Friday, October 14th, 2011 at 11:58 am  |  109 responses

Top 50: Rajon Rondo, no. 15

The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players.

by Quinn Peterson / @QwinFNP

People love to hate, diss and under-credit Rajon Rondo.

The slights are always one of the following:

1. He’s playing with three Hall of Famers. If he wasn’t on the Celtics, he wouldn’t be anything.
2. He can’t shoot.

To the first point, sure. It’s no secret that playing with three future HOFs would help a young guard progress in the League. At the same time, for some reason, there’s cats who can’t seem to understand the challenge that comes with that, as well.

He’s got to keep everyone happy, from Paul to KG to Ray to Doc, and he does. He runs the show. Those aforementioned Celts are greats in their own rights, but at this stage in their careers, they can’t do things singlehandedly. They need someone to get them the ball. Rondo does so without failure.

Those wary of his value, should quickly reference the second round of last year’s Playoffs, when the Cs met up with the Heat. Rondo, despite dislocating his elbow in Game 3, returned in that same game to help lead his squad. This, in and of itself, is admirable enough. But, in overtime of Game 4, he was unable to go. The effects were obvious.

With a score knotted at 86-86 when the period started, the Celtics scored just four points, shot 1-6 and committed four turnovers, losing the pivotal game 98-90.

All those hall of famers, and the Celtics, arguably the best executing in the League, looked lost. The answer requires little deliberation.

During Rondo’s his five years in Boston, Garnett, Pierce and others have missed countless games, while the revolving door of role players has swiftly spun. The one constant has been Rondo. Since he became the full time starter in ‘07-08 (when they won the chip), he’s missed 21 games (13 of which were last year.)

Rondo was blessed to be put in a brilliant situation. That’s no fault of his. All he could do is worry about what he could control—and he did. He deserves ample respect for that, which is why SLAMonline has him here at 15 (the highest of any Celtic).

For a PG-lover and student of the game like myself, it’s an absolute beauty to watch him facilitate and distribute. The boy averaged a career high 11.2 assists last year (against 3.4 turnovers), further proving that he is one of the best passers and decision-makers in the L. And he’s one of the fiercest defenders in the League, leading one of the best defenses in the League, harassing ballhandlers on a nightly basis. Accordingly, he clocked a league-leading 2.3 steals last season.

To the second point—that Rondo can’t shoot—well, there’s really no argument I can make for that. He can’t… yet. But neither could Jason Kidd (early in his career) or Gary Payton, and they seem to have made it out OK.

What’s more important, though, is thus far, it hasn’t necessarily mattered. Sure, opponents sag on him, but he’s grown adept at compensating for his inability to shoot from the perimeter by perfecting his ability to score from the interior, using a wide arsenal of floaters, layups and runners.

We can contemplate hypotheticals all day long. At the end of the day, that’s all they are, though. If “if was fifth…”, you know.

What’s real is the fact that Rajon Rondo is one of the League’s premier floor generals, and has a ring and plenty of Ws to prove it. Forget shooting percentages and three-pointers made, and how many HOFers he plays with. Since ’07-08, the Celtics are 234-80, finished first in the Eastern Conference three times, been to the Finals twice, with one ring to show for it. Those are the only numbers that matter.

