Can Boston Celtics Build Legitimate Future Around Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green?

Bleacher Report

BY MATTHEW SCHMIDT (FEATURED COLUMNIST)

Regardless of whether or not Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce return next year, it's obvious that the two key pieces of the Boston Celtics' future are Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green.

Rondo, 27, will be the clear-cut best player on the team once Garnett and Pierce leave. It's no secret that a Celtics rebuild hinges on his ability to teach a group of youngsters and lead by example, and some wonder if Rondo has it in him to do that.

Green, 26, demonstrated his ability throughout the 2012-13 campaign. We saw him erupt for 43 points against the Miami Heat and then average 20.3 points per game in the playoffs. The question with Green is not if he can do it; it's if he will do it consistently.

Let me preface all of what I am about to say by stating this: Boston needs more than just Rondo and Green.

In this day and age, teams absolutely need a reliable third piece in the NBA. Unless they have a Shaq and Kobe-type of duo (and I don't see anything currently in this league that even begins to resemble that), the teams must have at least three dependable scorers to have a shot at a title.

Now, taking that into consideration, the answer to the original question is a reluctant yes.

I say the word "reluctant" because it is strongly predicated on the C's finding that third wheel. Maybe that third wheel is already on the team. Perhaps it is Jared Sullinger, who also figures to be a significant part of a Celtics rebuild. No matter who it is, Rondo and Green need some support, preferably being in the form of a big man.


Can Sullinger be the third wheel to assist Green and Rondo?
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
That being said, having Rondo and Green is undoubtedly a nice start.

Rondo is unquestionably one of the best point guards in the game, possessing otherworldly floor vision and a tenacity that few players in the league actually have. He is also incredibly unpredictable, making him all of the more dangerous, especially out in the open court.

Green is a Swiss army knife.

He can shoot from the perimeter, put the ball on the floor, explode to the rim and post up. He is also a fine defender, displaying solid shot-blocking prowess this past season and a knack for playing tough, physical defense on opposing small forwards. Green's versatility allows him to man both forward positions, creating mismatches at both spots.

What Celtics fans must understand is that this is going to be a rather difficult transition.

No matter how effective Rondo and Green are, they are not going to be as dominant as the combination of Garnett and Pierce (not to mention Ray Allen) was when the Big Three first formed in Boston back in 2007. That was essentially a once-in-a-lifetime type of team that we'll be lucky to witness again in the near future.

So, Rondo and Green will be good. Just not that good.

Then again, who knows? As has been said ad nauseam, if the C's can add another star to the club while also filling out the rest of the roster, Rondo and Green can do special things. After all, we already know that Rondo and Green will likely comprise a great tandem, given Rondo's affinity for getting out on the break and Green's propensity to run the floor like a gazelle and throw down monster slams.


Rondo also has a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

He definitely heard all of the chatter about the Celtics being better without him this year. People said that Boston's offense actually ran more smoothly sans No. 9, stating that Doc Rivers' squad shared the ball more and ran quicker, crisper sets.

Of course, that talk was thoroughly disproved in the playoffs, as the C's' offense came to a grinding halt without their floor general. Don't think that means Rondo has forgotten all of the criticisms that were thrown his way, however.

The ACL tear could serve as sort of an awakening for Rondo. When tragedy strikes, you really stop and put things into perspective, and we can only assume that the point guard did that and more while watching his brothers go into battle without him from Jan. 27 through the rest of the season.

Green has that chip, too.

The four-year contract he was given by the Celtics last summer was chastised by many, especially by former ESPN writer John Hollinger. Hollinger, who is now the vice president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies, called the deal (ESPN Insider required) "without a doubt, the worst contract of the summer."

How about a personal apology to Jeff, John?

While Green does not have the type of stubborn personality of Rondo, you can bet that he has taken Hollinger's words—as well as the comments of everyone else who doubted him—to heart.

It's not just about playing with extra motivation, though. It's also about utilizing your talents to the fullest, and in the right situation, Rondo and Green are both perfectly capable of doing just that.

In the end, there is a large faction of individuals who consider Rondo to be a top-two or top-three point guard in the NBA. There is also the ever-growing Green bandwagon that feels as if we are watching the birth of a new star.

I think I'll take a top-flight point guard and a potential star forward as building blocks for a successful future.

Wouldn't you?

112288

This writer doesn't know what the fock hes talking about, I see every team except Miami that is left has not built their teams around 2-3 superstars, you can build teams with good functional staters and borderline all star types, thats what Pacers and Grizzlies have done. Manu and Tim Duncan both cannot carry their teams load every night either, so Spurs are another team that has done it with good players playing definite roles within a functional system....ofcourse all those teams are loaded at the big positions too.

My only worry or fear is we are building the future around one guy that has ruptured his ACL and the other has had invasive heart surgery.

I know they are healed or healing, but I have to feel somewhat skeptical. Jeff Green had a great season after he recovered from heart surgery (aortic aneurism) But no telling what could happen with his heart. And Rondo will not be the Rondo we remembered.

