Lester Helping Rajon

Cyclical · Post #1 » by **Cyclical** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:59 am

Me likey.

“I can’t have the same moves. I have to have different moves when I play against Lester. He gets me going before the game, helping me finish shots. He’s a physical player. He’s about 6-(foot)-3 and he has long arms and he’s a big, strong guard, so I love playing against him every game. It kind of gets me going.”

Hudson is trying to do what he can while he learns the NBA.

“Rajon helps me on my defense, and I help him on his offense,” he said. “I contest his shots and that helps him get better.

“I’m not going to take credit for him hitting shots, but he’s been hitting them good lately. And every time in the game when he hits a couple of shots, he’ll be like, ‘Thank you.’ But it’s not me. I think whatever problems he’s had were in his mind. He can shoot.”

http://bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/20091212counter_points_celtics_lester_hudson_aids_rajon_rondo/

bc legends · Post #2 » by **bc legends** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:01 am

good to read. i've noticed rondo becoming more aggressive in regards to finding and taking his shots. hopefully this continues.

3pt % · Post #3 » by **3pt %** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:51 am

The big "If, if Rondo ever learns to shot from the outside or particularly the mid range...its all over.

He'll be entering Chris Paul stratosphere.

As Celtics fans, let all be good and hope Santa brings Rondo a dependable pull up 15 footer

Zin5 · Post #4 » by **Zin5** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 3:50 pm

3pt % wrote:The big "If, if Rondo ever learns to shot from the outside or particularly the mid range...its all over.

He'll be entering Chris Paul stratosphere.

As Celtics fans, let all be good and hope Santa brings Rondo a dependable pull up 15 footer

We've been saying that for the past two years though and he's shown very little improvement. It will never be good enough for him to be in the debate for best point guard in the NBA.

GuyClinch · Post #5 » by **GuyClinch** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:21 pm

It's unfair to expect Rondo to learn to shoot well. He could become average.. The NBA has been littered with guys who couldn't shoot for decades now. From bigs like Chris Dudley to little guys like Brevin Knight - all of these couldn't shoot and would have been "great" if they could shoot..

BillessuR6 · Post #6 » by **BillessuR6** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:39 pm

Just give Lester some minutes at back up PG. House has been brutal in the last few games...

ryaningf · Post #7 » by **ryaningf** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 7:25 pm

As we debate whether Rondo's shot will or can improve, nobody notices that indeed it has....

First step: taking them with confidence when he has them. He's doing that now.

Second step: taking and making them throughout the course of the season and throughout the playoffs. Check back next season on that one.

Rondo's jumper problems have always about TAKING the shot, not necessarily MAKING the shot. He's taking them now and therefore this debate is over. It was never about missing, it was about not taking them in the first place. If he takes them, he''s going to make enough to keep the defense honest, which is all he ever had to do.

Rondo's made big 4th quarter jumpers in at least 3 games during this winning streak. He's a clutch shooter, just like DJ. Of course, people will only admit that in retrospect.

3pt % · Post #8 » by **3pt %** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:50 am

ryaningf wrote:As we debate whether Rondo's shot will or can improve, nobody notices that indeed it has....

First step: taking them with confidence when he has them. He's doing that now.

Second step: taking and making them throughout the course of the season and throughout the playoffs. Check back next season on that one.

Rondo's jumper problems have always about TAKING the shot, not necessarily MAKING the shot. He's taking them now and therefore this debate is over. It was never about missing, it was about not taking them in the first place. If he takes them, he''s going to make enough to keep the defense honest, which is all he ever had to do.

Rondo's made big 4th quarter jumpers in at least 3 games during this winning streak. He's a clutch shooter, just like DJ. Of course, people will only admit that in retrospect.

ding ding ding, we have a winner.

If it's not just a good month, he is on his way.

Fencer reregistered · Post #9 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:45 pm

Magic Johnson was not the greatest of outside shooters. He was a pretty good PG even so.

But he improved significantly as a player when he went from being a poor, frightened shooter to a competent one.

(Let me hasten to admit that Magic was NEVER as bad a shooter as some PGs we could name.)

jmr07019 · Post #10 » by **jmr07019** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:18 pm

I'm with theBirdman. I'd like to see Lester get some minutes. At 6'-3'' with a wingspan larger than Rondo's freakish one he has the size to play solid D at the point and if he can hang with Rondo in practice enough to contest his shots it would appear he also has the quickness. He shot .388 and .355 from deep in his junior and senior seasons and scored over 25 ppg in both of those seasons so he should have value on offense. Obviously the team is playing great now and we don't need to make many changes, if any at all, but it would be nice to Lester get even just 5 mpg of meaningful time.

GuyClinch · Post #11 » by **GuyClinch** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:36 pm

Rondo's jumper problems have always about TAKING the shot, not necessarily MAKING the shot. He's taking them now and therefore this debate is over. It was never about missing, it was about not taking them in the first place. If he takes them, he''s going to make enough to keep the defense honest, which is all he ever had to do.

LMAO. Rondo is one of the worst 'wide open' shooters I have ever seen in the NBA. This is why he passes on so many shots. Rondo doesn't lack confidence - it's intelligence that prevented him from hoisting up a ton of shots because he would miss them..

Like I said if he could move to "average" level it would be incredible. Because he gets so much respect he often has wide open shots in EVERY SINGLE SET. Wide open.. the average NBA player hits around 70% of a wide open J. But of course most NBA guys have someone run out on them..

Pete

ryaningf · Post #12 » by **ryaningf** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:57 pm

GuyClinch wrote:
Rondo's jumper problems have always about TAKING the shot, not necessarily MAKING the shot. He's taking them now and therefore this debate is over. It was never about missing, it was about not taking them in the first place. If he takes them, he''s going to make enough to keep the defense honest, which is all he ever had to do.

