Rajon Rondo: Why the All-Star Point Guard Should Say That He Is the Best PG

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Jul 302012
 

Rajon Rondo thinks he’s the best at what he does.

The Celtics point guard told a French website:

“I think I am one of the best playmakers in the league. I think I’m the best point guard in the league.”

Let me be clear, I do not think Rondo is the best point in the league. I have even written an article stating that I would take Chris Paul over Rondo right now.

However, I take no issue in him saying he is the best.

Having confidence is often skewed as cockiness by the American media. We like to keep the figurative “best” title only for certain athletes.

Remember when Eli Manning said that he was on the same level as Tom Brady and basically everyone jumped on his back?

There were responses like, “Are you kidding me Eli? Brady has won three Super Bowls and you have only one!”

What do you expect him to say? That he is inferior to these players?

When you play on a competitive level, you need to believe you are the best. There really is no reason for athletes to concede that they are not as skilled as their competitors.

This isn’t like an unknown backup saying he is the best. Rondo exploded on the playoff stage once more, averaging 17.3 points, 11.9 assists and 6.7 rebounds.

He has the right to make such a claim, without receiving a firestorm of criticism. Whether or not you believe that Rondo is the best point guard is irrelevant.

I would want my team’s franchise player to say he is the best because it exudes confidence. Confidence allows teams to sometimes beat opponents that no one thought possible.

It worked for Namath. It worked for Eli, after he beat Brady for a second Super Bowl victory.

It might even work for the Celtics point guard, as he chases NBA title No. 2.

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NBA Draft 2012: 6 Prospects Facing Draft-Day Free Falls

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Jun 252012
 

With the 2012 NBA Draft just days away, players’ stocks will be as inconsistent as the Dow Jones.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, incoming players’ skills are analyzed with the strongest of microscopes.

Depending on trades and a team’s specific needs, it’s not shocking to see a potential superstar fall in the draft.

There is nothing wrong with slipping in the draft.

Monta Ellis and Marc Gasol, two young, rising stars in the NBA, were both drafted in the second round.

Tom Brady was taken as the 199th pick by the New England Patriots in 2000.

Enough said.

Here is a look at six players whose stocks will falter once draft day rolls around.

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LeBron James and Tom Brady: What Makes America Hate Them?

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Jun 202012
 

Let’s face it. We are a nation of haters.

That’s right.  If it’s not happening to us, for us, by us, or for our favorite player or team, we hate it.

Rarely can we see past our hate and appreciate the achievements of others. It could be natural.  It could be psychological.  Who knows?  

The fact remains, it’s there. And we can’t deny it.

Such is the case with America’s relationship with two of our most famous athletes: LeBron James and Tom Brady.

Both have been called the best to play their respective sports. Both possess skills from another planet.

Both are pretty nice guys, too.

Regardless of these facts, few would argue that the two of them are among the most hated athletes in America. Outside of the metropolitan areas they play in, few people are pulling for these guys on a regular basis.

I am, admittedly, a LeBron hater. I don’t know why. I know it has nothing to do with the fact that he is the best at what he does, because at the same time, I am a fan of Tom Brady.

Let me rephrase that. I would break a bottle over your head in defense of Tom Brady’s honor in an argument.  

I’ve been mulling it over for quite some time now, trying to figure out what our problem is. I believe I’ve concluded that it boils down to jealousy.

Think about it. What is it they do that is so different from what you would do if you had the same ability and money?  Would you build a $12 million house if you could afford it? Would you quit your job for a better situation and better coworkers in a tropical paradise if you could? Would you marry a supermodel and take vacations to Brazil?

I know I would. 

Let’s think about the paths both James and Brady took to get where they are now.

James was crowned by ESPN and other media outfits as the king of the sport while he was in high school. Alone, albeit temporarily, he made the Cleveland Cavaliers relevant again. He had Cleveland, a city that doesn’t win anything, on the cover of newspapers and magazines nationwide. Unlike countless athletes in the past, he had lived up to the hype. Like most great athletes, his fans equaled his haters.

Then it happened.