SLAMonline Top 50 Players 2011
Rank Player Team Position Pos. Rank
50 Luol Deng Bulls SF 8
49 Andrew Bogut Bucks C 7
48 Ray Allen Celtics SG 9
47 Marc Gasol Grizzlies C 6
46 David West Hornets PF 15
45 Kevin Martin Rockets SG 8
44 Andrew Bynum Lakers C 5
43 Brandon Jennings Bucks PG 11
42 Lamar Odom Lakers PF 14
41 Gerald Wallace Blazers SF 7
40 Brook Lopez Nets C 4
39 Joakim Noah Bulls C 3
38 Carlos Boozer Bulls PF 13
37 Kevin Garnett Celtics PF 12
36 Eric Gordon Clippers SG 7
35 Tony Parker Spurs PG 10
34 Andre Iguodala 76ers SG 6
33 Al Jefferson Jazz PF 11
32 Al Horford Hawks C 2
31 Stephen Curry Warriors PG 9
30 Tim Duncan Spurs PF 10
29 Josh Smith Hawks PF 9
28 Manu Ginobili Spurs SG 5
27 Tyreke Evans Kings PG 8
26 Rudy Gay Grizzlies SF 6
25 John Wall Wizards PG 7
24 Danny Granger Pacers SF 5
23 Monta Ellis Warriors SG 4
22 Joe Johnson Hawks SG 3
21 Paul Pierce Celtics SF 4
20 Steve Nash Suns PG 6
19 Zach Randolph Grizzlies PF 8
18 LaMarcus Aldridge Blazers PF 7
17 Chris Bosh Heat PF 6
16 Kevin Love TWolves PF 5
15 Rajon Rondo Celtics PG 5

Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’11-12 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Maurice Bobb, Shannon Booher, David Cassilo, Bryan Crawford, Sandy Dover, Adam Figman, Jon Jaques, Eldon Khorshidi, Ryne Nelson, Doobie Okon, Ben Osborne, Quinn Peterson, Dave Schnur, Abe Schwadron, Dan Shapiro, Irv Soonachan, Todd Spehr, Tzvi Twersky, Yaron Weitzman, DeMarco Williams and Ben York.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

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  • GreenBall

    yes! Was worried Rondo would be ranked higher then Westbrook

  • http://redoftoothandclaw.ca/ niQ

    To be honest, with all the experience and leadership he’s gained, I think Rondo’s ceiling will not be reached until the big 3 have retired…

  • BlackStar

    I agree with nIQ. Rondo has some tricks we haven’t seen yet.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Wayno

    I’m fine with this ranking. I like his game alot, hopefully he adds a jumper some day.

  • Mike

    His PER stats are only 69th.
    Love’s who you ranked 16, has the 4th PER stat.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Called this

  • http://itsahardwoodlife.blogspot.com omphalos

    People are sleeping on Rondo as a scoring PG, when the Big 3 retired don’t be surprised to see him scoring a lot more and quelling a lot of these fears. He’s playing the situation he’s in. I still think it’s a joke he’s behind Westbrook. You put Rondo on the Thunder and they are beating the Mavs, case closed in my opinion.

  • seriousblack

    Rondo>Westbrook

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Rondo was balling out of his mind early last season. Averaging like 16 assists per early on. I really like dude.
    Also, f*ck John Hollinger.

  • Armando

    Co-sign seriousblack. And although he sometimes acts like a douche, I’d take him over Westbrook.. And if age weren’t an issue I’d take Nash, and Wall, over Westbrook as well.

  • TruthHurts

    “During Rondo’s his five years in Boston”
    You would think some one wouldve proof read this article before it was published.

  • kj

    If this guy could hit an open three, he would be 5 spots higher.

  • GreenBall

    @omp – You really think OKC would beat the mavs with Rondo… mavs could just put in some scrubs and foul every offense in the 4th Q. And; Westbrook was 2nd in tripple doubles last season.

  • ctkennedy

    his ability to not space the court A LITTLE BIT n not able to make FT …has cost the Celtics atleast one more title …People forget that SamCassell was they pg closer on that championship team n they tried to get that same magic with Marbury the next yr cuz of his weakness of makin shots of any kind n the clutch

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    RONDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    There’s no way that if you were building a team to win a title in a fantasy draft that Rajon Rondo would be the 15th overall selection.

