With blessings from above, the hope is Rondo makes a full recovery and comes back to play his all-star caliber basketball for many years.

     Comparing Kyrie Irving to Rajon Rondo.  Irving: A+ offense, D for defense and C+ for PG skills (too many turnovers).  Rondo:  C+ for offense, much better defense than Kyrie and A for PG skills.  Overall,on the average, Rajon still has the better game.  He is very good at the intangibles that don't look glitzie.  That's why he was voted the starting All-star point guard.  Although Irving's potential is fabulous, right now Rondo is still the better player.  

In response to cavaliersfan's comment:

Irving is a great young player and Rondo is a very good maturing player. I like them both just as you do.

Wait. What is your definition of a "Rondo lover"?  Do you mean literally, or just admit to a self-inflicted happy ending with Rondo collateral, or will harmless wishful lust qualify?

In response to Eldunker's comment:

 

Wait. What is your definition of a "Rondo lover"?  Do you mean literally, or just admit to a self-inflicted happy ending with Rondo collateral, or will harmless wishful lust qualify?

 

  My Headline probably should have read:  Temporary Sad Times For Rondo Fans.  I was trying to counteract certain negative posters and make a strong statement.  I am a true Rondo fan.  I stand by my opinion of him being an outstanding player.  He deserves the accolades.  Hopefully, he will come back and show everybody that his career was prospectively, the same type of quality as the other Big 3's careers.  Yes, the Title of my thread could have been toned down a bit. 

 

In response to cavaliersfan's comment:

Are you really proposing Rondo was voted starting PG on the all star team because the fans recognized the non-glitze intangibles he brings to the game??

As an aside, Id take IRving over a healthy Rondo any day of the week. You have it backwards regarding their defense... you left out IRvings leadership, especially performing in the clutch... not even close between the two.

In response to Karllost's comment:

Indeed cavsfan is. I wonder what these intangibles might be.

We all know the glitzie tangibles that are so annoying.

Hmmmmmm.

Enlighten us, cavsfan. 925,000 fans cannot be wrong.

Pud

Amazing that two people on this thread can't spell the word "glitzy".

And they both tried to spell it different ways.

Thinking is hard.

Comment from a website

For what it’s worth, the Celtics went into New York without Rondo this season – he was serving yet another one-game suspension – and won. They played against the Heat without him on Sunday – and won. Pending the return of Rose in Chicago, Miami and New York currently stand as the two best teams in a weak Eastern Conference, and there is at least some evidence that the Celtics can still compete with both.

Does this mean the Celtics can beat the Heat in a seven-game series? Hardly. But that was true when Rondo was healthy, too. Nobody ever really looked at this season and expected the Celtics to defeat Miami in the postseason. Most of us just believed that the Celtics might have what it takes to beat just anybody else in the Eastern Conference.

Without Rondo, that task now is obviously more difficult. They will miss his talent. But Rondo’s leadership skills always have been in question, and the simple truth is that the 2012-13 Celtics have been disjointed and fractured. They have not often looked like a team.

Now, perhaps, they have a chance to become one.

I also would take Irving over Rondo.  To me the fact that someone can put the ball in the basket is always a huge advantage,  especially late in a game.  Defense can be learned easier than shooting at the NBA level.  Leadership has to be earned.

In response to puddinpuddin's comment:

 

In response to Karllost's comment:

 

In response to cavaliersfan's comment:

Are you really proposing Rondo was voted starting PG on the all star team because the fans recognized the non-glitze intangibles he brings to the game??

 

Indeed cavsfan is. I wonder what these intangibles might be.

 

We all know the glitzie tangibles that are so annoying.

Hmmmmmm.

Enlighten us, cavsfan. 925,000 fans cannot be wrong.

Pud

 

  Pud, by intangibles I mean that Rajon Rondo plays better defense and has better point guarding skills than Kyrie Irving.  Sure KI has electrifying offense but he has trouble guarding people on the perimeter.  Though lately, it seems KI's defense is getting better, but we will have to wait and see.  Rondo has won defensive honors, although I am not sure what he is doing this year.  Also, I have to admit, as was posted before, Irving has the edge in leadership capability.  That is an intangible in his favor I did not consider.  For now I still say Rondo is better but that could change to Irving in the future.   

 

KI is  scoring at a 35 point clip in his last 3 games, just won player of the week. Big shot taker and maker, great leader, he is a super star you can build around!  Not only would i trade Rondo for him i would give the Cavs anyone else on the roster they wanted to make the deal!!

In response to OneOnOne's comment:

 

I also would take Irving over Rondo.  To me the fact that someone can put the ball in the basket is always a huge advantage,  especially late in a game.  Defense can be learned easier than shooting at the NBA level.  Leadership has to be earned.

 

Heck, I would even take Curry of the Warriors( on pace to be this season's best 3 pt shooter) over Rondo and he got snubbed for the All Star team ???

