Rondo: Whew, ok. I’m ready to lead this team!
Ainge: Yeeeeah, about that…
For the second time in his career Rajon Rondo is being offered as trade bait by Celtics GM Danny Ainge. Well, the third time if you count the reported “whoopsie!” trade from last summer, which would have had the Soonersonics and Celtics reverse the infamous Perkins trade and then swap PGs. The first time this happened Rondo sulked a bit, signed a multi-year extension, and then proved his worth…many times over. That last point is what endeared Rondo to the Celtic faithful; well, that and his Laker hatred. However, while the fans and media have crowned Rondo leader of the C’s, Danny Ainge has never shared that same sentiment.
A big reason for this lack of confidence could be due to the growing panic within the Celtics’ front office. Thus far Jeff Green hasn’t quite panned out, and Rondo will likely never put up 20ppg. So this begs the questions: Who is going to score when KG, Allen and Pierce are in the old folks’ home? I firmly believe that this is the question Ainge is desperate to acquire an answer for. Chris Paul would add a definite burst of scoring without losing too much playmaking ability. But, honestly, he’s a complete douche, and I do not see Boston rallying behind him in the same manner we have fallen in love with Rondo. Would he play with one arm and still win? I doubt it. If Ainge could somehow swing a trade for Dwight Howard the Celtics would not only fill their gaping hole in the middle but would gain a significant scorer. However, I doubt that Howard would come to an aging team devoid of another young “superstar”. At this point the ‘A’ in NBA stands for AAU, and we have to live with it…thanks, Lebron!
The downside to these trades – and there are many from the fan standpoint – is that they are according to statistics, and statistics alone. As a New England fan, I speak from experience that what’s on paper rarely equates to a champion (c.f. 2001 Rams, 2011 Red Sox, 2010 Patriots). Of course, my thoughts don’t matter, and I’m quite certain that this story will not end with “…and Rondo and Ainge lived happily ever after!” At some point this season, or next summer, Rondo will be traded and I’ll be mad; partly because I’ll be devoid of my all-time 2nd favorite Celtic, and partly because I’m sure it will be to acquire or entice some NBAAU player I don’t like.
On the plus side, it appears that the SoonerSonics are lurking as a potential suitor for Rondo. This would easily make the Sonics the most fun team ever, and give rise to their new nickname, the “All-Heart Team”. With Russell Westbrook out of the way (I love the guy, but he can’t offensively co-exist with a #1 option like Kevin Durant), Durant would blossom into an all-world scorer on the level of Jordan and Kobe due to the pile of assists Rondo would accumulate each night. Plus, Rondo could play ball with his best friend, Perkins!
Oh wait, I was just complaining about that. Well, just this once…