The Decision. It changed everything. One hour-long infomercial about LeBron and what path his career would take changed America’s view of him. We said he was selling out, throwing in the towel and admitting defeat, all before a national audience.

But was he really? Or was he doing what all of us have tried or should be trying to do in our lives? Wasn’t he trying to improve his situation?

He finished out his contract. He had no further obligations to the Cavaliers or the city of Cleveland.  He did his job. Like the rest of us often do, he went to where the grass appeared to be greener.

In a sport all too often criticized for a lack of team play, he organized a miniature dream team, in hopes of winning the ultimate team award.  The same country that rooted on the original 1992 Dream Team turned against him, myself included.

Did The Decision come off as arrogant?  Perhaps.  Let’s think about it, though.  How many of you have tweeted or updated your Facebook status to tell the world about a new car, job, girlfriend, child or hamburger joint? We all have. LeBron just used a bigger stage. You would have, too, if you had the resources.

Then we have Tom Brady. The ultimate underdog. He got a shot to play at Michigan on the back of a home video his high school coach filmed and sent to the Big Ten school.  

Once at Ann Arbor, he was buried on the depth chart.  For the next three years, he clawed his way to the top, only to be pushed aside when Michigan signed Drew Henson, a kid whom ESPN and other media outlets had nicknamed “The Phenom.”

After all of this, when Michigan needed big wins most, it was Brady who came through. He played his biggest games on the biggest stages with the poise of a pro.

You all know the story of how he was passed over for the better part of six rounds of the NFL draft, including by the Patriots. You all know how he got his shot as a starter on a mediocre New England team when Drew Bledsoe got injured.  And we all know what happened after that.

Like James, Brady made a forgotten franchise the envy of an entire sport. His hard work and meticulous style, fueled by a permanent chip on his shoulder, made him the best in the game.

Even after his team was accused of cheating and his success appeared to be tainted, he would lead them to a perfect regular season, falling, as you all know, to the Giants in the Super Bowl.  

Much has been made of how Brady and the Patriots haven’t won anything since ‘Spy-gate.” Super Bowls, no. But they’ve played in two and been the winningest team in the NFL since it broke. And you still hate him.

You hate him for his non-sports related magazine covers. You hate him for his hair. You hate him for dancing on vacation.  OK.  

Don’t hate him for lobbying officials to make calls. Everyone does it. Don’t hate him for being the NFL’s golden boy. Someone has to do it. From Namath to Montana, there has always been one.

The bottom line for both LeBron and Brady is that they are hated because they have what all of us want: Money, Success, Fame, Power, Attention.

These guys have it all. They worked for it all. That’s what this country is about, and its too bad most of us let our jealousy get in the way of appreciating that. Myself included.

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Bulls vs. Heat: LeBron James’ Me-First Attitude Will Hurt Miami

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Apr 192012
 

It all comes down to Thursday night for the Heat. By the time it’s over, they’ll just have to get used to the idea of being second best.

As it stands, the Bulls have a two-and-a-half-game lead on the Heat in the Eastern Conference standings, and with a win on Thursday, they can widen it to three-and-a-half games with three games remaining in the season. If the Heat don’t win, they’ll be relegated to the No. 2 seed.

Though the Heat have won four straight and are about to kick off their final stretch at home, the Bulls will be ready on Thursday. And while the rest of the team worries about how to stop Chicago from locking up the top seed, LeBron James is pondering his chances of locking up the league MVP.

Because, naturally, in the midst of a playoff race, superstars should always be thinking about winning MVPs.

The Daily Herald‘s Mike McGraw wrote that on Wednesday, James told Fox Sports Florida: 

It would mean a lot, honestly. I work hard during the offseason, I work hard during the season to be the MVP. I want to be the MVP every year for my teammates, the MVP for my fans every single year. That’s how I approach the game every night. 

James’ intentions were probably good. Most likely, what he meant to say was that he wants to make his team better by being the best he can possibly be.

But it didn’t come out that way. It came out as James saying, “I’m thinking about how much I want to be the MVP.”

James’ commentary represents, in a nutshell, everything that is wrong with the Heat. Just like his ridiculous “decision” special was a shameless ploy to get attention—to place the focus solely on himself—he has yet again taken what was a great week for the Heat and offered himself up as a dangerous distraction.

