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.
Be prepared to witness a rejuvenated Rondo who will assail his former team with increased intensity and energy. He’s playing for a contender, a contract, and, in some respects, his reputation.
“This second half of the year is a very big one for Rajon,” Ainge agreed. “Dallas is getting a player who is very motivated to prove he’s a max guy.”
Rondo should be greeted with a rousing ovation from a grateful Boston crowd, which had a front-row seat to one of the most unique talents in the game. He’s earned their gratitude and has the championship ring to prove it.
And, yet, you can’t help but watch footage of Rondo ruthlessly and relentlessly tracking OKC starRussell Westbrook from end line to end line last Sunday in a Dallas win (he helped hold his nemesis to 5 of 23 shooting with 5 turnovers) and wonder, “Why didn’t he play like that in Boston?”
That inspired defense was absent in his final months in a Celtics uniform. In fact, while there were some prodigious spurts of on-the-ball defense during his Boston career, Rondo didn’t accomplish it consistently enough to merit elite status. Whether that pattern will continue in Dallas remains to be seen.
“I didn’t study or analyze that part of his game,” Carlisle said, “but the reality is, when you come over to the Western Conference in this day and age at the point guard position, you are in for a war every night.
“The guy you are lining up against has something in his tool box that he’s phenomenally great at, and you better be ready to battle.”
The reason Rondo didn’t sustain that kind of effort in Boston is simple: human nature. When you are winning and contending, it’s easy to get up for every game. When you are losing and slipping into that dreaded wasteland known as irrelevancy, which is where the Celtics are mired as they rebuild, it takes a special person with exceptional resolve to maintain your ferocity.
As Mavericks owner Mark Cuban explained to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News when addressing Rondo’s renewed approach, “If you’ve ever been in a company that’s failing, you know the effort isn’t the same.”
ESPN Boston – C’s in for a bittersweet reunion
Ever since the surprising trade of Kendrick Perkins a few years ago, C’s fans have witnessed their share of reunions with recent ex-Celtics from the beloved 2008 championship team. There was a brief glimpse of this when James Posey first returned in 2009 as a member of the then New Orleans Hornets. But it was Perk that first made us realize how fleeting it all was.
When Doc returned it was sort of a rehersal for when Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett came back. Sure we gave Doc his due, but we all knew how tough it was going to be with Pierce and KG… especially Pierce. I’m not sure it will reach that level with Rondo but that seems right for him.
From the day he was drafted it seemed like fans were completely on one side or the other with him. There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what fans are supposed to do: feel anyway you want. It seems logical in a Rondo way, that his return comes so quickly. With everyone else we had to wait nearly a year and at least an offseason. With Rondo, it’s simply a couple of weeks. Makes sense since it’s the exact reverse of how often we heard the trade rumors and wondered if/when/how he would re-sign here.
No, his return is swift and fast, just like the way he played most of the time here. Sure he coasted through several mundane regular season games. And the ones that didn’t care for him, cared a lot about that. I get it, you want your star, your captain, to bring the crazy for 48/82. But to me, when it came to Rondo (and any player for that matter), what I valued most was what you did on the floor when it mattered most.
Rondo was a lot of things as a Celtic. A lot of them are debatable and will be forever in Celtic lore. But the one thing (to me anyway) that isn’t debatable, is how he brought it during the playoffs, when it mattered most. Jackie Mac touches a bit on it in her piece above. While I could go on forever about it, there’s no need. What’s done is done and once his return game is over, so is his story here. This Celtic fan, for one, is very grateful to have had him wear the green… as fleeting as it was.
On Page 2, James Young is making noise
“I think that he’s really getting better,” said Stevens. “He got set back by the shoulder; he got set back early in the season by the hamstring. Now he’s had two good days of practice Monday and Tuesday; he had a great day [with Maine on Wednesday]. And we didn’t go quite as hard [Thursday], so it wasn’t quite as evident, but he had another solid day today. I think just continuing to string those days together — every time we go 5-on-5, if it’s for five possession or 20 minutes, those are huge critical moments for him. And he’s taking advantage of it, aseptically in the last week.
“We’ll see how that plays itself out for playing time in the near future, but again, we have a lot of roster depth as it is right now, but we’ll see. He does add something that we could very well need in the near future and that is the ability to play off some screens, and score and make passes off screens. He’s a very fluid offensive player.”
ESPN Boston – Practice: Rookie Young making progress
Young has been tearing it up all season for Maine in the D-League. At some point this season it would be good to see him get some meaningful run with the parent club. The Celtics have a lot of work to do to clean up the roster congenstion and until then, Young is unlikely to get a lot of playing time here. It’s good to at least see him continue to work hard towards that end.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – Celtics brace for Rondo’s emotional return
Boston Globe – Rajon Rondo returns, as a Maverick and an enigma | Rajon Rondo’s return sure to draw attention
Boston Herald – Celtics point of new return | Timing, patience keys to framing Celtics future
CSNNE – Rondo’s return makes for emotional night for Celtics | Celtics’ Thornton (calf) won’t play Friday vs. Mavs | Blakely: don’t expect any waterworks from Rondo return
WEEI – Rajon Rondo’s return: one last gasp for the ignorant
MassLive – Rajon Rondo’s return: Former Boston Celtics teammates anticipate emotional homecoming | Practice notes | Brandon Bass: ‘I don’t think’ Rajon Rondo wanted to leave Boston Celtics
CBS Boston – Grande: Book on ‘New Big Three’ Era officially closes with Rondo’s return to Boston
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