  • MUBWAR

    well deserved. great defender, amazing passer and so so scorer.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Not a great defender… Not the 15th best player in the League. I ain’t mad though. Good player. Good starting PG.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Just saying he can’t shoot isn’t accurate. His shooting is so bad he actually passes up shots he should take to make passes he shouldn’t.
    Payton and Kidd shot the rock. They shot it badly for a while, Kidd moreso than Payton, but they shot it. And they finished way better than Rondo at the rim.
    But, since he’s lower than Westbrook, I’m not going to complain too much.
    This is a good spot for him.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    His defense can be overrated.
    He plays the passing lanes well and gets lots of steals with those long arms of his, but that doesn’t make him a “great defender”.
    Not trying to hate, though. Dude is nice.

  • BAWSE

    Hmmm I would place Rondo slightly outside of my top 20. Maybe 21 but then again he is a good player. We talk about his weakness but we all saw when he went out how the Celts struggled terribly. If he gets a jumper he is top 15 player easy.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ERd_Xvx7VI nbk

    He is as good a defender as you can ask for with the Rules that are in place. there will not be a lockdown PG like Payton ever again, not with the way the game is called on the perimeter. idk what you guys expect from a “great” defensive PG in this day and age, but likely, you’ll never see one.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    True.
    The new rules have really limited what defensive cats can do nowadays.
    He struggles with quick pg’s, they usually blow right by him, but again, as you alluded to, what can he do?

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    You can still lock guys down. Not like Payton sure, but don’t act like Rondo makes other guards give up the ball like every other play because he is ball hawking. Jrue Holiday > Rondo defensively.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    True.
    Holiday is a better defender than Rondo.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ERd_Xvx7VI nbk

    Jrue Holiday as a defender < Rajon Rondo in every measurable way. Opponent PPG, APG, TOPG, PER, & FG %. Just because Holiday is a popular pick, doesn't mean he's better.

  • seun

    Rondo is not better than westbrook because rondo cant shoot or make layup; anybody who says he will be a great scorer in a few years is delusional he will never average more than 16 a game in a season and thats a fact.To me whats really depressing is his free throw shooting, i mean he shoots about the ame percentage as a center thats absolutely ridiculous because he cant even take advantage of his slashing ability because he’s such a bad free throw shooter.Plu you cant really fix free throws i mean if yo shoot 60 percent from the line in the nba your not getting that number up any higher than 65 percent so he is always gonna be bad at them.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Sorry nbk, you know me and using my eyes. I can’t help it. Jrue Holiday is a visibly better man on man defender. Now I only watched him in the playoffs for the most part. So maybe throughout the course of the season Rondo was better, but during the playoffs Jrue was playing better D than Rondo. Rondo is good, but I think it’s silly to call him a ‘great defender’. Rondo when he takes the task to play D on someone(James) he can do real well, but he doesn’t play D like that on a regular basis.

  • seun

    oh and rondo’s per was 46th in the league and you put him in okc and they’re 8th seed in the playoff because the team already struggles to score points with westbrook take him away and they will be even worse on offense. plus westbrook and durant have by this poiint built a type of chemistry that cannot be replaced by any other point guard in the nba today. i mean thers’s a reason durant was the most assisted score in the nba and that westbrook was the least assisted scorer in the nba last year.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ERd_Xvx7VI nbk

    that FT % thing is not true. If you work hard enough the right way anyone can be a good FT shooter. (as long as shooting infront of millions of people doesn’t psyche them out)

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Russ is better than Rondo. A better scorer, rebounder, shooter, defender and has the ability to carry OKC for a week or two without KD.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ERd_Xvx7VI nbk

    All I know is I watch a lot of basketball, and they’re are only 2 PG’s in the NBA I would take to defend over Rondo. Westbrook, & Kyle Lowry. That’s it. George Hill maybe, but he hasn’t had much time guarding PG’s. And John Wall has the potential to be the best defensive PG in the NBA. But I don’t think any of them are going to be “great” because I think that’s basically impossible at this point.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ERd_Xvx7VI nbk

    there are*

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    I still take Holiday over dude on defense.
    But that’s just me.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    I would also take all three you mentioned over Rondo. Rondo is good, top 5 Defensive PG for sure. He is thought of as a great defender and that’s not true. He is a real nice defender. He is not a liability on D and that’s good enough. George Hill actually kinda annoyed Kobe last year which immediately places him high up in my book. Lowry is a little demon on D. And Westbrook just out-athleticises the competition. It’s debateable which one of these 5 are the better defender. I’m not upset with anyone that would take one of these guys over the other. They all bring different things to the table defensively. Rondo doesn’t have the strength that these 4 have, nor is he any quicker or more athletic than any of them. Therefore I place them above him by just a scoche.