Isn’t it common knowledge that professional athletes are supposed to pretend they don’t care about winning MVP awards? Whether or not the sentiment is genuine, they’re supposed to at least say that individual honors don’t matter. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady talk about the uselessness of MVP awards all the time. They’ve both won championships.

It’s hard to believe that winning this gold medal is enough for LeBron, whether or not he ever wins a title—but is it? He seems like he’d be pretty satisfied with a plaque that says he’s the best of the best. 

Meanwhile, the Bulls—who have somehow managed to stay atop the conference standings despite injuries to reigning MVP Derrick Rose—are thinking about Thursday’s showdown. They’ve won four of five, including a 96-86 overtime victory over the Heat last week, while devising a way to compete if Rose isn’t healthy enough to be a factor in the playoffs.

The question is this: If James is about a week removed from an overtime loss to the team that stands in the way of the Heat and a trip to the NBA finals, why is he taking the bait and talking about winning the MVP? Why didn’t he just say what he was supposed to say: “That’s not important right now.”

At this point, succeeding down the stretch and into the playoffs comes down to focusing, and it comes down to playing like a team. Whether or not James wins the MVP is inconsequential because it won’t guarantee the Heat a championship.

The Bulls may be battered, but at least they have their heads on straight, and at least they are finding a way to win, with or without their own MVP. And the difference is, none of them are talking about those three letters because they know it won’t do anything to help them win on Thursday.

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Larry Bird or Tom Brady? Boston Votes for Its Most Beloved Athlete

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Mar 262012
 

ESPN Boston has been running a March madness-style bracket over the past few weeks to determine the city’s most beloved athlete of all time.

The competition has reached the final and the last two athletes standing are Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and former Celtics forward Larry Bird.

In a city with such a storied history of athletic excellence, to be named the most beloved athlete Boston has ever seen is quite an honor.

Bird and Brady each have had storied careers that transcended their respective sport, but instead of comparing their legacies, let’s decide who is the more beloved Boston athlete.

Tom Brady came into the NFL with no expectations. He slid to the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft and was barely able to make the Patriots roster. Brady sat on the bench his first season and it seemed he had little chance of ever receiving playing time.

Brady’s opportunity arrived four games into his second season when then starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe went down with a serious concussion. Once he was handed the ball Brady never gave it back and that season led the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory.

Since then, Brady has captured two more Super Bowl rings as well as two NFL MVP awards.

Brady is most beloved for stepping into the league with little recognition and fighting for everything he got. His hard work and self confidence allowed him to develop into one of the best quarterbacks in league history.

Brady also is known as a fierce competitor who will do whatever it takes to win. He is compared to his childhood idol Joe Montana for his cool demeanor under pressure and ability to play his best when it matters most.

Larry Bird entered the NBA under much different circumstances than Brady. He was the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, despite the fact the Celtics knew Bird would play one more season in college before joining the team.

Bird was inserted into the starting lineup immediately and was given the keys to the franchise. He became known for filling up the stat sheet through his ability to score, pass and rebound at an elite level.

In just his second season, Bird led the Celtics to an NBA title in what would be his first of three NBA championships. He was also able to win three consecutive league MVPs from 1984-86 and is revered as one of the best players in league history.

Like Brady, Bird is known for his competitive fire and hitting big shots and making big plays when the Celtics needed it most.

Bird was also famously known for his work ethic. He would show up hours before games and run up and down the Boston Garden and take thousands of jump shots each day.

The big difference between Bird and Brady, and the reason why I believe Bird is more beloved in the city of Boston is because of his demeanor and personality.

Citizens in Boston really related to Bird because of his hard working blue-collar attitude. He was someone who didn’t have great athleticism and wasn’t a physical specimen, but instead became great through his tenacity, work ethic and overall knowledge of the game.

The city of Boston is filled with hard working-class people and they all viewed Larry Bird as one of them.

Tom Brady, although beloved in the city, is viewed as being very Hollywood most notably for his marriage to supermodel Gisele Bundchen. He is often seen at parties and high profile events, while Bird liked to keep to himself and enjoyed things like mowing his lawn in Indiana during the summer time.