 

In response to cavaliersfan's comment:

Cavsfan: Leadership IS an intangible and we both give the edge to KI. The other things you mention are more  tangible skills and we both probably give the edge to R9R at least at this point.

I suspect that NBA fans vote more based on splash/dash/glitz/WOW/bling/PR appeal rather than intangibles.

Pud

In response to Karllost's comment:

Actually by the numbers Rondo is still a good defender and has over the years at times been elite. 

If i was starting a franchise today and had to pick between the two guards, im taking Kyrie. He is great already and his upside is ridiculous. But if im going into an important playoff series THIS YEAR and have to pick one, im taking Rondo.

In response to JamezHill24's comment:

Bad move Rondo's out for the year!!

In response to kyceltic's comment:

Kyceltic c'mon you know what he means.  Rondo in a playoff game can be off the charts.  Irving may be even better if he ever gets in the playoffs.

In response to kyceltic's comment:

Kyceltic c'mon you know what he means.  Rondo in a playoff game can be off the charts.  Irving may be even better if he ever gets in the playoffs.

CAnt buy into the Rondo is great some playoff time.. He sure has had some great statisical games, off the charts sometimes. HEs also had plenty of clunkers and also suspensions.. Same old up and down..

Teams like having mercenaries available for the playoffs.. lke PJ Brown was for us. THing is, ROndos here from the entire season, not just the playoffs.

I don tknow by which measure the poster feels Rondo is a much better defender than Irving... you mean the statistics like how many points scored agaisnt him>??  I hope not... then also measure the low level of opponent hes guarding often and their stats.... and the amount of fouls our big men take for having to swtich off to guard Rondos guy in the lane... or the points the opposing big men are getting off of assists or rebounds because our big men are chasing Rondos guy...

Point is, stats are nice if put in perspective. What I do notice is youre not very observant of Rondo over a period of time. If you were, you couldnt possibly claim hes so much better defensively.

 

Rondo is mercurial and there is nothing that is going to change that.  He will oscillate between brilliant and meh.  He will not be a dependable leader and he will always be the versatile filler or the glue that can make good into great.  But he is not the material to take average and make it good.

KI is probably very good but I would like to see him perform in meaningful games and against top rated competition.  If he dominates one such game, I will be willing to compare him to Rondo.

KI just recently exploded for 40 points and a win playing for a woeful team against the very team that Rondo plays for.

How is that for head to head comparison... unless you don't consider that a meaningful game. 

If you do, I'd call that domination. If you don't, what does that say about Rondo?

Pud

In response to puddinpuddin's comment:

Cavs are a bad team right now and KI did play great.  But I also remember Rondo's playoff performance after the Celts lost a home game to LeBron led Cavs.  Or, for that matter in game 2 against Miami last year.

The difference is that the Cavs are bad but know exactly how to play.  They are content with it.  The Celts were/are struggling to figure themselves out.  Their heads are messed up.

Rondo is not the 40 points scorer.  But I would like to see KI dominate a playoff game before I start equating the two.

In response to Karllost's comment:

So you say that Rondo is not great in the playoffs?

Well let's break it down

2008 - was a role player, played decently for a sophomore, it was his first playoff experience

2009 - averaged triple-double

2010 - was the motor of the Celtics, helped the team immensely on their way to the finals

2011 - showed his great spirit playing with the dislocated elbow

2012 - suspension was really unnecessary (although Pierce the Celtics still managed to win the game without him) and he was the only celtics' player (save KG) that played consistently well

i don't know how he's not great in the playoffs

 

It's hard to measure player's impact on the defensive end sometimes and i didn't see much of Irving but apparently the defense is not his strength whereas Rondo has shown that he's very good at it.

 

if anyone thinks a lollygagging (it's just what he does) rondo coming off of knee surgery is going to be any great shakes in the league....  you're crazy.  he should be rehabbed, showcased and traded by the celts. 

why you say?  one reason is because the celts have NEVER GOTTEN HIM A DECENT BACKUP.  and they're not about to start now.  even after this.  the other reasons are half step slower he will get toasted on defense, which he seemed PRE INJURY to loathe playing SOLID fundamental defense anyway 5/6 games.  also, his confidence will be low following this surgery.  nobody in BOS needs that when we are trying to rebuild.  get him hypnotized or something so he can shoot for a brief stretch 70% free throws like sometimes in the playoffs for a few games and then trade him.

let him become someone else's savant 58% free throw shooting point guard with 20 and 10 and all league defense, first team all league and all that POTENTIAL but actual achievments more like a rod strickland type character but with worse free throw shooting, less outside shot and arguably more of an attitude but never comes right out and says it like head case rod did.  because he doesn't have to.  jock sniffer danny and doc cover up for him incessantly

rondo's number will be hanging in the rafters one of these days. it's high time certain of you effers got hip to the tip. i reckon these next 12 mos ought to teach you something.