Sunday, September 18th, 2011 at 1:01 pm  |  100 responses

Report: Kendrick Perkins Told Russell Westbrook He’s No Rajon Rondo


After Kendrick Perkins was traded from the Celtics to the Thunder, many wondered why it didn’t seem like Perkins was fitting in well with his new squad. Well, according to the NY Daily News, Perk wasn’t happy with the move at all, and even went as far as to criticize his new point guard, comparing him not-so-favorably to his previous point man in Boston: “Even after going all the way to the Western Conference finals last June, the Thunder faces some big internal issues if and when we have a season. As much as coach Scott Brooks chafes at GM Sam Presti’s meddling, his presence in the locker room, and his demands that the Thunder continue to improve from within, the organization is a lot more concerned with how Kendrick Perkins treats Russell Westbrook. After arriving from the Celtics last season and being looked at as the veteran leader Oklahoma City needed to take the next step to compete for a title, Perkins went hard at Westbrook with his verbal criticisms, often saying that the Thunder’s playmaker couldn’t match Rajon Rondo as a playmaker. Those words didn’t sit well with Westbrook, who already had been criticized for shooting too much and was the subject of a benching heard-round-the-NBA when the Thunder played the Mavs in June. The Thunder gave Perkins a new four-year deal worth $35 million, so the team is committed to him. But it would like him to ease up on Westbrook. A lot.”

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  • respect

    someone had to tell him, perk the only one not scared

  • Heals

    Love that Perk still bleeds green and white, but this debate is very subjective. Rondo’s cast and team’s offensive approach placate his style seamlessly, while OKC requires Russell to be more assertive, free-flowing and feed a “go-to” guy. Russell is more capable of shouldering the offensive load when no one is going, while Rajon is great at getting everyone touches in “their” spots. So yeah Perk is right, but only because Russell hasn’t been given the same responsibilities…

  • Anthony

    where was perkins in the playoffs tho……. yea he won a ring but so what that was the past .. Im not even a thunder fan and i HATE the way they treat westbrook … without westbrook the thunder wouldnt be anywhere they were last year…. They were better with Jeff Green The whole team needs to improve including Durant…….. gO NETS THO LOL

  • Jeremy

    Cosign Perk, he shoulda tweeted Russell #Realtalk

  • Will Lee

    trade westbrook, perk was right. there are so many good PGs out there now, trade for one. Even Darren Collison, Marcus Landry, those will be a better fit

  • OneStep

    It puzzles me that Perkins is viewed as a veteran leader in the locker room when he’s only in his late 20s. Surely there are better veteran leaders out there for a young team like the Thunder? He may have some experience of being on a Championship-winning team but the Thunder need more than that and I don’t think he’s got it. I hope he’s fit and ready to go when and if the season begins because his play was really poor at the business end of last season and his team need more than what he gave them.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Well, Rondo is no Westbrook. As in a PG that could make an open jumpshot and isn’t an overrated defender. Perks talks a lot for someone whose best season is 10/7.

  • http://www.twitter.com/xpotatotitsx mersh

    ahhh well perk is welcome back on the celtics whenever he wants, if it was up to me. and i might be really bias but rondo is worlds better than westbrook.

  • Tully

    Seems to me that both guys are in the wrong, if this story is true. It doesn’t make sense to join a new team and then tell your new PG that he can’t compare to your old PG. That’s just asking for trouble. Leaders don’t cause strife, they alleviate strife. But on the other hand, I think most people agree that Westbrook occasionally has the tendency of shooting too much… but an adjustment period is to be expected when you draft a SG out of college and expect him to become a PG in the NBA. I love Rondo too, but often his playmaking is the product of him knowing he doesn’t yet have a reliable outside shot, so he rarely takes them. That’s just a smart guy who understands his own shortcomings. Either way, you don’t make an agressive comparison like that if you’re Perk– it’s not constructive.

  • youngmuggsy

    @Will Lee – Marcus Landry??

  • Mariano

    What JTaylor21 said… Westbrook is a much better player than Rondo

  • Double J

    ah the argument between second tier nba point guards, glorious. Oh and the vote is rondo for me, just because “westbrook can score” doesn’t validate his supremecy.