Tom Brady and Larry Bird are both historic athletes who are beloved in the city of Boston. Ultimately, I believe Bird is more beloved because of how the fans related to his blue-collar persona.

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NBA Trade Rumors: Boston Celtics Would Be Wise to Keep Rajon Rondo

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Mar 102012
 

Rajon Rondo is one of the biggest names rumored to be on the trade market, but the Boston Celtics don’t seem to be in a big hurry to move their All-Star point guard. 

According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, Danny Ainge is going to need to see a package that makes his jaw drop to the floor before considering a deal. 

“Rival executives believe Celtics president Danny Ainge would have to be blown away by an offer to move point guard Rajon Rondo,” Berger wrote.

In addition to that, Ainge is quick to defend Rondo’s improved play as a reason to keep him for the future and using him as a building block. 

“I feel like Rondo is making incredible strides as a player, as a leader, as a teammate, and as a player in every way — offense and defense — it’s almost as silly to me as when the Patriots lose two games and people want to blame Tom Brady. When you’re the best player on a team that’s not living up to your expectations, you’re a hot topic.” 

As much as the Celtics look like a shell of their former self, trading your best player, who is signed to an affordable long-term deal and in the prime of his career, doesn’t make a lot of sense. 

The Celtics aren’t in a terrible spot, they just have to make a few moves—either before the trade deadline or in the offseason—to get back to the top of the Eastern Conference with the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. 

For them to do that, Rondo has to be the player running the offense. His shooting is still the weakest part of his game, but he has gotten much better at finding ways to create high-percentage shots. 

Of all the problems that the Celtics have, Rondo is not one of them. Attitude and character questions aside, he is their best player, and it is not particularly close. Trading him would be giving away any chance the team has to compete for playoff spots in the next few seasons. 

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Rajon Rondo Is the Tom Brady of the Celtics; Don’t Trade Him, Build Around Him

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Feb 132012
 

At this point, I’ve just about given up trying to convince everyone that Rajon Rondo is the best point guard in the league. I tried, I really did.

It seems like every time I suggest that he’s the future of the Celtics franchise, the trade rumors start all over again and Rondo’s era in Boston looks like it’ll end before it ever really starts. 

The longer the Celtics go with refusing to disband the Big Three, the clearer it becomes to me that they don’t want to leave this team in Rondo’s hands.

The Celtics are headed for a one-and-done playoff situation. Why? Because they have only one player on their roster who’s in his prime. Rondo. That’s it. 

In contrast, the Patriots have eight guys who were chosen for the Pro Bowl last January. Tom Brady won MVP for the second time in 2010. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez haven’t even hit their prime years yet and they’re already superstars. The Patriots have a list of young, raw-talent guys who will be elite one day.

The Bruins have a list of vicious players performing at an elite level: Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas, just to name a few.

Even with prime guys like David Krejci struggling with inconsistency and Nathan Horton battling concussion symptoms, the team is still incredibly deep and ready to win another Stanley Cup. 

Tyler Seguin is so good and so young, he won’t be in his prime for another few years. It’s scary to think about how great he will be. Seguin could have four or five Stanley Cups by the time he retires. Like Rondo, he represents the future of his franchise.

Brady is 34. Patrice Bergeron is 26. The age of a leader doesn’t matter, just as long as the leader is playing at an elite level. Right now, the Celtics have only one damn player who’s playing the best basketball of his career, and he’s only 25.

They have one player who gets better every year, and that’s the guy the Celtics want to trade. I can’t believe there’s anyone in Celtics management who’s looking at this team and thinking, “Yeah, if we get rid of Rondo, we’ll be on the right track. This team is going places!” 

This team isn’t going anywhere.

Derrick Rose didn’t play on Sunday, and the Bulls still almost beat the Celtics. In a seven-game slugfest with an elite team, the Celtics won’t have the juice to get it done. The players themselves aren’t at fault; poor management simply hasn’t put the proper pieces in place to win.

The longer we keep making excuses for the Celtics and refuse to fix the problems, the longer we’ll continue being disappointed.

