Rajon Rondo and the Boston Celtics

I hate to take away from Nick's pending wedding, but I'm pretty sure he want me to post this. So congrats Nick and enjoy:

This morning I caught Rajon Rondo on the Dennis and Callahan show responding to swirling trade rumors. Supposedly Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins are also on the block. Now as Wyc Grousbeck recently said on the Dale and Holley show phones calls and discussions happen all of the time in the NBA. Of course that’s what any savvy owner would say. Still, initially I was a little taken back by the rumors, as I’ve grown attached to this team over the last two years. Yet I like the fact that Danny Ainge is always thinking about how to prevent the C’s recent revival from being a flash in the pan. In order to be good over the next 5 years the Celtics are going to have to make some hard decisions. They have to decide who gets paid. And at the heart of it’s the delicate line professional sports teams walk right now. When it comes down to it fans in the 21st century are rooting for the jersey. But it still helps to follow guys over the course of several seasons. Ultimately this is a Rajon Rondo post, but I’d like to make three points regarding all of these rumors before delving into the numerous points of information that have surfaced about the former Kentucky point guard.

1. Kevin Garnett’s health or lack thereof hangs over all of this. I’m even more convinced than I was in January that if healthy the C’s could have made a hell of a run at the championship in 2009. I’d like to see this team get one more shot at it next year. Of course if KG is not effective, it’s not going to happen.

2. I’ve loved everything Ray Allen has brought to the C's. He’s been unselfish, professional and at times an assassin. I understand that he may have to be traded or not resigned after next season. But I don’t want the C’s to align themselves for one of the marquee 2010 guys and miss out on acquiring someone. I honestly don’t see LeBron or Wade ending up in Boston. And I’m not sold on Bosh. Wait and see I guess.

3. I’m a huge fan of Perkins. I know people outside of Boston can’t stand him, but it’s been awesome to watch his growth as a player. Just know that moving him will make things more difficult for KG.

On to Rondo…

Point One: Rondo is somewhere between stubborn/difficult and uncoachable.

- This notion has been floating around over the last few days and I just don’t buy it. Granted if memory serves that was the word out of Kentucky and Rondo slipped in the draft as a result. I’m positive that a lot more goes on behind closed doors than we’ll ever know. And I don’t doubt that Rondo and Doc Rivers disagree frequently. But how can you explain Rondo’s improvement over the past few seasons? He fits within Boston’s systems and can’t be doing this all on his own.

Point Two: Rondo was late for a playoff game, showing up an hour before tip off.

- Rondo danced around this a little bit in the Dennis and Callahan show. He never addressed the specific incident, but did admit he hates wasting time in the locker room. He just likes to show up, get dressed and play. In fact at times he’ll get to the game and sit in his car for a half hour before heading in. I’m torn on this one. To be honest it’s a little weird. Granted he’s entitled to his own routine. It just screams a little bit as a guy who is relying heavily on his health and youth. It does shed some light on the final topic.

Point Three: Rondo is not well liked by some of his teammates.

- My initial reaction is, what is this freaking kindergarten? You know who everyone likes? The 15th man on the roster. If they didn’t he be gone. This is the freaking NBA. Being liked isn’t the be all end all. He does not appear to be a cancer and if Rondo is such a jerk why is he in Perk’s wedding later this summer? Still I could see how he might not be buddies with everyone. The guy roller skates a massive amount in the off season and by all account is a little quirky. Still, is the NBA really a league where everyone is buddy buddy.

Point Four: Rondo’s defense suffered when KG went out and Derrick Rose lit him up in round one of the playoffs.

- This one might make me the angriest. You mean Rondo was a better defender when KG was on the floor? I always thought Brian Scalabrine, Glen Davis and Leon Powe brought the exact same defense. Here’s a thought. Paul Pierce was a better defender with KG. And so were Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins. And I bet KG would argue that it’s easier to defend with Rondo and Perk on the floor than say Ervin Johnson and Troy Hudson. And for the record Rose had a huge game one, got burned plenty by Rondo and did not win the series. Finally, Steve Nash has been talked about as a possible replacement. Now there’s a guy who struggles on D. And Nash is also almost exactly 12 years older than Rondo.
Point Five: Rondo is carried by the Big Three.

