Miami Heat: Could Mario Chalmers Become the Next Rajon Rondo?

As the saying goes, you're a product of your environment. You are influenced by the setting and the people surrounding you and it eventually turns you into that type of player. Much like how people raised in an urban setting are more prone to remaining in that environment or how those that are raised in upscale settings have higher chances of becoming successful because of the lack of distractions, you are directly influenced by those around you.

The same applies to the NBA or any other sport. If you're surrounded by good players, you have a higher tendency to improve because of their influence.

There isn't a more legitimate way to prove that then to take a look at the way Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce created Rajon Rondo. Prior to those three joining forces together in Boston, Rondo had only played two years in the league and was from being considered an All-Star caliber point guard. He had a sub-par rookie campaign where he only averaged six points on 42 percent shooting to go along with four assists and four rebounds per game.

It wasn't until the next season that Rondo's role on the team increased, his stats began to sky rocket, and his overall game improved mightily. His shooting percentage jumped to 49 percent, he averaged 11 points per game, and was averaging five assists per contest. The very next season is when we began to notice just how quality of a player Rondo was once he averaged three more assists the previous season and hit over half of his shots.

He would continue to improve over the next two years as he would average a career high of 14 points per game one year and 11 assists per game another. Rondo was improving and was starting to be recognized as one of the best point guards in the league because of the quality roster he was surrounded by. The pressure put on by being on the same team as three Hall of Fame caliber veterans didn't get to Rondo at all, he embraced it.

The big three of Boston attracted attention and they were good enough of players to move without the ball to score. Rondo was the perfect complement to them as he was a pass first point guard that embraced being on the same team as these Hall of Famers rather than shying away from it as most point guards his age would have done. His trickery with the ball, as well as his terrific court vision allowed him to thrive in the set offense that Boston ran.

With Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh following the blueprint of the Celtics idea of forming a big three and then surrounding them with lower and middle-tier role players, there was the obvious belief that these three would influence their teammates as well. After all, they were three of the most prolific scorers in the league and had made household names out of some of the lesser known players before they got a hold of them.

Do you honestly think Mo Williams would have been an All-Star if not for LeBron James leading the way?

It was believed that the big three would attract so much attention with double and triple teams that their teammates would find themselves in position to take the easiest and most wide open shots they've ever attempted over a season. All Wade or James would have to do is drive, wait for the double team from the defenders on the perimeter, and then kick out to Mike Miller, James Jones, or any three-point shooter waiting for the golden opportunity for a shoot around three.

It was even believed that Joel Anthony could improve since he would be more open than he ever was prior. The only problem was that Anthony was still the most inept offensive player in the league and being open had nothing to do with how he played on offense.

What was a wide belief by Heat fans was that their point guard in Mario Chalmers would get the Rajon Rondo treatment by the big three. That Wade, James, and Bosh were just so good of offensive players that Chalmers would suddenly bounce back from his dismal sophomore season and would become an All-Star caliber point guard because of all the open opportunities he was getting, as well as all the assists he would be racking up courtesy of the big three.

Chalmers did show plenty of promise in his rookie season when the team's big three was Dwyane Wade, Jermaine O'Neal, and Michael Beasley. Mario averaged ten points, five assists, and two steals per game, which led all rookies. He was also hitting 37 percent of his three-pointers and 42 percent of his shots overall.

So what happened with Chalmers in his first season with the big three? Not much aside from being benched twice in favor of other point guards that were deemed more capable of playing the point since Mario was somehow underperforming despite running in the same lineup as Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. He was inconsistent all season long until he came off the bench and improved once the pressure was really put on for him to perform.

It wasn't until the Finals that we saw just how well Chalmers could play. He had four games where he scored at least 10 points, but wasn't given the start until game six which was already too late to begin making adjustments. Considering the way Mike Bibby had played the entire post season, horribly, Chalmers should have probably been given the start two series prior.

He also had a 20-point game in the series clincher against the Philadelphia 76ers where he made six of his 12 three-point attempts. He shot 38 percent overall from beyond the arc in the playoffs.

Chalmers has many attributes to him that exceeds that of other point guards. He's a terrific off the ball defender and has averaged at least a steal per game in the three years that he's been a member of the NBA thanks to his ability to anticipate passes going through the passing lane. Chalmers is also surprisingly explosive, has quality range, and does find himself creating plays from time to time.

His main problems include being much too inconsistent and causing too many errors on plays that should result in automatic points. There were too many times last season where Mario would give weak fouls on opponents that would be attempting lay ups rather than laying off or actually fouling hard enough to deter the shot from reaching its point. They weren't the smartest plays, but it's something that could be fixed with more experience.

However, for those who expect Chalmers to become the next Rondo because of who he plays with need to realize that you also need a lot of talent. Rondo is an extremely talented player who has better court vision than probably 25 other starting point guards and is also one of the league's most effective players in the paint because of his speed and the trickery he uses to fool opposing big men in order to free himself up for easy lay ups.

Chalmers could be that player, but it would take many years for him to perfect the type of passes that Rondo is able to complete. One aspect he does hold over Rondo however is his shooting which is miles ahead of where Rondo currently is. Observed as his biggest weakness, teams will play off and allow Rondo to shoot 20 feet before playing him close and risking the chance of him driving and either scoring or attracting a double team.

Mario on the other hand has a quality shot and should begin to use that as the strongest aspect of his game. He should continue to look for shots from beyond the arc so that when opponents do begin to recognize his shot, he can attract defenders and find his teammates for open shots as Rondo does with his drives. With confidence and momentum from the Finals, Chalmers should come into the next NBA season on a high that he's never been on before.

Chalmers might not be the next Rajon Rondo, but he could become just as legitimate a point guard if he continues to improve on just about every aspect of his game. He has the confidence and he has the ability to hit in late-game pressure situations. It's time for coach Erik Spoelstra to start Chalmers and to stick with him through thick and thin in order to allow him to work his way through slumps so that he may become a possible top 10 caliber point guard.