Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Changing people is not easy, though. Perhaps the Celtics would be able to “figure out” Cousins and help him tap his vast potential. That does not mean Rondo is a puzzle they have solved. The Celtics have done their level best, but managing a sensitive situation is a bit different then working a miracle.
The Boston Celtics and their fanbase seem to have a never ending love affair for Demarcus Cousins. For the past two seasons rumors have emerged that the Celtics were the “leading candidates” “extremely interested” “the most likely destination” and any other trade season cliche you can expect to hear during this increasingly annoying period of the season. The Celtics are often thought to be the leading candidates for the fact that they have Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers, two individuals that are believed to have the ability to tame the wild beast and turn a lynx into a house cat.
This notion has come largely in part due to the acquisition of Stephon Marbury late in the season in 2009, Rasheed Wallace in 2010, and Nate Robinson in 2010. While Robinson wasn’t a trouble maker he didn’t make headlines as much as he was used to. Marbury was an altar boy during his time here, not because he was under the gun from KG , but because if he realized this was his last chance in the league. As far as Rasheed goes, did the Celtics really tame him? He STILL was a mouth on the court, STILL got his T’s, STILL got into arguments, STILL threw up bad threes….what changed?
And then we get to Rondo…
Rajon Rondo has been under the wing of Kevin Garnett since the two joined forces in 2007-08. Garnett knew that if the Celtics were going to stay relevant in future seasons, they were going to have to build this young point guard into a star. While the world knew he had flaws in his personality, they saw the talent potential when he was at Kentucky.
Rondo has indeed turned into a star, but we have seen continual flashes of the ever-existing attitude problem that a handful of GM’s across the league have openly said they wouldn’t want Rondo on their team for. (Though I doubt any GM would be foolish enough to hold true on that). Look back at just the last season; we’ve had water bottles thrown during team meetings, walkouts when the pressure is on him behind the scenes, throwing the ball at officials, punching Kris Kardashian, and now two ref bumping incidents. If anything the trend seems to be going downward for Rondo as his talent level ascends.
What about this situation should make us believe that the Celtics would be capable of A: Handling two major personality issues on the same team and B: Changing Cousins and turning him into the star that he should be? Is there any evidence that suggests that the Celtics really are the best place for Cousins or is this just another situation where Boston fans want someone and will rationalize any crazy fantasy with bogus “facts”? Demarcus Cousins may turn out to be a great player in this league, but with the Celtics “hands off” approach towards dealing with Rondo and his issues , Boston may not be the place for him to turn it around.
The Rest :
Boston Herald: Rondo tries to laugh off suspension – Steve Bulpitt Boston Herald: KG backs talk with big play – Mark Murphy, Boston Herald: Avery Bradley brings about big changes – Steve Bulpitt, CSNNE: Exclusive Video Melo Confronts KG, ESPN Boston: Practice- Defense doesn’t rest – Greg Payne, ESPN Boston: Rondo on suspension: “I’ll Adapt” – Greg Payne
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