[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Avery Bradley is turning the corner. A lot if teams wanted him around trade deadline. Danny did not bite. I think this kid is going to be real good. Jump shot is falling and his overall game is just improving. Doc Rivers does a great job developing these guys. Is it possible Avery keeps the starting spot when Ray comes back?

[KayjayParticipant]

I think in the offseason they will look to trade Allen and insert Bradley for that role. But as of right now, playoffs are right around the corner. And you go with what you know, not with what you feel. (Most of the time any way.)

[paradigmnParticipant]

Finally starting to get some offense….Rondo definitely played a part in helping him get his career high the other night…tonight his shot was falling 4 sure. though

Doc Rivers says he might be the best "on-ball-defender" in the NBA….kids a ball hawk…3 steals tonight….if he gets more minutes…averaging 2 or more a game eventually is a possibility.

I remember I watched the Celtics last regular season game last year…and Bradley should me he not only belongs in the league…he actually might be decent….nice surprise maybe as a Celtics fan.

 

[rickybobbyParticipant]

Ray Allen means to much for them to bench him for Bradley.  Bradley may be playing good put Allen means way more to them than wats showed in his stats. Just his spacing and shooting on offense is more valuable than anything Bradley brings to the table. Defensively Bradleys on another planet, Ray Allen is a great team defender and fits well too try and change things now. I just dont see Allen getting benched in the Big 3’s more than likely last year. Bradley should see more minutes backingup both pg/sg spots to help prepare him for a larger role next year.  

[mookieParticipant]

 A couple good games doesn’t mean he should replace ray ray.  Ray ray might leave for financial reasons or the team might just be going in a different direction, but bradley has to do alot more to replace ray ray.

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

Bradley was considered by many recruiting experts to be the top ranked player in his class.  He is a ridiculously good defender and he is very athletic.  I don’t think he starts over Ray though.  The C’s are going to overhaul their roster next year and Bradley will stay in Boston as the future of that organization.

[aamir543Participant]

 Whoa there fella, he had a couple nice games, but nothing to write home about, other than that 23 point game. If you’re argueing on part of his defense, than sure, but Bradley still has a long ways to go to even match Ray Allen even at this stage of his career. He’ll get the 25 odd minutes remaining when Rondo and Ray get breaks, but he’s not going to take Allen’s starting job.

[topotamolderParticipant]

He won’t but he should, Bradley gives the celtics another dimension , he defense is ELITE, and his offense is pretty efficient lately, pretty good mid range shooter, cutter and decent slasher, the celtics can actually RUN when him and Rondo are on the court, something they can’t do with Ray.  He is probably one of the most athletic guards from the entire league.

[mgreener_34Participant]

 "Rondo definitely played a part in helping him get his career high the other night"

The fact that some people still don’t see Rondo as a top five PG in beyond me. Since the all-star break the dude has been averaging 9.6 ppg and 12.4 apg, and is the reason the Celtics have been so good lately even with Ray and Pietrus out. He’s made KG look like a monster this past month with his dribble drive kick outs. 

For all of those opposed to this why don’t you go take a look at the Celtics bench. The likes of Keyon Dooling, Sasha Pavlovic, and Greg Stiemsma aren’t going to strike fear into the heart of the opposing team, and Ray could really add that needed punch.

With the move to the center position KG has really been more assertive, and Pierce has been playing like it’s 2003 again. If Rondo is more assertive like Doc as been begging then this would be a great move.

 

[bobbybParticipant]

The reason people dont see Rondo as a top 5 , is no DIS to Rondo. The point guard position is way too deep right now.

[mgreener_34Participant]

 "The reason people dont see Rondo as a top 5 , is no DIS to Rondo. The point guard position is way too deep right now"

I was going to respond to this saying something like "There is no way Rondo isn’t top 5", but then I realized I watch Rondo play every night, so to me it must be different then other poeple who only get to see him play when the Celtics are on TNT, ABC, or ESPN (same for me with other pointguards I guess).  I bet the Lakers do the same with Kobe, and laugh when people say he’s a chucker. 

 

[omphalosParticipant]

@KayJay; Celtics will have to sign Ray Allen before they can trade him, he’ll be a free agent remember?

Bradley strikes me as a career sixth man, I hope my Celtics hold onto him, but I wouldn’t want him to be our starting SG of the future.

[paradigmnParticipant]

 Mgreener….I watch a lot of the Celtics also…Rondo is a Top 5 point guard in the NBA in my opinion also.