  • misso

    i would look like a really good pg too if i was passing the ball to allen, pierce, & garnett every time

  • BuddhaWearsNorthCarolinaShorts

    Perk is just mad that his boyfriend is seeing another center now

  • Double J

    @misso just to stick with everyone else’s story here on slam, “c’mon those guys are old and passed their primes yada yada yada…”

  • C Da Tyrant

    2 chuckers n 1 ball don mix, Perk need to tell that to both of them. (Durant & Russell)

  • Heals

    @Double J, I’d take any of these “second tier PG’s” over their equivalents from previous decades. I know the newer defensive restraints have had a major impact on their success, but don’t act Russell, Rajon, EGordon, etc. aren’t up to par. “ah the agrument…. glorious,” take that pompous BS elsewhere or don’t comment if this topic is beneath you…

  • http://firespo.com KING

    i would take russ over rondo any day of the week

  • http://www.slamonline.com Max

    If you started a franchise who would you pick 1ste Westbrook or Rajan?

  • misso

    @double j the big three is still good & ray allen is most likely the best player on whatever ur fav team is

  • manu

    im a celts fan but put westbrook on the celts last yr they beat miami guaranteed

  • MUBWAR

    ^STOP TRIPPING. Those old legs are finish. I still didn’t forget when bron made those 2 triples and PP couldn’t help it but chuckle. I seriously doubt Boston will be ahead of the knicks for the top 4 race in the East this upcoming season behing the heat, bulls and magic

  • http://slamonline.com datkid

    smh at perk acting like westbrook couldn’t tear rondo up… i mean obviously rondo passes better, but westbrook can at least make an open jumper, and he rebounds and defends almost as well. perkins actually really annoys me… all he does is foul people

  • JEr dawg

    Russell is going to crack and this is a small market team that wasn’t suppose to get this much heat. Russell is getting an early door out of under Durant’s shadow and Perkins’ ire. Break up the OKC Thunder! Let Maynor start!

  • dannyb

    IMHO, Westbrook is almost as good as DRose, and has a pretty similar game. But DRose has nobody to pass to, so he’s the MVP, while Russ has people to pass to, so he’s called a ballhog.

  • riggs

    co-sign perk. Also rondo led the celtics (who have future hof’s) in the playoffs a few years back. so stfu haters.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    If I had Kevin Durant on my team and could pick either Westbrook or Rondo as my point, I’d definitely take Rondo.

  • http://Slamonline.com Caboose

    Cosign Enig. Westbrook is a good player, no doubt. However, he is not ideal for the Thunder team, I’ve been saying this since last October. A Rondo, Paul, or even Nash would work better on OKC only because Westbrook is a scorer, not a playmaker. In the playoffs, it was often Harden who was depended upon to create something on offense. Westbrook would excel on a team like Philly, Houston, or Orlando where a scoring guard would be valued.

  • Chukaz

    yeah Russell Westbrook is no Rajon Rondo. Rajon Rondo will never be 2nd team all-nba like Westbrook did last season. I don’t see why the Celtics seem to believe that Rondo’s a star. He’s good, but not “i’m a franchise player, build around me” good. Why would you want to build the future of your team around a guy who’s not one of he best 5 players at his position? CP3, DWill, DRose, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Steve Nash and arguably Jrue Holiday are better than him. I can see Brandon Jennings, Steph Curry, and Rubio passing him in the near future and who knows how good Irvin and Brandon Knight will become. Rondo’s ceiling is past-his-prime-Jason-Kidd but without the 3 ball

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Chukaz, you’re seriously sleeping on Rondo.
    See how many of the point guards you mentioned have more triple doubles than Rondo.

  • Redrum

    this is ridiculous.. there is not even a question about that Westbrook is the better player!! he just needs to find the balance playing with KD. I see them similar to wade-lebron. Only that I think KD-Wes has the potential to be better than them. Any team in the NBA is looking for a second scoring option to compliment their star player and Wes can be that as well as anyone, even carry games offensively.

  • Heals

    Wow Chuk, I don’t know where to start with your list and the ceiling statement. You obviously haven’t seen the complexity and angles with which Rajon makes passes or his Ed Reed like knack for finding the ball. Also you give other players the benefit that they’ll improve upon their weaknesses but not Rondo. His contract is team friendly and Bos’s philosophy the whole time has been to add big chips around him once the trio move-on; so Bos isn’t in any way building around him in way you claim. Let him run GS offense and put up video game stats, let him throw alley’s all day to Iggy, Thad and crew, let him have the freedom that JWall has to play his game. It’s all about sysytems and teammates. Just cause his skills don’t translate in a traditional sense doesn’t make him any less of talent than the players you put ahead of him. And Rubio, c’mon now man based off what, please…

  • brad

    two over rated players, perk has a right to talk about offense tho what has he averaged one point a game for his career, wow what a great offense force to listen to, i hope westbrook can take this advice maybe one day he can steal a ring just like perk

  • EtheKnickfan

    Yeah that kid westbrook sucks. OKC should do something dramatic, like ship him off to the knicks. That’ll teach his ass. Really though how good would westbrook be with Doc as his coach?