I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking too much about this. Someone please convince me I'm overreacting and this is nothing to be concerned about.

dBrown,

You have to think this way although with Green if there was a high risk...I am sure the doctors, his family and Green would pull the plug. With Rondo, I think he will be ok as it was a partial tear...however he may lose a step and not he as explosive to the rim. It will take a year for him to play with confidence and not be protective of his knee.

112288

Ainge watching Oden. From today's Herald:


Greg Oden is still on the Celtics’ radar, but the oft-injured free agent center doesn’t seem to be a high priority. There have been good reports lately on Oden, who met with the C’s three months ago.

“We’ll look into Greg still,” Ainge said of the 2007 No. 1 overall pick who hasn’t played since making 21 appearances in the 2009-10 season. “He wasn’t ready to play when we saw him last. He wasn’t ready to work out — I mean, not like a real workout. We’ll probably check into that some time this summer.”

steve3344,

I'd like to see the Celtics take a step away from the "value" players and take a swing at the high risk/high return/high price tag player once or twice, but it may require giving Danny the axe. What would it take for example, to go after Chris Paul or LeBron? Or are we just too far over the cap for that to be a realistic pursuit?

db

I remember back in the 2004 NBA Finals when the Detroit Pistons defeated the LA Lakers with inferior talent (Billups, Hamilton, Wallace, etc). That team had no superstars, unlike LA (Bryant, Shaq, Malone, Payton) but they had many good players that played well together.

Moving forward this team can still be successful. You don't necessarily need a LeBron or KD type added, but they can maybe add a Josh Smith and another player of that caliber to the roster. We've seen what Memphis, Indiana, and Chicago (minus Rose) have done, and none of those teams had a point like Rondo or a clear-cut superstar leading the way.

Sullinger and Bradley will continue to improve. I'm sure other players will probably become parts of trades, which is okay because I'd trade anyone except the four I mentioned I would keep. The core is there to build around, so it's not like Boston has to do a complete rebuild from scratch.

Hi,
I think Celtics can build around RR and JG.
Continuing on k_j_88 note, they don't necessary need super-star. What they need is strong mental core/leader(s). I doubt that RR and JG are it.
In the past few years Celtics got lucky with KG and PP being both skills and mental leaders. Now they're leaving (my prediction) and the team has to fill that void.
That, of course, if they want to be contenders. If they're content with 2nd round exit - RR and JG are quite alright.

AK

@Sinus007: I do think Rondo is capable of filling that role as the mental leader. As I watched him sitting on the sidelines, we was highly vocal even though he couldn't play. That shows me that he is ready to be more open with his teammates in the future and can guide them even better.

To become a leader, I think JG may need another 2 full seasons. And in the meantime, they'll still have time to build around him and RR.

I'd have to say that the prospects are not too bleak.

There's been some discussion about building a team without stars and pointing to the 2003-04 Pistons as the example of how that can be successful, but I don't think that's an accurate depiction of those Pistons. Chauncey Billups, Rick Hamilton, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince were not just a group of no-names.

Billups -- 5x All-Star, Finals MVP, 3x 2nd or 3rd team All-Defensive, 3x 2nd or 3rd team All-NBA, member U.S. World Championships team

Hamilton -- 3x All-Star

Ben Wallace -- 4x All-Star. 4x Defensive Player of the Year, 5x 2nd or 3rd team All-NBA, 2x rebounding champion, 1x blocks champion, 6x 1st or 2nd team All-Defensive, member U.S. World Championships team

Rasheed Wallace -- 4x All-Star

Tayshaun Prince -- 4x 2nd team All-Defensive, member U.S. FIBA Americas Championships team, member U.S. Olympic team

In addition, all five of them were arguably at the peak of their careers. Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince were excellent role players, but Billups, Hamilton, and Rasheed were all more than willing to fill the go-to "star" role when needed. It was a team without superstars, but it wasn't a team without stars. They went to the Finals again the following season, and they had a six-year run of getting either to the Conference Finals or NBA Finals. They were a very good team.

While the Lakers were three-time champs, they were not what they once were. They had two superstars in Shaq and Kobe, but they were in a death spiral of animosity. Gary Payton was at the end of his career (how fondly do you remember him the following season in Boston?) and out of his element playing the triangle. Karl Malone was in his final season hobbled with a knee injury (he didn't play in game 5 of the Finals) and had his own issues with Kobe. The rest of their roster was over the hill or pedestrian. As if the team chemistry wasn't bad enough, that was the season of Kobe's trial in Colorado.

I just think that the perception of the little guy Pistons conjuring a miracle to overcome the big, bad Lakers that year undersells what the Pistons had and oversells what the Lakers were.

I wasn't stating that the Pistons were no names. Hamilton, Billups, Wallace (x2), and Prince were all very good players. However, they were never Kobe Bryant/Shaq caliber players, which was my overall point. You don't necessarily need the highest echelon of players, but a nice group of good players can get the job done as well. I agree that LA wasn't as good as they had been, but they still made the Finals with little opposition.