Many fans are frustrated about last week’s game against the Lakers. The fact that Los Angeles was gift-wrapping open jumpshots for Rondo down the stretch, thereby bottling up the rest of Boston’s offense, is concerning.

To a certain extent, that line of thinking is absolutely correct.

However, the disrespect that Rondo gets as a shooter wouldn’t be a problem if Boston had more dominant players on offense. The Celtics simply don’t have any unstoppable scorers.

If anything, every offensive threat on the Celtics is pretty stoppable. It’s not as bad as Chris Paul‘s former situation in New Orleans, but it’s similar. You have a great point guard playing with guys who can’t score on demand. It’s why Paul wanted to go to the Lakers or the Clippers, and it’s why the Celtics will keep struggling if new players aren’t brought into the fold.

During the Celtics’ championship run a few years ago, Rondo had those dominant guys to rely on. Kevin Garnett was an absolute beast; he imposed his will on opponents like a maniac. Ray Allen was lethal. Down the stretch of a big game, Paul Pierce was the man. Pierce is still one of the five most important Celtics of all time, but is he still unstoppable right now? Is he in his prime? Is Garnett? Is Allen?

It isn’t disrespectful to ask these questions. If you owned the Celtics, these are the questions you’d have to ask yourself.

Well, in a sense, you do own the Celtics. You own them because you’re fans, and the team belongs to the fans. That means you and I are part owners of this team. The ultimate goal is to beat the Heat and the Lakers. In a seven-game series, can we beat those teams right now? I don’t think we can. So, we can either stay on this course, or we can act and make big changes. 

The thought of Pierce in a different jersey makes me sick to my stomach. But if we can trade him for a young player (or several young players) who can help us beat the Heat in the playoffs, then it simply must be done. I’m willing to do anything to keep the Heat from winning the trophy.

If we can get some dominant players in exchange for one or two of the Big Three, we have to pull the trigger. We have to make that trade, despite the emotional pain involved. 

The Patriots have been trading and releasing legendary players for years, and they continually do it without emotion. It’s never personal, and it never affects the legacy of the players. You do whatever you have to do to improve the team.  

If Rondo had legitimate offensive weapons, it wouldn’t matter if he shot 70 percent from the field or 5 percent from the field. It wouldn’t matter if defenders played right up on him or six feet away, because he’d have guys who can score. 

Rondo has no elite weapons to work with, so his weakness as a shooter stands out more. When teams play five feet off him, it makes him look like a schmuck. But it’s not Rondo’s fault. Danny Ainge hasn’t given Rondo a scorer in his prime who can make the big play on a consistent basis. 

For years now, Rondo’s been stuck with the ball at the tail-end of the shot clock because nobody else is open enough or reliable enough to feed the ball to. Allen is smothered in constant coverage; it’s amazing that he gets open as often as he does. 

Rondo is the future. He’s the best point guard in the league and he’s capable of leading the Celtics to glory for another 10 years. He’s Brady, he’s Bergeron, he’s the engine. You don’t discard a guy like that, you build around a guy like that. You give that guy the weapons to win. 

Ainge should sit down with the Milwaukee Bucks and find a way to get Brandon Jennings. In exchange, the Bucks can have anyone on the Celtics except Rondo. With Rondo at point guard and Jennings at shooting guard, the Celtics would have a young, raw and unstoppable backcourt.

Consider how many teams will struggle in the postseason, especially in the Western Conference. There are so many teams who would probably be willing to give up a young star in exchange for a seasoned veteran who can provide leadership.

Ainge should sit down with the Kings and see what they want for Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton or DeMarcus Cousins. He should sit down with the Grizzlies and sniff out a deal for Rudy Gay or O.J. Mayo.

The Warriors, the Thunder and the Rockets have plenty of young talent that we can use. Likewise, they’re probably looking for older leaders to provide wisdom in the event they find themselves in a Western Conference showdown with the Lakers.

Ainge needs to stop offering our youngest and brightest player as the sacrificial lamb. Start rebuilding this ballclub around Rondo. Every team in the league except the Heat will probably be looking to deal with the Celtics, so start inquiring.  

