It happens every spring. A player capitalizes on some advantageous matchups in the playoffs, and the pundits rush to anoint him THE NEXT BIG THING. Think Mike Bibby torching the Lakers’ porous pick-and-roll defense circa 2002 or Hedo Turkoglu feasting on the Cavs’ wings last year. And that brings us to Rajon Rondo. Already, Slate’s Charles Pierce is readying the coronation for the newest-minted member of the now “Big Four”:
Let The Rajon Rondo Hyperbole Begin: NBA Playoffs Edition
Under Rivers’ guidance, Rondo has become the most unstoppable point guard in the NBA and, in the postseason, very likely the best one. The only one still with an argument is Steve Nash in Phoenix, and Nash has proved himself completely incapable of guarding Rondo at all. There will be people who will argue for New Orleans’ Chris Paul, who shoots better, and Utah’s Deron Williams, who is bigger and stronger, but neither of them have done what Rondo has done when games truly begin to count.
Ah, “when games truly begin to count”. Of course. Forget that Rondo’s teammates are simply better (now that they’re healthy) than either Chris Paul or Deron Williams’. Or that Rondo benefitted from some exquisitely permissive defense on behalf of Cavs “guard” (see what we just did there) Mo Williams. No, the Celtics are still playing and the Jazz/Hornets aren’t, so Rondo is better, QED.
Unfortunately, Rondo is certainly not the “most unstoppable” point guard in the game today, because all it really takes to contain him is to back up about five feet and dare him to shoot. Despite his real improvements from distance, his shot is still a rather glaring liability (Rondo has put up a TS% of 54.3 and 54.0 the past two season, as compared to 59.9 and 58.4 for Paul and 57.3 and 57.4 for Williams. Nash sets the gold standard for point guards at 61.5 the past two years, down from his 65.4 in 2007).
Given his undeniably immense physical gifts, Rondo’s ceiling is certainly higher than any other point guard alive today, but let’s not go overboard: he’s still the third or fourth-best point guard right now. Which is still pretty darn good.
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