Dished out 17 dimes in the win tonight vs the T-Wolves…That’s 219 assists in the month of March…shattering Bob Cousy’s 56 year long Celtics record for assits in a month!!! http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/elias?date=20120331

I give Rondo’s game…A Thumbs Up!!!

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

I agree I think you have to watch the kid a lot to assess. He is better than these guys in every area except shooting wich is not priority number one for a point guard. Highest IQ in the NBA.

[LawDeeZeeParticipant]

there is an interesting dynamic at work that i think makes rondo’s position in the pg hierarchy a little polarizing. the game has unquestionably changes over the last ten years allowing smaller quicker players to dominate games in a way that they were prevented from doing previously. as a result, point guards have taken on new responsibilities. inevitably there is going to be a crowd that is reluctant to acknowledge or embrace this change and another crowd who is able to see the direction things are headed. this is the old school vs. new school dilemma, where the word "true" point guard comes into play and is defined as a player who racks up assists and passes the ball, and that is the extent of his job. there is a new class of point guards who are much too talented to be pigeon holed into that role though in russel westbrook, derrick rose, etc. guys like these, with their talent offensively and ability to score the ball and break down defenses would be doing their respective teams a disservice if they didn’t play a brand of basketball that was representative of their skill set.

 

another thing at work here in the rondo as a top 5 pg debate is the fact that probably the top 3 in most people’s books would be rose, paul, and dwill. these three guys are franchise caliber players, guys you can build a team around, guys who can create or carry an offense and guys who can also serve as your closer down the stretch of tight games. with this expectation it would seem players like nash, westbrook, even kyrie irving this year seem to fall into that class and come closer to filling that same role than a player like rondo who has never really been known for clutch play or closing out games. some would argue that’s because of team personel but i think it’s also a legitimate question if rondo has the skill set suited for that type or role.

 

i think the debate is so split on rondo because of how unique his game is in comparison to the rest of his current peers at the position. he sort of breaks the current mold. he’s much more limited than some of those other guys in certain area’s, but excels in other areas. so is he a top 5 pg? ultimately it depends on what you’re looking for it would seem.

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

They get confused on what they should be doing in playoff games. Rondo trumps them in the post season too. Not hearing that pigeon hold argument nice try.

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

With Rondo, Pierce, Avery and draft picks the Celts rebuilding seems like it may go very quickly.  The Celts have shown they can develop late picks into at least solid starters – Perk, Rondo and now Avery.

[LawDeeZeeParticipant]

those guys have a different task … it’s not confusion. derrick rose is supposed score in playoff games, as the best offensive player on his team he wouldn’t be helping them if he were limited by the old school concept of what a point guard is supposed to do.

 

on the other side, jason kidd never won a title as the best player on his team and he was rajon rondo before rondo. rondo never won a title as the best player on his team. john stockton never won a title period … so i don’t think your argument holds much weight that "those guys" don’t win titles. is this to say you’d prefer derek fisher over russel westbrook? because i can assure you there’s not a gm in basketball who would agree with that.

 

teams who win titles for the most part have players who know and embrace their roles on the team. talented players who do so as well. chauncey billups averaged 21 points a game in the nba finals and only 5 assists if i remember correctly on route to a finals MVP and championship. 

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Like I said when Paul,Rose,Westbrook own Rondo in their match ups and win more titles the argument will make sense. Until then it just sounds like HATE.

[omphalosParticipant]

I’m going to take some to watch the Celtics vs Heat, as I haven’t seen them play in a while because I’ve been pretty busy, if he can contain Wade, then I might buy into this Bradley hype, but I’ve liked him since his high school days, just felt he was too much of a tweener to be a legitimate building block.

[F_DA_POParticipant]

This seems like an april fools joke. Why is someone getting thumbs up for suggesting Ray Allen should lose his starting spot? Bradley is definitely better suited as a combo guard off the bench this season. You don’t use Ray Allen as a role player when he comes back just because he missed a few games.

[topotamolderParticipant]

Because Ray is old, face it. And with the C’s current 2nd unit Ray would be more valuable coming from the bench. Plus the current lineup is working pretty good. But if you know Doc, you know this won’t happen, Ray will be the starter once he is back, no doubt about that.

[mgreener_34Participant]

 You need to watch more games man if you think a player should start based on name alone. Go ask the Lakers how it was like watching Fisher play every day. Allen is more usefull then fisher ever was,  but think of it more as what the Thunder and Spurs do with Manu and Harden. Bradely would be the Celtics Thabo, and Allen could do what ever he wanted. Keep in mind the Celtics usually play Rondo the whole first, and usually begining of the second, so it’s not like he would have to create his own offense. 

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