The Knicks clearly play better when they’re not clogged with superstars and egos, so maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Ainge to reach out and see if New York’s looking to trim the fat. I realize there’s a rivalry there, but you never know. 

Just do something, Danny Ainge. Do something, and do it without eliminating the only elite player on our team. Rondo is our franchise player now. If we lose him, we lose the future. Realize it now, and don’t let this kid go.

Brady won three Super Bowls before he turned 28. Rondo is 25 and he’s already got one ring. There’s no reason why he can’t have two more in the next few years. The Celtics organization needs to stop making excuses and make it happen.

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Rajon Rondo is the Tom Brady of the Celtics: Don’t Trade Him, Build Around Him

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Feb 132012
 

At this point, I’ve just about given up trying to convince everyone that Rajon Rondo is the best point guard in the league. I tried, I really did.

It seems like every time I suggest that he’s the future of the Celtics franchise, the trade rumors start all over again and Rondo’s era in Boston looks like it’ll end before it ever really starts. 

The longer the Celtics go with refusing to disband the Big Three, the clearer it becomes to me that they don’t want to leave this team in Rondo’s hands.

The Celtics are headed for a one-and-done playoff situation. Why? Because they have only one player on their roster who’s in his prime. Rondo. That’s it. 

In contrast, the Patriots have eight guys who were chosen for the Pro Bowl last January. Tom Brady won MVP for the second time in 2010. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez haven’t even hit their prime years yet and they’re already superstars. The Patriots have a list of young, raw-talent guys who will be elite one day.

The Bruins have a list of vicious players performing at an elite level: Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas, just to name a few.

Even with prime guys like David Krejci struggling with inconsistency and Nathan Horton battling concussion symptoms, the team is still incredibly deep and ready to win another Stanley Cup. 

Tyler Seguin is so good and so young, he won’t be in his prime for another few years. It’s scary to think about how great he will be. Seguin could have four or five Stanley Cups by the time he retires. Like Rondo, he represents the future of his franchise.

Brady is 34. Patrice Bergeron is 26. The age of a leader doesn’t matter, just as long as the leader is playing at an elite level. Right now, the Celtics have only one damn player who’s playing the best basketball of his career, and he’s only 25.

They have one player who gets better every year, and that’s the guy the Celtics want to trade. I can’t believe there’s anyone in Celtics management who’s looking at this team and thinking, “Yeah, if we get rid of Rondo, we’ll be on the right track. This team is going places!” 

This team isn’t going anywhere.

Derrick Rose didn’t play on Sunday, and the Bulls still almost beat the Celtics. In a seven-game slugfest with an elite team, the Celtics won’t have the juice to get it done. The players themselves aren’t at fault; poor management simply hasn’t put the proper pieces in place to win.

The longer we keep making excuses for the Celtics and refuse to fix the problems, the longer we’ll continue being disappointed.

Many fans are frustrated about last week’s game against the Lakers. The fact that Los Angeles was gift-wrapping open jumpshots for Rondo down the stretch, thereby bottling up the rest of Boston’s offense, is concerning.

To a certain extent, that line of thinking is absolutely correct.

However, the disrespect that Rondo gets as a shooter wouldn’t be a problem if Boston had more dominant players on offense. The Celtics simply don’t have any unstoppable scorers.

If anything, every offensive threat on the Celtics is pretty stoppable. It’s not as bad as Chris Paul‘s former situation in New Orleans, but it’s similar. You have a great point guard playing with guys who can’t score on demand. It’s why Paul wanted to go to the Lakers or the Clippers, and it’s why the Celtics will keep struggling if new players aren’t brought into the fold.

During the Celtics’ championship run a few years ago, Rondo had those dominant guys to rely on. Kevin Garnett was an absolute beast; he imposed his will on opponents like a maniac. Ray Allen was lethal. Down the stretch of a big game, Paul Pierce was the man. Pierce is still one of the five most important Celtics of all time, but is he still unstoppable right now? Is he in his prime? Is Garnett? Is Allen?

It isn’t disrespectful to ask these questions. If you owned the Celtics, these are the questions you’d have to ask yourself.

