The Return Of The Classic Rondo

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/10/30/7130537/rajon-rondo-classic-celtics-vs-nets



The return of the classic Rajon Rondo
By Paul Flannery  @Pflanns on Oct 30 2014, 9:00a 5




Mike Lawrie
In the Celtics' season opener, we saw the Rondo we remember.



BOSTON -- According to the historical record, Rajon Rondo returned from a torn ACL on Jan. 17 against the Lakers. It was an otherwise forgettable evening with Rondo scoring eight points to go with four assists in a loss to the Kobe-less Lakers.

There were many forgettable nights like that last season. Rondo played only 30 games, skipping back-to-backs, and the Celtics limped home to a 25-57 record. They were not merely bad last season, they were boring and Rondo's play was mostly uninspiring. There were fleeting moments here and there -- a 19-point, 10-assist masterpiece against Orlando comes to mind -- but there was little to suggest the genius savant we've been accustomed to seeing on the parquet.

On Wednesday in the season opener against the Nets, Rondo reminded us of what we've been missing. He had five assists in the first quarter and four more in the second as the suddenly energized Celtics built a huge halftime lead. In the third quarter he knocked down all four of his shots, including a ridiculous three off the glass as the Celtics maintained control.

That was important because if last year's C's had an identity, it was the team that played hard, built big leads against decent opponents and couldn't hold them down the stretch. That was also important because as Rondo began to make shots and create space, he was able to do things like whip a blind pass to a cutting Avery Bradley for a layup.

"Rondo was classic," said his old teammate, Kevin Garnett. "I don't know what he said, he was at 83 percent? That was a hell of an 83 percent."

Everything about Rondo's game was vintage. He finished with 13 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds and if the game wasn't such a rout he undoubtedly would have found a way to get those three extra rebounds and a triple double. That's not a knock, by the way. It's a reflection of how Rondo controlled every aspect of the game when he was on the floor, just like the old days.

"He kind of looks like what I'd seen on film before I got here," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "I don't think he ever looked like that at any time last year, because he was coming back. And that's just the way it goes with that injury, but he is back to full speed."

Stevens wasn't surprised by what he saw. On Friday, the coach said that Rondo "absolutely destroyed our team in practice." It's been an obvious secret that Rondo was planning to return in time for the opener after having surgery for a fractured left hand suffered days before the team opened training camp.

Still, no one was really sure what to expect. How would he mesh with this unusual collection of guards and undersized bigs? If last year's performance was unsatisfying, this year was a total mystery. From the beginning, it was his show and this was his team, who made up for their lack of convention by shooting 56 percent from the floor and assisting on 57 percent of their makes.

More than the numbers, it was Rondo's mastery of events as they unfolded in real time that defined the evening. When they needed pace he gave them pace. When they needed patience in the half court he directed a high pick-and-roll barrage that helped Kelly Olynyk score 19 points and allowed eight different Celtics to reach double figures.

In an odd way, this team suits him. With Bradley and Marcus Smart, he has two tenacious defenders in the backcourt who can also help alleviate some of his ballhandling duties. In Olynyk, Jared Sullinger and Brandon Bass, he has three big forwards who can shoot from the outside and serve as credible pick-and-roll partners. And in Jeff Green and Tyler Zeller he has a wing and a big man who can run the floor with him and finish at the rim.

It was only one night and the Nets were without Brook Lopez, the kind of center who can exploit the Celtics' lack of size and pound them inside. Their November schedule is brutal with games against the Rockets, Mavs, Bulls, Thunder, Cavs, Grizzlies and Spurs. But a revitalized Rondo gives them a chance, and more importantly, a direction that has been sorely missed around here for a long time.




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