I’m still crawling out of my vacation cocoon, so I’ve been thinking all day about which aspects of the incredible Eastern and Western Conference Finals series that I most wanted to talk about today. Right off the bat, there was last night’s incredible finish in San Antonio, as the Oklahoma City Thunder barely held off the Spurs in what was one of the most amazing and intense 3-minute stretches in recent memory.
Or we could discuss LeBron James and his whole “I don’t foul out” attitude as people heaped blame on him and Dwyane Wade for the Boston Celtics tying their series at 2 each with the Miami Heat the other night.
But I’d rather talk about my favorite thing about the entire playoffs so far – Rajon Rondo. Normally, I’m not much of a Rondo fan, because he seems like a dick. And from what I can tell from interviews and highlights, he is definitely a dick. Without that dick, though, the Celtics are already done and the Heat have their feet up, waiting for the Thunder and Spurs to kill each other.
So instead of going back and recapping everything that has happened, I just wanted to pay a little respect to Rondo with my favorite highlights of him through this ECF thus far, because he’s the only reason this series has been so entertaining.
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Agreed. Can’t stand Rondo’s personality off the court, but he’s a constant threat for a triple double. It sucks to admit how good he is, because I hate his team so very much.
Bigger than the Big Three. Although Garnett was impressive inside too.
Damn, that pass to Marquis Daniels faked me out as well.
I think people are interpreting that interview all wrong. Rondo wasn’t ‘ripping’ the heat- he was literally saying that the C’s primary and secondary breaks were so effective because the heat pause after every offensive possession to bitch at the refs.
They run the same pseudo break after every rebound- rondo brings it up at a run, but not a sprint, whichever non-big 3 player on the court (pietrus, daniels, bass, whoever) sprints out ahead of him and fills a lane, usually going wide then cutting baseline. Rondo stutter-steps just outside the 3-point arc, then penetrates to the free-throw line. Meanwhile, KG is trailing, waiting to fill the space Rondo is about to vacate then get to the rim, and pierce/allen are flaring out to pick spots around the arc to set up for a kick-out 3 (Pierce generally goes top of the key, allen likes the wing). From there, depending on the defense, rondo can drive to the rim, drive to either block and look for the cutter on the baseline, flare either direction and look for KG heading to the rim, or drive either direction into contact and look for a shooter around the arc. It’s awesome, and it rips the Heat to shit.
You forgot the clip of Rondo standing with the ball, sees Pierce spotting up, and absolutely hates it. He yells at Pierce to cut to the basket, and when Pierce finally cuts, Rondo throws a perfect pass while looking absolutely discussed over Pierce’s bad read. Vintage Rondo.