Rajon Rondo Has Potential to Be Best Point Guard in NBA

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Jul 4, 2010

Rajon Rondo Has Potential to Be Best Point Guard in NBA In today's superstar-driven NBA, a team can only go as far its best player can carry it. Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant — the game's greatest dynasties are built around its greatest winners. Which gets any Celtics fan thinking: How high is Rajon Rondo's ceiling?

It's a very important question. Consider this: In the last two decades, 19 of the NBA's 20 champions have had at least one player make the All-NBA team. (The only exception was the Pistons in 2004, whose ensemble cast took down the Lakers in the Finals.) At the moment, there is serious doubt about whether the Celtics have a legitimate top-15 player among their ranks.

With Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen all past their primes, Rondo is the closest thing they've got. He may only be 24, but it's his time. If the Celtics want to remain title contenders next season, it's on Rondo to take his game to the next level.

The C's gave Rondo an extension at the start of last season — five years, $55 million — because they had faith that he could be their franchise player. It looks like he's reaching that status mighty fast.

Every postseason, it seems, he makes a statement about his growth as an elite point guard. In 2008, he silenced all the critics who said he was too young and too inexperienced by winning a championship. In '09, he put up triple-doubles with ease in the first two rounds of the playoffs against Chicago and Orlando.

And then this season, Rondo was so good that many speculated he was the single best player in the NBA playoffs.

That hype came, and it went. Eventually the truth sunk in, and we all realized he wasn't in the same class with the superstars that he faced this spring — Dwyane Wade, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.

But he's got the potential to get there.

If he can channel that potential soon, the Celtics are in business.

Rondo's already an elite defender, and he rebounds better than anyone in the league at the point guard position. He uses his amazing hands, his agility and his blazing speed to make things happen. He gets steals, he starts fast breaks, and he gets the Celtics running, gunning and scoring.

But there's more to the game than that. Most importantly now, Rondo's still got to work on developing a diverse offensive game. You can't be the most dominant point guard in the NBA until you can transition seamlessly between distributor, slasher and shooter. Rondo's got two of the three.

Rondo needs a jump shot. He needs a mid-range game. He needs to become the kind of point guard who's not just skilled, but also unpredictable.

Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Steve Nash — these guys are the best. They can score, they can distribute, and they can also knock down the big shot when their teams need it.

Rondo's not there yet. But he can get there if he works at it — he's blessed with all the athletic ability in the world.

If you've watched Rondo throughout his first four seasons in Boston, you know there's no limit to what he can do.

Every year, he keeps making strides forward. He's got no reason to stop now.

NESN.com will answer one Celtics question every day in July.

Saturday, July 3: Will the Celtics re-sign Ray Allen?

Monday, July 5: : Is Kevin Garnett still an All-Star?

Who is the NBA's best point guard?survey software

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