Stan Van Gundy left the Heat for family reasons.

[joeysicko]

being that this is the representative squad of the united states final cut, no one who made it to this point sucks. That being said any critical thinker would see that rondo's uncle died last week, he came back to sit on the bench for two games, then all of a sudden his family situation becomes pressing.

I think that he is extremely talented and has a very high iq for the game, but I think his personality did not mesh well with our young team. Most quotes I hear make the team seem like a family atmosphere and he is not really the comraderie type.

[panthermark]

Rondo is a fine player....
He is just a bad fit for internatinal ball when there are a ton of outer guards on the team.

Westbrook (the OTHER defender/non-shooter) outplayed him... (This is NOT a Rondo vs Rose issue)....

/thread....

[chefy]

I dont think hes a good fit for the team anyways

[cool007]

Re Rondo versus Rose:
The Bulls board has some posters who are overly sensitive about Rose. People call them the "Derrick Rose Defense Force". It gets pretty irritating even as a Bulls fan. If you comment anything about Rose not playing perfectly, someone jumps down your throat.

That being said, the Rose Haters on the general board are just as bad if not worse. Some of the stuff is borderline (Please Use More Appropriate Word) and frequently has absolutely nothing to do with how Rose actually plays on the court. The attacks on Rose are relentless by a few people. I don't know if these two groups actually created each other as an overreaction, but its really painful.

.......

I don't know if this has been posted, but this was from Arbitrob809 on the Bulls board:
Rondo (93.97 minutes played):
P/40: 7.2 (last)
A/40: 10.6 (leader)
R/40: 5.5 (4th)
ST/40: 3.0 (4th)
TO/40: 6.4 (last)
A/TO: 1.7 (2nd)
ST/TO: 0.5 (5th)

Westbrook (92.82 minutes played):
P/40: 17.7 (4th)
A/40: 3.9 (3rd)
R/40: 7.8 (leader)
ST/40: 3.9 (3rd)
TO/40: 5.2 (5th)
A/TO: 0.8 (3rd)
ST/TO: 0.8 (3rd)

Rose (100.70 minutes played):
P/40: 13.1 (5th)
A/40: 7.5 (2nd)
R/40: 4.4 (5th)
ST/40: 4.0 (2nd)
TO/40: 3.2 (2nd)
A/TO: 2.4 (leader)
ST/TO: 1.3 (2nd)

Rondo just didn't play well. He turned the ball over a ton, didn't score and wasn't getting a lot more steals than anyone else.

Thank you.

Yet, people are still in the belief that Rose somehow played bad while Rondo was on the another planet or something.

Look. Rondo getting cut was his own fault. Him refusing to even take an outside shot is a BIG NO NO for a team USA - that will face ZONE after ZONE every game.

It is on him and nothing else. He is perfect for Celtics team but teams don't play zone after zone defense vs Boston but they will vs team USA.

[JustAwesome]

Rondo's lack of an outside shot is going to hurt him in international play.

[Senor Chang]

Rondo left Team USA for family reasons just like Stan Van Gundy left the Heat for family reasons.

I don't think Rondo was cut at all, but he saw the writing on the wall that if he wasn't cut he'd be coming off the bench for Derrick Rose. He wasn't about to waste his time unless he was going to start. These guys have a lot of pride and for a guy like Rondo who has won a championship, he wasn't about to let Derrick Rose start over him.

[Cammo101]

Rondo left Team USA for family reasons just like Stan Van Gundy left the Heat for family reasons.

I don't think Rondo was cut at all, but he saw the writing on the wall that if he wasn't cut he'd be coming off the bench for Derrick Rose. He wasn't about to waste his time unless he was going to start. These guys have a lot of pride and for a guy like Rondo who has won a championship, he wasn't about to let Derrick Rose start over him.

If that really is his thought process then I am glad he is gone. Rondo has not done nearly enough to have that kind of superstar complex. Danny Granger, who is arguably the second biggest "NBA" star on this team is not bitching and moaning about coming off the bench.

Team USA needs team first players.

[Charlie Sollers]

Rondo left Team USA for family reasons just like Stan Van Gundy left the Heat for family reasons.