- As good as Rondo is he’s not at the point where he’s raising teammates’ games like Jason Kidd during his best years with the Nets. Still Rondo brings much needed energy, athleticism and playmaking to the C’s. He’s a rising star at the point guard position and there are not a lot of guys in the league who could do what Rondo does with the C’s, big three or not.

Point Six: He can’t shoot:

- I won’t point to his superb field goal percentage, which is greatly helped by layups and floaters. I don’t even think it’s necessary to delve into his improvement since coming out of Kentucky and all the work he is currently putting in. I’ll just say this. I hate when we focus on what a guy can’t do instead of looking at what they do. How many guys can throw up triple doubles in the playoffs? Not many.

Point Seven: Rondo thinks he’s a max contract guy.

- In the Dennis and Callahan interview Rondo said while he may not be there yet, he’d like to be. It was unclear if he thought he’d be there once his current contract runs out or after his next one. I absolutely love his game but I’m not sold on the max contract. Just because a team has the ability to give a max contract does not mean it should. One needs to only look at division rival Philadelphia, and numerous other teams as well, to see what happens when guys get drastically overpaid.
Point Eight: Overall Rondo is difficult.

- I’ve probably touched on this already. It’s just important to stress that shipping a guy out of town for that reason makes way less sense if Amar’e Stoudemire is on the other end of the deal. I’d like to compare it to the Red Sox letting Mo Vaughn walk and trading for Carl Everett, but Rondo doesn’t deserve to be spoken about in that company. How about the fact that Rondo will be 23 in February? How long did it take Paul Pierce to get it? Guys frequently come into the league, put up stats, get paid, and then figure out what it takes to win as they mature. Rondo has to go through that process as well. I'd hate to see a guy leave town because he's quirky and still maturing.

Clearly I’ve written 1000+ words when I could have gone with three: Don’t Trade Rondo. On the bright side it’s June, the C’s were knocked out in the second round and the NBA season is over. Yet the Celtics got some substantial airtime of late on WEEI. What a difference a few years make. Nothing wrong with that.

Sweet Surprise

Everytime I find myself staying outside of New England on business I always seem to forget that I won't be able to watch a majority of my favorite teams' games. So, I wasn't surprised to find the Wizards pregame show while flipping through the channels and cooking dinner. Naturally, I kept flipping hoping to be saved by a Law and Order rerun or a Family Guy mini marathon, but to my surprise...The Celtics-Pacers game is being televised nationally on ESPN.

Now, you can't compare Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinsohn's broadcast of Celts games with any other broadcast duo out there. Sure I am victim of some Homerism, but I just love those guys. I don't even care who is doing the broadcast tonight, in fact I could barely here them over the fan I was using to ventilitate my burnt-bacon smoke and I could care less. It s just a little taste of home and it is outstanding.

A couple of thoughts on the Celtics as we near the playoff run:

-When all the trades were made this past offseason it seemed, for the most part that the Celtics were "giving up the future" by unloading a lot of young players. But now, if you look at the way that Perkins, Powe, Rondo, Davis, and Allen (Tony) have developed over this season under the wings of those great veterans, I dont think that claim holds water. The young guys on the roster now are not only learing to play the game from some of the NBAs best players (arguably three of the best in the last 15 years in Pierce, Garnett, and Allen), they are learing to win, and doing it all in an environment where they do not bear the brunt of the pressure night in and night out. When you throw in the way that Ainge arranged the contract exirations of the big three (staggered to expire in 3 different seasons) these guys will be able to step up and fill in OR they will be well enough developed to be good trade material. Just as importantly to their value on the open market is that they will not have been "exposed" due to their mainly secondary roles on the team.

-I like the Glen Davis mohawk, I think KG would be really badass with a mohawk, and hope to see him come out with one for the playoffs.

-Am I the only one to not notice that PJ Brown is wearing number 93? Very peculiar...but hey, the guy is playing great for us.

-Jim O'Brien looks so much like a leprachaun, I can't get over it.

Push by The Cure...Sick.