LMAO. Rondo is one of the worst 'wide open' shooters I have ever seen in the NBA. This is why he passes on so many shots. Rondo doesn't lack confidence - it's intelligence that prevented him from hoisting up a ton of shots because he would miss them..

You can't make 'em unless you take them. And by not taking them, it upsets the flow of the offense. There was no intelligence involved, it was a matter of preference--Rondo prefers to pass and therefore passed up shots in order to pass the ball. But you need to step up and take that shot with confidence from time to time, just so the defense doesn't camp out on all your passing angles. Rondo's learned that lesson this year--he's mastered the art of when to pass and shoot. If he misses some jumpers, it doesn't matter. It's about knowing when to take them and he knows that now.

GuyClinch wrote:Like I said if he could move to "average" level it would be incredible. Because he gets so much respect he often has wide open shots in EVERY SINGLE SET. Wide open.. the average NBA player hits around 70% of a wide open J. But of course most NBA guys have someone run out on them..

Pete

You're wrong, Pete, but that won't be clear until this time next season, by which time Rondo will have proven it to you. Until then, you'll be living in the past. There's not much more to say.

Banks2Pierce · Post #13 » by **Banks2Pierce** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:41 pm

thebirdman wrote:Just give Lester some minutes at back up PG. House has been brutal in the last few games...

I agree bird. It's tough with Eddie because he isn't hitting a damn shot until we are up 20 and he plays crappy defense. Doc was right last year by not playing Giddens, but has been wrong in the past by leaving Gomes and Rondo on the bench during their rookie seasons. Hudson could go either way, but I guarantee his D would be better than House.

eris · Post #14 » by **eris** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 12:37 am

You know, Rondo could be an All-Star even with his current jump shot percentage, but not with his current Free Throw percentage.

And, yes, I'd like to see Doc play Hudson more than in just garbage time. The fact that he doesn't could be seen as Doc's prejudice against rookies, but it could also be seen as Hudson just isn't good enough to force his way onto the court. There could be other reasons than those two, I suppose, but you have to resort to conspiracy theories for them.

DelMonte West · Post #15 » by **DelMonte West** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:27 am

I think Rondo's free throw shooting looked pretty good last night. It was a pretty good sample size for his standards, and I was particularly happy he hit both after Miller's pussy hit. Whatever the case, he's looking to finish more at the rim instead of shooting it back out to another teammate.

GuyClinch · Post #16 » by **GuyClinch** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:30 am

You're wrong, Pete, but that won't be clear until this time next season, by which time Rondo will have proven it to you. Until then, you'll be living in the past. There's not much more to say.

Nope. Your proven wrong all the time. His free throw percentage is .511. Don't try telling us his shot is so "improved" because it would show up on this metric. If you have proper mechanics from the outside it shows with this shot.

For example RA usually shoots 50% from the field, 40% from 3 and 90% from the line. That's the mark of a good shooter - because more often then not 3 pointers are fairly open and free throws of course are always open.

Does this mean Rondo NEVER makes a jumper - of course not he is in the NBA. He is still though a very bad shooter. Its his great speed and quickness that allow him wide open looks whenever he feels like it. But this idea that Rondo already is a good shooter and just scared to take a shot is flat out stupid.

3pt % · Post #17 » by **3pt %** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:22 am

haha... Rondo's "good" shooting is average, butlLets agree that if Rondo gets to the point where the opposition PG isn't playing 3 feet off him that we will be happy.

... and if he shoots .700 from the FT line...

ryaningf · Post #18 » by **ryaningf** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 1:00 pm

GuyClinch wrote:
You're wrong, Pete, but that won't be clear until this time next season, by which time Rondo will have proven it to you. Until then, you'll be living in the past. There's not much more to say.

Nope. Your proven wrong all the time. His free throw percentage is .511. Don't try telling us his shot is so "improved" because it would show up on this metric. If you have proper mechanics from the outside it shows with this shot.

For example RA usually shoots 50% from the field, 40% from 3 and 90% from the line. That's the mark of a good shooter - because more often then not 3 pointers are fairly open and free throws of course are always open.

Does this mean Rondo NEVER makes a jumper - of course not he is in the NBA. He is still though a very bad shooter. Its his great speed and quickness that allow him wide open looks whenever he feels like it. But this idea that Rondo already is a good shooter and just scared to take a shot is flat out stupid.

I understand all that, Pete. Like I said, you won't be convinced until this time next year. Until then, you'll be living in the past, judging Rondo in 2010 for what he was in 2008.

By the way, the idea isn't "Rondo already is a good shooter and just scared to take a shot..."--never said that. What I did say was that Rondo's problem was NOT TAKING the jump shots he gets--it's not the misses, it's the failure to take open shots. Now that he's mastered the art of when to pass and shoot, the actual percentage he shoots won't make a diff--he'll make enough to keep the defense honest and keep his passing lanes open, which is all he ever needed to do.

His #s and all that probably won't get to where you'd like them until late in the year--but the #s will only be an indication of what we've already seen--that Rondo now knows when to shoot and pass. You can talk #s all you want, but what I'm talking about doesn't have a #.

Kids Are Alright · Post #19 » by **Kids Are Alright** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:35 pm

I don't know if Hudson deserves to play, he looked good in preseason, but I do know that Eddie is junk, especially at pg, so we might as well play Lester.

Orien Greene was freakishly long and always stinked.

JR Hawks · Post #20 » by **JR Hawks** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:44 pm

We need to waive Lester and bring in a vet PG.