  • seun

    shaq never became a good free throw shooter

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Ok, Rondo is definitely quicker, then all of them. (not including Wall obviously) idk why you think that he is the least athletic But I’m with you on the lack of strength thing, Rondo is not the PG I would pick to check Deron Williams, Westbrook, or Rose. But if I needed a PG to guard say Chris Paul, Steve Nash, John Wall, Stephen Curry, it’s Rondo.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Shaq didn’t try very hard.

  • http://shinefluid@aol.com yada

    i love rondo game ok! im just saying stop with the rondo is such a great defender thing. the CELTICS play GREAT TEAM DEFENSE. rondo aint lockin nobody up iight? especially not other PGs but i think this is a good spot for him

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Karl Malones FT % in his first season 48% (on 5 attempts a game). By his third season he was a 70% Free Throw Shooter. So there is proof.

  • seun

    rondo can move up from 60% to 65% but he will never move up from 60% to 70% because thats too big of a leap to make.For me the reason i dont like rondo is i just dont think he can be the face of a franchise and to be a top 15 player in the nba you have to either be the face of a franchise or be capable of being the face of a franchise and rondo is neither.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Tony Allen and Ron Artest do a better job of staying in front of players, even with the current rules.
    So does old boy for the Bucks.
    I don’t think Rondo does a great job of staying in front of him man. That’s my beef.

  • seun

    oh and rondo is entering his sixth season, and i was actually wrong about his free throw numbers he didn’t shoot 60% he shot 56% my bad.

  • Red

    Rondo sucks

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    You have a point that he might be quicker than Lowry and maybe Jrue. But not faster or as athletic as Westbrook and Hill imo. I feel you on the better for guarding certain guards deal. He’s probably great on Nash, D-Will, Curry. If you had all these PG’s(/SG) on the same team you would probably utilize their defensive talents per whom you were playing against on a nightly basis. All I really wanted to clarify is he is a good defensive player, but certainly not the best at even his own position.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    The point is, you said it’s impossible for a player to improve as a FT shooter, “i mean if yo shoot 60 percent from the line in the nba your not getting that number up any higher than 65 percent so he is always gonna be bad at them.” Which is 100% false.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    NBK is sleeping hard on Jrue Holiday as a defender.
    He does not have the expert defenders behind him that Rondo has had for most of his career, and he still is incredibly tough on the ball. Incredibly tough.
    Westbrook and Holiday are definitely better. Haven’t seen enough of Lowry. And, honestly, I’d say Deron Williams and Chris Paul as well. To me at least.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Tony Allen and Ron Artest don’t guard PG’s. And Jennings is that who your talking about? Why do you think Bogut led the league in Blocks and was top 10 in charges? Because nobody got in the key? lol come on

  • Justin G

    Rondo is not the 15 best player in the league…I would John Wall over Rondo…Can any body remember what Rondo was b4 KG n Ray…??…Thats right he was a role player…Every pg KG played with he made them look good, Rondo can’t shoot freethrows 4get that…Ok so now the Big 3 are getting old n slow you would think Rondo would play at another level,but his game is the same…15th best player in the league Negative!!

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    John Salmons or Luc Mbah a Moute? I’ve always thought of Salmons as an underrated on-the-ball defender.
    You know who can become a great defender if he puts his mind to it? DRose. The boy can become the LeBron of PG defenders, he has the size, athletic ability and strength to become a great defender.

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