The Oracle Speaks: Part 1 of a Weekend Series

I would like to request a special feature done on Robert Swift of the Seattle Sonics. I feel that the East Coast bias is depriving most of the United States of one of the great national treasures along with the Internet and Patrick Swayze. --Matt in Seattle

First Matt, I'd like to thank you for this request, which I am happy to grant. You are certainly dead on in your assessment of the effects that the East Coast media bias can have on an up-and-coming player's exposure. Sure, players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Greg Oden have been able to maintain a high profile despite playing (or, at least being under contract with in Oden's case) for Western Conference teams. However, there are plenty of guys (Kevin Martin and LaMarcus Aldridge come to mind) who are not getting the type of national attention that they would if they were playing on the East Coast. In the case of Robert Swift, I think that his relative anonymity is more a product of his inability to stay healthy than anything else. After missing all of last season with a knee injury, Swift has been on the shelf this seaon since November with knee and heel troubles. In the five games that he has played, Swift is averaging 1.6 points and 3 rebounds per game. Surely, you'd like to see more production from a center that is over 7 feet tall. Furthermore, Head Coach PJ Carlesimo has been outspoken about Swift needing to shed some of the weight that he has put on over the past two off-seasons. The fans from Boston would like to warn Swift to heed Carlesimo's advice. Otherwise this: could soon become this:
Perhaps the East Coast media bias is what's keeping Robert Swift from becoming a household name. But, I think that this guy needs to at least make it to Christmas healthy before we can really know what kind of star potential he has. Unless that happens, fans in New York, Detroit, Cleveland, and Miami may never know the name Robert Swift. In fact, they may confuse it with Stromile Swift. They may think that Robert Swift has not played an integral role in shaping the state of the NBA in 2007. They couln't be more wrong............

You see Matt, to the people in Boston, Robert Swift is a somebody. In fact, he's more than a somebody. He's a beacon of hope and good fortune. The name Robert Swift serves as a reminder to Celtics fans that no matter how incompetent the people managing your organization may be, there are always team executives out there who are equally or maybe even more incompetent. Because of this, the law of averages tells us that our team will indeed reap the benefits of other inept NBA executives from time to time. Still confused? Let me explain.

You see Matt, the Celtics right now are 20-3, and people all over Boston are singing the praises of Danny Ainge. Suddenly it all makes sense they say. We see what his plan has been all along. Well, the bottom line is that Danny Ainge fell ass-backwards into this good fortune. Look, as a credit to him, he remained true to his rebuilding system all along, refusing to compromise any pieces of his young core for crowd-pleasers such as Allen Iverson. I'm sure that these moves were tempting, and would have temporarily aleviated the pressure from the fans. But, they would not have put this team in a position to win a championship. Because Ainge held on to these young players, he was able to acquire Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. However, it has been well documented that the Timberwolves had much better offers for Garnett from a couple of Western Conference teams (I believe the best one was from Golden State). However, McHale chose to trade Garnett to Boston. Why would he do this? Why wouldn't he make the best move for his team? All signs point to the fact that he didn't want to move Garnett to another Western Conference team. Well, that is textbook incompetent GM strategy. Look, we're not talking about refusing to trade him to a division rival whom you might be battling for the top spot. We're talking about refusing to trade him to HALF OF THE OTHER TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE when you suck and aren't going to be competing for anything. If McHale had made the best trade for his team, the Celtics would be left without Garnett, which would have certainly meant no Eddie House or James Posey. Now, take last years team, add Ray Allen. The Celtics would be better, but certainly nowhere near as good as they are now. So, who do we really have to thank here? Certainly, Danny Ainge's role can't be discounted, but this would have never been possible were it not for McHale's incompetence.

Now, I realize that this is really long, and the last paragraph had nothing to do with Swift. But, you asked for a feature. So, you're getting a feature. Keep reading.

Now, let's take a stroll down memory lane. The date, June 24, 2004. The place, Madison Square Garden. I'm talking of course about the 2004 NBA draft. While most national sports analysts were busy debating about whether the Orlando Magic would select Emeka Okafor or Dwight Howard with the number 1 overall pick, sportswriters in Boston were reporting that Celtics GM Danny Ainge was absolutely smitten with a young seven footer from California: Robert Swift. In fact, ESPN.com's mock draft projected the Celtics taking Swift at 15, and says "if he makes it all the way to 15, the Celtics will definitely not pass on him. This pick has been in the works for months." The scout.com mock draft predicted the same choice and said "Celtics GM Danny Ainge reportedly loves Swift, and for good reason." Everyone knew it, the pick was a sure thing. Ainge and Swift were in love. And, really who can blame Danny here, let's take a look at Swift's air-tight resume at that point:

-Swift switched between three different schools in two years. He transfered from Garces Memorial High School to Highland High School after his junior year, and then to Bakersfield High School right before his senior year began. This seems sketchy.