  • lakers

    russel rondo swap becuz of cohessivness?? maybe..but a trade of talent straight up?? not quite… westbrook cud be a alpha guy on the wolves or something…rondo?? lol yeah right.. westbrook at this point is a #2 option rondo is just a overhyped player..

  • Airnest

    Trade Westbrook for Rondo straight up.

  • NBAHOFer

    basically westbrook has better offense and rondo runs the point better

  • DukeFromDeep

    You guys have it all wrong. Westbrook is overrated, not Rondo. Rondo’s accomplishments speak for themselves. What about Wetbrook? he got NOTHING! Rondo is pure point… believe that!

  • FromtheATL

    Westbrook > Rondo

    Rondo is an overrated troll.
    Go Hawks and f*ck Joe Johnson.

  • lights out

    2010 conference semi-finals. Boston vs. Cleveland. Game 4. A must win for Boston to avoid falling into a 1-3 hole. Rajon Rondo: 29 pts, 18 rebounds, 13 assists. Rondo definitely has flaws in his game, but he’s shown repeatedly that he comes up big when it matters most. Westbrook has yet to show that quality.

  • http://twitter.com/kidprince22 Devonte

    Trade Westbrook & R.Vaden to Boston for Rondo,J.O`Neal,A.Bradley,& E.Moore.
    Rondo is great playmaker beside KD they will make it to the Finals this season next season. Plus Rondo been saying his miss his brother Perk so send`em to OKC so they can kiss and makeup. Boston need a young scorer who can take over the game like Westbrook because the BIG3 is old now and they need aggressive 22 year old like Westbrook who can average 25points,9dimes, & 6boards a game. I will love to see Boston & OKC in the NBA Finals Rondo vs Westbrook but, Boston will win because of coaching and defense.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Slick Ric

    knew these lame dudes would bring up D-Rose, no westbrook is not almost as good, and no one is holding him back except himself.

  • Bimmer

    Whoa Perkins just blew my mind! I always thought that Rondo and Westbrook were the same player… I don’t see how/why Westbrook would take offense to that statement lol. And if the Thunder don’t have Westbrook they wouldn’t have one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. The Thunder are FINE. Rondo can stay where he is and I want Westbrook in OKC. The only player I would take instead is CP3. So GTFO of here Perkins, you didn’t help us that much and plenty of people think you are worthless. You better come back 100% and work your ass off. Quit crying and fouling. You are so frustrating to watch. And you are comparing apples to oranges. Sure they’re both fruits but they have different flavors. Idiot.

  • http://dodgers.com Joey E.

    one shoots too much, one doesnt shoot enough at times.

  • Niio

    Really? Rondo overhyped? If it weren’t for him and his triple doubles the last two years in the playoffs the Celtics would have been sent packing early 2 years straight! What other point guard in the league would have kept playing after dislocating their elbow? You can’t teach that kind of heart to anyone!

  • Gogs

    Completely different players with completely different offensive stats. Both amazing young players just delivering there game in different ways.
    Westbrrok stat line of 22 pts 8 ast 2 stl and 5 boards is outstanding for a third year player.
    Rondo has three great offensive players he can fire the ball into westbrook has one. Rondo doesn’t have the scoring touch of westbrook, and westbrook doesn’t have rondo’s vision.
    Perk is right about the playmaking but it would be stupid to disregard a player of westbrooks caliber because he’s more of a scoring PG.

  • Gogs

    correction “Completely different players with completely different offensive sets”

  • AD

    ya sayn trade westbrook to celtics for rondo.. but when okc is in da playoffs who will pick up the westbrook’s scoring load…… yall are crazy westbrook took shots becuz he was always doin it plus durant was gettn locked up …….. Rondo is nice but will he be the player he is without 3 hall of famers on his squad?

  • DieselMechanic

    Damn we miss Perk in Boston.

  • Hambone

    Perk is no big baby Davis

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