Apparently tired of hearing me scream at the television, Rajon Rondo is ready to stay in front of his man this season.
Rondo tells Julian Benbow of the Globe that he would purposely let his man by him so he could attempt a back-tip a handful of times each game.
Playing defense is more than creating steals. It's about wearing down your opponent mentally and physically. It's about forcing them to start their offensive sets later in the shot clock and taking bad shots.
Doc and Ray both see improvement in Rondo this year:
“I think he’s a better defender this year than he was last year by far
because he’s doing more team things,’’ Rivers said. “He’s not gambling
as much, he’s staying in front of the ball, he’s doing a fantastic job
of getting over pick-and-rolls. That was one of his weak points last
year. He would reach on pick-and-rolls instead of getting in front of
the ball and squaring it up.’’
“He
looks strong on the ball. He provides a lot of intensity on the ball
defensively and he’s very harassing of a defender," Allen said. "One thing he learned
over the last year or two is taking possessions off defensively. He has
the talent and the quickness to put pressure on his man every single
time down the floor.’’
Good to hear. Playing better, smarter defense will not only better the team, it will also get Rondo more money in his next contract.
For those wondering about Tony Allen's status, his ankle remains swollen after his ill-advised attempt to play during the preseason game against the Knicks ten days ago. He hopes to be ready by the third regular season game, blah, blah, blah….
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