-All of this transfering caused the California Interscholastic Federation to suspend him for the 03-04 season (his senior season). The decision was later overturned.

-A Seattle Times piece from June 28, 2004 by Percy Allen (note: the article was released after the draft, but NBA scouts and executives were privy to all of this information) read "His family's motives have been questioned and his former high-school coach was forced to resign as rumors swirl about recruitment and alleged improprieties."

- The following is a list of the creeds that appear atop the websites of the three high schools that Swift attended, in order.
First (Garces): "California's premeir high school."
Second (Highland): "Challenging students to acheive excellence."
Third (Bakersfield): "Once a driller, always a driller." Does this raise any questions about intelligence? Perhaps a wonderlic test is in order.

- Swift would be the first white player to be picked straight from high school, which would serve to further the unfair stereotype about the Celtics organization. (great article on ESPN.com by JA Adande about this misperception).

-Finally, this is a guy who did everything he could to avoid working out for NBA teams. The fact that he was doing this knowing that it would be a huge strike against him suggests that he was trying to hide some serious shortcomings. Brandan Wright and Chairman Yi both refused competitive workouts, but at least the scouts saw Wright against top-tier college talent and Yi against NBA talent in international play.

Now, everything that I just wrote on that resume is true, but bullshit at the same time. I mean, it's all true, but I don't actually think that these (aside from avoiding workouts) were legitimate reasons to pass on Swift. I'm just trying to show my dramatic side so that maybe I can be hired by a major network to work as a scab during the writers strike. But, I'm sure that none of this really factored in to why Danny Ainge was so fond of Swift. In reality, Swift had to leave Garces, a catholic school, because of some financial issues. So, he made the natural transition to Highland High School, and then realized that Bakersfield had the best basketball program (which makes sense, since he was planning on either attending USC on a basketball scholarship or playing in the NBA). But, regardless of the reasons, Danny Ainge wanted Robert Swift in the worst way. Well, maybe not the worst way. But, he really wanted him.

Danny would never have the oppurtunity to draft young Robert, who was taken by Seattle with the twelfth overall pick. Chad Ford's analysis of the Sonics pick reads: "Danny Ainge is crying his eyes out. At least we think so. The Celtics and Jazz were both trying to move up to get Swift so it's possible that this is a trade. However, it sounds like the Sonics are determined to keep him." That's right, determined to keep him. In his 2004 NBA draft diary, Bill Simmons (wiser than his peers as always) says of the pick "8:43 -- Thank God ... the Sonics just took Robert Swift, the high school center who looks like a cross between Fred Weis and Eric Montross. Of course, the Celtics loved him. Talk about dodging a bullet. Any time someone is avoiding workouts, all-star games, even interviews ... is this ever a good sign?" The rest Matt, as they say, is history. The Celtics never got Robert Swift on June 24, 2004. However, they did get Al Jefferson, Delonte West, and Tony Allen. Jefferson and West, both fan favorites during their time in Boston, were key pieces in the acquisitions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. So you see Matt, without Robert Swift somehow making himself attractive enough to warrant a selection at number 12 by the Sonics, none of what's happening right now in Boston would be possible.

Finally, I would just like to say that you may be right about Swift being a national treasure. I doubt he'll be one in the United States, but there are many great oppurtunities for him in Europe. I can't help but liken Swift to an ex-Sonic (and an ex-Celtic), Marty Conlon. Conlon averaged 2.7 points per game in 45 appearances for Seattle during the 1991-1992 season. So, they seem to have similar playing styles (although clearly Swift is lacking some of Conlon's durability). Conlon, although never finding great success as an NBA star, did serve as the co-captain of the Irish National Basketball team. I'm not sure how this happened, because he was born in New York. But, I read it, and I have even found a roster that confirms it here (you have to copy and paste it into your browser because I don't know how to put links in here): http://www.britball.com/irelandmen050804.html . The possibilities for Swift include, but are not limited to, Germany, France, England, Russia, and Hungary. Only time will tell Matt, but you may be right. Robert Swift may indeed be a national treasure.

Thanks for the e-mail,
NL