Well, in a sense, you do own the Celtics. You own them because you’re fans, and the team belongs to the fans. That means you and I are part owners of this team. The ultimate goal is to beat the Heat and the Lakers. In a seven-game series, can we beat those teams right now? I don’t think we can. So, we can either stay on this course, or we can act and make big changes. 

The thought of Pierce in a different jersey makes me sick to my stomach. But if we can trade him for a young player (or several young players) who can help us beat the Heat in the playoffs, then it simply must be done. I’m willing to do anything to keep the Heat from winning the trophy.

If we can get some dominant players in exchange for one or two of the Big Three, we have to pull the trigger. We have to make that trade, despite the emotional pain involved. 

The Patriots have been trading and releasing legendary players for years, and they continually do it without emotion. It’s never personal, and it never affects the legacy of the players. You do whatever you have to do to improve the team.  

If Rondo had legitimate offensive weapons, it wouldn’t matter if he shot 70 percent from the field or 5 percent from the field. It wouldn’t matter if defenders played right up on him or six feet away, because he’d have guys who can score. 

Rondo has no elite weapons to work with, so his weakness as a shooter stands out more. When teams play five feet off him, it makes him look like a schmuck. But it’s not Rondo’s fault. Danny Ainge hasn’t given Rondo a scorer in his prime who can make the big play on a consistent basis. 

For years now, Rondo’s been stuck with the ball at the tail-end of the shot clock because nobody else is open enough or reliable enough to feed the ball to. Allen is smothered in constant coverage; it’s amazing that he gets open as often as he does. 

Rondo is the future. He’s the best point guard in the league and he’s capable of leading the Celtics to glory for another 10 years. He’s Brady, he’s Bergeron, he’s the engine. You don’t discard a guy like that, you build around a guy like that. You give that guy the weapons to win. 

Ainge should sit down with the Milwaukee Bucks and find a way to get Brandon Jennings. In exchange, the Bucks can have anyone on the Celtics except Rondo. With Rondo at point guard and Jennings at shooting guard, the Celtics would have a young, raw and unstoppable backcourt.

Consider how many teams will struggle in the postseason, especially in the Western Conference. There are so many teams who would probably be willing to give up a young star in exchange for a seasoned veteran who can provide leadership.

Ainge should sit down with the Kings and see what they want for Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton or DeMarcus Cousins. He should sit down with the Grizzlies and sniff out a deal for Rudy Gay or O.J. Mayo.

The Warriors, the Thunder and the Rockets have plenty of young talent that we can use. Likewise, they’re probably looking for older leaders to provide wisdom in the event they find themselves in a Western Conference showdown with the Lakers.

Ainge needs to stop offering our youngest and brightest player as the sacrificial lamb. Start rebuilding this ballclub around Rondo. Every team in the league except the Heat will probably be looking to deal with the Celtics, so start inquiring.  

The Knicks clearly play better when they’re not clogged with superstars and egos, so maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Ainge to reach out and see if New York’s looking to trim the fat. I realize there’s a rivalry there, but you never know. 

Just do something, Danny Ainge. Do something, and do it without eliminating the only elite player on our team. Rondo is our franchise player now. If we lose him, we lose the future. Realize it now, and don’t let this kid go.

Brady won three Super Bowls before he turned 28. Rondo is 25 and he’s already got one ring. There’s no reason why he can’t have two more in the next few years. The Celtics organization needs to stop making excuses and make it happen.

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New York, New York: A Week to Remember

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Feb 132012
 

There has never been a greater week in the history of New York sports.

It all started last Sunday when the New York Football Giants stunned the football world yet again, knocking off Tom Brady and the Patriots for the second time. Mario Manningham made a David “Tyree-esque” catch, that propelled the Giants to their second most unlikely victory of all time.

With hundreds of thousands of people filling the streets of New York City in celebration of the Giants’ victory, the week was just getting started.

 

 

The night before the Super Bowl, all hope was lost in the Knicks season.

Down by a large amount to the woeful New Jersey Nets, without the likes of their all-star shot chucker Carmelo Anthony, coach Mike D’Antoni had no other option but to give a young kid by the name of Jeremy Lin some playing time.