I don't think Rondo was cut at all, but he saw the writing on the wall that if he wasn't cut he'd be coming off the bench for Derrick Rose. He wasn't about to waste his time unless he was going to start. These guys have a lot of pride and for a guy like Rondo who has won a championship, he wasn't about to let Derrick Rose start over him.

If Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Deron Williams can come off the bench so can Rondo.

[Copperhead]

Rondo left Team USA for family reasons just like Stan Van Gundy left the Heat for family reasons.

I don't think Rondo was cut at all, but he saw the writing on the wall that if he wasn't cut he'd be coming off the bench for Derrick Rose. He wasn't about to waste his time unless he was going to start. These guys have a lot of pride and for a guy like Rondo who has won a championship, he wasn't about to let Derrick Rose start over him.

If Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Deron Williams can come off the bench so can Rondo.

Amen brother. But then again, Rondo thinks he's better than all of those guys. His 'pride' should be that he'd be willing to do whatever it takes to help his country/team win. Whether that means coming off the bench or not.

[celticfan42487]

All people comparing Rondo v Rose here still are doing it because Rondo was the starting PG. The mere fact that you're trying to argue who the best PG on Team USA is still is evidence that this wasn't a simple basketball decision of cutting a bad player.

If it was you'd be talking about Rondo v Curry or Eric Gordon or even Westbrook who is a copy of Rondo with a different style of play.

Now, that said, I don't think Rondo leaving is going to hurt Team USA because of Westbrook. Westbrook isn't as experience in running a team as rondo is, but as someone else mentioned Team USA isn't really a team this year... more of a collection of players that want to ISO or just drive to the bucket and do a bail out pass if they can't make it all the way for the dunk.

But whatever good things Rondo would bring to Team USA, Westbrook will essentially do.. as well as the poor things with not being able to hit a shot and Team USA zone blah blah blah about why Rondo must of been cut. If you really believe that then Westbrook should be cut too and we need to find another player for Team USA.

Rondo must of not meshed well with the team to of no longer been on the team after being the starting PG for every game. Which I think might discount him from future dealings with Team USA.

You have to look at the Olympics and think... Prince, Kobe, Kidd, and Redd won't be back. With no Rondo you got Rose and Durant... and two open guard spots that will come from this team. Could very well be Curry and Gordon for the protypical shooter.

[LikeMike23]

Anyone who thinks Rondo wasn't cut is an idiot! The only reason the news media is saying Rondo left Team USA for family reasons, because they don't want to embarrass him.

[Senor Chang]

Anyone who thinks Rondo wasn't cut is an idiot! The only reason the news media is saying Rondo left Team USA for family reasons, because they don't want to embarrass him.

Not necessarily. Coach K was in no hurry to make the cut, why make it before one last game against Greece to further evaluate what you have? Rondo left on his own accord, whether it was because of family issues or because he knew he'd be coming off the bench. No way does Rondo see himself being cut ahead of guys like Gordon or Westbrook(in his own mind)

[panthermark]

He saw the writing on the wall......but probably didn't care all that much one way or the other....

He knew It was possible that he could get "cut"......maybe even probable....so he stepped aside. Hell, he just got finished with a 7 game series in the finals...

It does not make him any less of a player for the Celtics. His style didn't fit internatinal ball and his heart wasn't all the way into it.

This works out the best for all parties concerned.

[LikeMike23]

Anyone who thinks Rondo wasn't cut is an idiot! The only reason the news media is saying Rondo left Team USA for family reasons, because they don't want to embarrass him.

Not necessarily. Coach K was in no hurry to make the cut, why make it before one last game against Greece to further evaluate what you have? Rondo left on his own accord, whether it was because of family issues or because he knew he'd be coming off the bench. No way does Rondo see himself being cut ahead of guys like Gordon or Westbrook(in his own mind)

What better way to evaluate what you have than to actually play the game with your final roster? Rondo was CUT. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Gordon has a much needed jump shot, so he wasn't getting cut for Rondo. Westbrook has chemistry with Durant and is more athletic than Rondo. Team USA is going to win with good team chemistry and athleticism. Rondo was bad for both, because Rondo and Rose don't mix.