Wojnarowski: Rondo at odds with the vets?

[BillessuR6]

Rondo has the ball in his hands many times at the end of the quarters but he simply can not do much with it...he is horrible at finishing at the rim and can`t make a jumpshot to save his life...passing is the only option but since his defender backs off of him he can`t even get to the rim...

Rondo in a half court game is a huge liability...he is great in run and gun style but in the playoffs when the games are slower and more controlled his weaknesses come out even more...


And you really seem to think highly of NBA analysts...the 2008 finals predictions were spot on weren`t they...

Again, no team will offer Rondo max money. And you really need to start watching games...

[Wolves2011]

And you really seem to think highly of NBA analysts...the 2008 finals predictions were spot on weren`t they...

Again, no team will offer Rondo max money. And you really need to start watching games...

Why were the analysts wrong about 2008?

They all thought Rondo couldn't handle the pressure of running a championship team.

Rondo was the difference.....

He did much better than the analysts expected.

*************************

Of for watching NBA games....... I watched virtually all of the Celtics and wolves games and others besides.... I watch more than enough NBA basketball.....

[BillessuR6]

House was the difference not Rondo. Do you remember how lakers defended RR? They didn`t...

When there is an uptempo game Rajon is great but in a half court House is the better fit. I still think we would eliminate the magic last year if House played more at PG instead of disinterested Rondo...

[sam_I_am]

Can you imagine the excitement the day some GM holds a press conference announcing:

"We have just signed Rondo to a max contract. A career 9.7 ppg scorer 5.7 apg PG who shoots 27% from 3pt range."

Its funny, because there are all kinds of team saving cap room in the hopes of signing Wade, Lebron, Bosh. I never hear Rondo's name mentioned. It must be because they are keeping quiet hoping that they can sucker some other team to pay for Lebron so they can swoop in and steal Rondo.

[Wolves2011]

Can you imagine the excitement the day some GM holds a press conference announcing:

"We have just signed Rondo to a max contract. A career 9.7 ppg scorer 5.7 apg PG who shoots 27% from 3pt range."

Its funny, because there are all kinds of team saving cap room in the hopes of signing Wade, Lebron, Bosh. I never hear Rondo's name mentioned. It must be because they are keeping quiet hoping that they can sucker some other team to pay for Lebron so they can swoop in and steal Rondo.

As I've said, repeatedly... ALL the nba analysts who have discussed this issue, say Rondo will get a Max or Near Max offer.......

I'm assuming those analysts are talking to GM's, Coaches etc. also...........

But, if Ainge doesn't sign Rondo in the next few days... we'll see next summer won't we??

[greenmachine_2849]

If he still can't make jump shots or free throws probably not. It would be impressive as hell but I don't think anyone who isn't scoring close to a 20 ppg is worth max money for the simple fact that those guys cost a lot of money whether they are complete players or one trick ponies. What I have said is Rondo is worth a contract right now that essentially goes from 8-10 mil.

While this may be true, that doesn't mean that they are worth more. The league has seen countless numbers of 20+ PPG point guards who typically put up their best seasons on crappy teams (we just had one of the more notable ones pass our way last season in Marbury). I don't put as much value on a Devin Harris than some people do around here. He can put up 21 and 7 on a solid lottery team; Dana Barros could make the same claim. When he was on a 60 win team in Dallas, his stats were a lot more modest: 10 and 4 (albeit on a much better FG%). Did he just take a quantum leap in the two seasons since, or was a beneficiary of playing on a lottery team and given relatively free reign? I am pretty confident that Rondo could put up pretty gaudy numbers in a similar situation. Probably not a 20 ppg scorer, but I could see him flirting with Jason Kidd's second season production for a solid lottery team in Dallas (16 ppg, 9 apg, 7 rpg). I am also pretty confident that, had Harris been with the Celtics last season, he would not have been a 20+ scorer (I'm guessing 14 and 5).

If he improved his scoring to the point he was a legit 2nd or 3rd and that is more than just the numbers is he a go to guy in the 4th quarter or not or barring that approached PF rebounding numbers to go with his assists and defense. I think he then belongs in that 60-65 mil market 13 mil a season but he isn't there yet.

I can't really think of any circumstance that I would pay Rondo max money. You are talking about giving 25% of the cap to one player with 10.5% raises on that. I don't know that there are really 10 guys that deserve that. It is supposed to be 13.5 mil in the first year plus raises, can you really imagine paying him 18mil, (it avgs about 15 mil)?

You maybe be right in theory. I think the NBA would be a lot better place in principle if only the top 10 guys or so got max, or near-max, money. In practice though, I would estimate most teams in the NBA have at least one salary that can be considered "max" or very close, and some teams (like the Celtics) have 2 or 3. Since, in my opinion, Rondo was a top 30 player in the league last year (at age 23), I don't think it is unreasonable to believe he should be at least flirting with one of the top 30 contracts in the league. Maybe not max, but not too far off. If he is willing to sign a deal that averages $10 million a year, I think the Celtics should take it and run.

[sully00]

greenmachine

It isn't an issue of fairness I think you missed my previous point. The reason Chris Paul is worth 15 mil is that he is my PG and my 20 ppg scorer and he tends to make players around him better. If I give Rondo 15 mil I still have to go give 10-15 mil to someone else score 20 ppg. So what happens is teams will say well how about I give 10-11 to this guy to score and 5 or 6 to this guy to get him the ball and hell he can even make an open jump shot. This became the Jason Kidd dilemma in NJ they couldn't pay him and surround him with enough talent to win, he made his teammates better but he himself took up too much money.

[greenmachine_2849]

greenmachine

It isn't an issue of fairness I think you missed my previous point. The reason Chris Paul is worth 15 mil is that he is my PG and my 20 ppg scorer and he tends to make players around him better. If I give Rondo 15 mil I still have to go give 10-15 mil to someone else score 20 ppg. So what happens is teams will say well how about I give 10-11 to this guy to score and 5 or 6 to this guy to get him the ball and hell he can even make an open jump shot. This became the Jason Kidd dilemma in NJ they couldn't pay him and surround him with enough talent to win, he made his teammates better but he himself took up too much money.

If I recall correctly though, weren't there at least one or two other near-max contracts on the Nets during Kidd's stay there? I'm thinking Keith Van Horn initially (and I think Kerry Kittles had a pretty substantial contract as well), then later on Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson (once his extension kicked in). So I think the case could be made that the money was there to surround Kidd with adequate talent; it was just not being spent efficiently. Maybe I'm not remembering 100% accurately, though.