I would describe his background but if you don’t know it already maybe you should turn on the news instead of reading this article. Lin led all scorers in the game with 25. This performance earned him his first start against the Utah Jazz, in light of the depressing news of A’mare Stoudemire’s brother’s tragic death in a car accident.

Lin racked up 28 points and seven assists against the Jazz propelling them to their second straight win, the first time the Knicks won back to back games since early January.

On Wednesday night, Lin recorded his first double double scoring 23 points and 10 assists, including a highlight reel dunk. Kobe Bryant was interviewed about what he thought of the Lin situation, and Bryant was almost completely clueless of what Lin was doing in New York. Kobe quickly learned what all the fuss was about as Lin dropped 38 points on him, the most by a Knick this season.

Playing in his fifth game in eight days, Lin showed signs of exhaustion in his game the following night against the Timberwolves, or should I say “Muskies?” However, he still managed to score 20 points and dish out eight assists. Most importantly he hit the game winning free throw to give the Knicks their fifth straight win.

Never has their been a more exciting story in the basketball world, as Jeremy Lin continues to shock everyone. The most eye opening stat is that no one since the NBA-ABA merger has scored more points than Jeremy Lin in their first four starts, and only one other person has more assists, a fellow by the name of John Stockton.

With all of the hype surrounding the Giants and the Knicks, a very important New York team has gone completely unrecognized, The New York Rangers. The Rangers won their last three games, propelling them to first in the east, and second in all of hockey. The Rangers haven’t had this good of a start in recent history.

In baseball, even the Yankees are making some news as they are trying to deal away AJ Burnett, which would not be bad at all. As Burnett only has a 34-35 record in the Bronx.

The Giants won the Super Bowl, the Knicks have found a potential savior, and the Rangers are arguably the best team in hockey. What a week. 

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Jeremy Lin: How Many Actually Exist in All of Sports?

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Feb 122012
 

You’ve heard all about it. Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round. Kurt Warner wasn’t drafted at all and stocked shelves at a grocery store before becoming an elite NFL quarterback. Michael Oher was homeless, yet became a fist-round draft pick. These three examples are all one in a million, right? Wrong, absolutely wrong.

Jeremy Lin is a prime example of how a true athlete conducts himself when given the opportunity to succeed. Did the New York Knicks anticipate the rapid success of Lin? Of course not. If he was able to be on an NBA roster he was certainly worthy to be given a chance to play in a game.

What a difference one week has made in that young man’s life. Fans are going Lin-sane over him, and he has delivered while being in the spotlight. He out-performed Kobe Bryant at Madison Square Garden and fans might not even realize that the main attractions, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, have been absent.

Did Jeremy Lin suddenly have the best turnaround in the history of sports in one week? No. Were coaches too ignorant to give the un-drafted Ivy League player a chance? Perhaps.

The problem with professional sports is that draft picks have done absolutely nothing in their new leagues, yet are expected to carry the team. Starring in NCAA play does not result in professional success. Coaches are more apt to start a No. 1 draft pick who is under-performing than an inexperienced player who is doing all of the right things.

Teams just want to make themselves look good on paper and in the revenue statistics, even if that produces under-whelming performances on the playing field. The Knicks took a chance on Lin, and even if he flopped he wasn’t expected to be a superstar.

I’m not suggesting that teams go out and sign untalented players and hope for the best. All that I’m saying is that the Knicks knew Lin could play and had the balls to put him in a game. Other coaches might know that they have decent players glued to the bench but are scared of the backlash that would come if those players failed.

Good for Jeremy Lin. He couldn’t control if and when his opportunity would come but he played to his capability when given a chance.

I know this sounds cliché, but truly think about all of the Jeremy Lins that exist. How many Joe Montanas are sitting on their couch thinking, “that could have been me.” Struggling teams owe it to their fans to put out the players that give them the best chance of winning.

If that means benching an All-Star player for somebody unproven in games, so be it. Fans don’t see what happens in practice, so they have no right to freak out when a Jeremy Lin enters the game.

I strongly believe that there are hundreds of athletes that can contribute to a team. However, I doubt that any of them will get a realistic chance of showing the world that they can play.

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