Rajon Rondo, assistant coach Ron Adams forging beneficial partnership at training camp

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2013/10/rajon_rondo_boston_celtics_ass.html



By Jay King, MassLive.com
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on October 02, 2013 at 12:31 PM





NEWPORT, R.I. – Kris Humphries apologized as he cut short an interview, but it wasn’t his fault. The Boston Celtics team bus was leaving, and he didn’t want to be left behind. Phil Pressey soon followed him out the door, the last of the healthy Celtics to depart the Salve Regina University gymnasium Wednesday morning.

Only one Celtics player stayed behind, opting not to leave with the bus. Rajon Rondo, recovering from ACL surgery and limited to non-contact drills in practice, worked on shooting drills with assistant coach Ron Adams.

Rondo participated in the first session, like he did Tuesday, but the team has decided to keep him out of two-a-days, so he'll miss the second on Wednesday afternoon. Showing little or no hesitation while going through offensive skill work, Rondo didn’t stop after the first practice when his teammates did. He remained on the floor to work on one-dribble pull-ups, shooting off the catch, shooting with a hand in his face, an array of drills designed to improve his accuracy from outside.

“It’s really not (rare),” said Avery Bradley. “I know he’s excited and anxious to come back. I’m just excited to see him working out, it lets me know that he’s closer to coming back, being on the court with me.”

Head coach Brad Stevens cautioned Rondo’s not too close.

“I’ve seen him every day, so it’s harder for me to tell than you to tell. He looks good to me,” said Stevens. “That being said, he still has a ways to go.”

He’s trying to get there, though. Celtics employees have been impressed by Rondo’s work ethic during his recovery, saying he’s begun to work with Adams every day. Adams has been given credit for helping Derrick Rose’s jumper, so he’s used to assisting explosive point guards who need to improve their form. According to one team employee, Adams works on plenty of technical stuff with Rondo. They sometimes work with the “heavy ball,” a weighted basketball often used to extend a player’s shooting range.

But Tuesday, they just used the regular ball. Rondo went to several different spots, listening to Adams’ advice in between certain attempts, working up a sweat on that improving knee. He stayed about an hour after practice before finally taking off, declining comment to reporters on his way out the door.

Rondo’s not the only one with open ears focused on Adams. Stevens has already credited the assistant for his defensive work with Vitor Faverani, and Tuesday said the grizzled veteran has been beneficial during his adjustment to the NBA.

“I feel bad for Ron Adams, I probably wear him out with questions,” said Stevens, who had nothing but praise for his staff. “And then Jamie (Young) and Jay (Larranaga) being here last year, Walter (McCarty) having the experience of an NBA player and an NBA assistant coach in a different situation. And then I put a lot on Micah (Shrewsberry) and Ron (Nored) because they were with me before. Everybody’s got their own strengths and role in this right now, but I lean on them all quite a bit.”

Adams spent the past two seasons as Chicago’s top assistant to Tom Thibodeau, but the team declined to keep him around when his contract ended. According to reports, Thibodeau was displeased with the move, which came from general manager Gar Forman. In a statement after Adams’ release, Thibodeau called him an “outstanding coach” and said he would miss him. A number of teams apparently agreed; a long line of the league’s top franchises lined up with interest.

But Adams chose the Celtics, and he and Rondo already seem to be forming a nice partnership. If the point guard comes back with an improved jump shot, partial credit goes the most experienced man on the bench.



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