2010 NBA Finals, Game Three: In Order to Win, Lakers Must Contain Rajon Rondo

To quote Dan Patrick: "You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him."

This is the approach that NBA teams need to start taking with Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics.

The 6'1", 170-pound point guard has quietly been wowing NBA fans around the world in the playoffs this season.

The man known as the "plus one" to the Big Three has been working hard to separate himself from being their sidekick and has begun to emerge as the real "Big Ticket" in Boston.

Rondo can speed past any point guard in the NBA, fool big men looming around the hoop with his schoolyard up-fake, and has one of the sweetest mid-range jumpers in the game.

Not to mention he has amazing court vision that can find the slashing Pierce, the deadly three-point shooting Ray Allen, and the crafty veteran Kevin Garnett anywhere on the court.

These attributes are what make stopping Rajon Rondo so difficult, which is why the Lakers need to learn how to contain him.

The first step in containing a player is to admit that you are not going to stop him on any given night.  This knowledge is what has made NBA teams successful in containing LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

So, how exactly can the Lakers teach the rest of the world how to contain Rondo in the NBA Finals?

They can start by following my personal plan for stopping Rajon Rondo.

Deny Rondo Access to the Hole

This may seem easy to the common basketball player, but the flashy, speedy Rondo finds his way around the quickest man defenses in basketball.

This is why containing Rondo begins with zone defense.

I clamored, begged, and pleaded with Mike Brown (obviously, he wasn't listening) to impose a zone defense against the Boston Celtics.  But the defensive guru decided Mo Williams was ready for the challenge.

How did that work out for you, Mike?

Imposing a 3-2 zone defense will allow Derek Fisher to get some help in containing Rondo, and it will keep Allen (who seems to slip away from man defense) in the sights of the Lakers defense.

The zone will not only allow the Lakers to keep an eye on Rondo and Allen, but it will also reduce the effectiveness of Pierce's slashing ability and Garnett's face-up game.

Make Rajon Shoot

I know what you are thinking. I just said earlier that he had one of the sweetest mid-range jumpers. Why in the world would I want to make this guy shoot?

Rondo may be able to make the closer jumpers, but he is terrible when it comes to shooting from anywhere else.

He may make a three-pointer every once in a while, but teams have experienced the most success when they prevent Rondo from going to the hole and make him shoot outside of 18 feet.

If you don't believe me, take a look at his career three-point percentage. It is a dismal 24.4 percent.

Hack-a-Rondo

The system that was created to put the horrible-shooting Shaq at the free-throw line may just work with Rondo.

Rondo is a career 63 percent free-throw shooter, and has continued his poor free-throw shooting by going 3-of-9 from the line thus far in the NBA Finals.

This problem is one of the few glaring flaws in Rondo's NBA game, especially for a point guard.

If Rondo is going to continue driving to the hole and speeding by defenders, the Lakers' big men are going to have to make it their personal duty to wrap up Rondo and make him go to the line.

In his least effective game against the Cavaliers, Rondo was greeted on his first drive to the hoop with a giant Shaq knocking him to the hardwood—and then he split the pair at the line.

Wear Him Down

To reduce Rondo's effectiveness, the Lakers need to make him guard a bigger, more physical point guard that will wear him down.

Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar are the people that Rondo wants to guard.

Fisher is older, and primarily relies on his jump shot for scoring.  This plays into Rondo's hand because he gets to stay fresh throughout the game.

Farmar likes to shoot jumpers as well, and fails to penetrate as much as the Lakers would like, which also plays into Rondo's hand.

To wear Rondo down, the Lakers need to utilize Shannon Brown as the point guard more often.

When he was in Cleveland, Brown was used as a shooting guard because of his freakish athletic jumping ability.

But in LA, he has become more of a role player, and has accepted playing either guard position.

Brown would be able to wear Rondo down by attacking the hole and running around picks on defense.

Also, Brown's length with help cut-off Rondo's access to the hole on the offensive end.

Accept the Plan

For the Lakers and the rest of the NBA to contain Rondo, they need to accept this plan.

You cannot stop a guy with Rondo's arsenal and bag of tricks, you can only hope to contain it.

By utilizing this plan in Game Three tonight in Boston, Phil Jackson and the Lakers will regain their defensive form and get back on the path toward another NBA Championship.