Logo
The Ticker
20 hours ago

Greg Stiemsma’s Contract To Become Fully Guaranteed

The C’s gave their 26-year-old rookie a vote of confidence before Tuesday’s game. By not waiving the seven-footer, Stiemsma’s contract will become fully guaranteed on Friday, allowing the shot blocker to breath a little bit and perhaps unpack some boxes for good in Beantown. Here’s Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston with some reaction from Stiemsma and [...]

1
2 days ago

5 Questions With Kemba Walker

I had a chance to talk with Bobcats rookie Kemba Walker prior to the Celtics game against Charlotte on Tuesday night.  Here is what the UConn star, who is averaging 12.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game had to say. 1. How much communication have you had with Michael Jordan this year? Walker: [...]

1
2 days ago

I Am Awesome!

Yes. This is a “pat myself on the back” post because a) I’m a jackass and b) I predicted something correctly. Back on January 8th, I predicted that the next ten games will tell us everything we need to know about this Celtics’ team. If they struggled, it was time to blow it up. If [...]

1
3 days ago

Pierce Wins Eastern Conference Player Of Week

One day before he’s scheduled to pass Larry Bird for second on the Celtics’ all-time scoring list, Paul Pierce won the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award. Pierce averaged 22 points, 6.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds in four Boston wins, playing point forward in Rajon Rondo’s absence. Pierce is only 9 points behind Bird [...]

1
4 days ago

Garnett’s Wondrous 3-point Rant

Via ESPN Boston’s Chris Forsberg, who knows a great, playful rant when he hears one, here’s Kevin Garnett discussing his not-so-newfound aptitude for three-point shooting after the C’s took down the Grizzlies. “When I walk around the streets, y’all stop acting like y’all shocked that I can shoot 3’s. Everybody in Boston, everybody in the [...]

3
4 days ago

5 Questions With O.J. Mayo

I talked with Memphis guard O.J. Mayo prior to the Celtics-Grizzlies, Super Bowl Sunday game at the Garden.  Here is what the 4th year man out of USC, who is averaging 12.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2 assists per game had to say. 1. You started every game your first two years in the league, [...]

2
Browse Archives by:

Doc’s 180 on Rondo’s Jumper

On Jan. 4, 2009, the New York Knicks had Jared Jeffries (their “center”) guard Rajon Rondo and essentially ignore him. Instead of taking wide-open jumpers, Rondo tried to use the extra space allotted him to take Jeffries off the dribble for lay-ups. He shot 1-of-7 and the C’s offense sputtered in an ugly 100-88 loss.

After that game (last season), Doc applauded Rajon for attacking the hoop instead of taking wide-open Js. Via the CelticsBlog archives:

Said Rivers of Rondo’s way of confronting that type of defense: “By driving. I think, just because someone gives you a jump shot doesn’t mean you have to take it. I think that’s been his biggest improvement.”

“I think it gives you a running start when [opposition players] do back off, and that’s what he’s done.”

And now, after another game in which the Knicks ignored Rondo on the perimeter, Doc Rivers is saying this (via the Globe):

Rivers said he wants Rondo, who has struggled with perimeter shooting as well as free throw shooting all season, to shoot when he is open. Rondo was left open for a 3-pointer that could have won the game in regulation but missed it.

Teams are laying off Rondo because he has yet to prove he can hit mid-range jumpers consistently. While he wants his point guard to continue the flow of the offense, Rivers said he also wants Rondo to be more assertive offensively.

“He missed one late in [Sunday’s] game but it was great,’’ Rivers said. “He just stepped into the shot, but those will go in for him.’’

So Rondo has the green light. There will be some growing pains and some ugly shooting lines, just like there were with Glen Davis last season. But we saw the payoff during the post-season.

Will Rondo’s jumper follow the same path? It’s one of a handful of questions that will determine the fate of the C’s season.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>