Rajon Rondo Rumors: Why He Is Not the Player the Celtics Should Build Around

A franchise player should be a killer. He needs to have toughness and strong leadership abilities in order to raise the play of those around him.

When you think of franchise players in today’s NBA, names like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant are among the first that come to mind.  

One would have to go through a long list of players before arriving at Rajon Rondo. This is not to say that Rondo is a below-average player; it is just saying that he is not someone an owner would feel comfortable with leading their franchise.  

Rondo has already accomplished so much in his short career. He has been the starting point guard for a championship team, has made three all star teams and two All-NBA defensive first teams, and he led the league in steals during the 2009-10 season.

Rondo does so many different things on the court. He’s an excellent rebounder and defender at his position, and his passing ability is comparable to any of the league’s premier playmakers.

The Boston point guard is also arguably the quickest player in the NBA and is routinely able to beat his man to the basket. Rondo’s multitude of skills is best exemplified by his 10 career regular-season triple-doubles, along with six more coming in the playoffs.

There is no questioning Rondo’s skill set. He is a dynamic and unique player who has been exciting to watch over his five-year career.

However, Rondo is not someone the Celtics should build their team around going forward.

If you look at all the franchise players in the league today, they are all elite scorers. All the teams who have won championships over the past decade have been led by elite offensive player. This list includes Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. The lone exception is the Detroit Pistons, whose team was mostly focused around their elite defense; but even their best player, Chauncey Billups, was a much better scorer than Rondo.

Rondo is at times an effective scorer, but his inability to develop a consistent jumper has hurt him dearly. He is not someone who can carry the scoring load, and at times, he is a major liability in the Celtics half court offense because of his sub-par shooting ability.

Not only is Rondo a bad jump-shooter, he is also atrocious at the charity stripe. For his career, Rondo has converted just 62 percent of his free-throw attempts and is someone you don’t want on the court at the end of a close game.

The other major problem with building your team around Rondo is his immaturity.

Every year, the Celtics have hoped that Rondo is going to step up and become a leader for the team. Unfortunately for Boston, Rondo has failed to seize a leadership position amongst his teammates, and he seems content with letting others be in control.

On many occasions, Rondo has been described as sensitive and soft by both his teammates and coaches. When Rondo’s best friend, Kendrick Perkins, was traded from the team last season, it seemed like Rondo wasn’t the same player, and he let the emotion of losing his friend negatively affect his game.

When you’re looking for someone to lead your franchise, you want a player with toughness and someone who will not let small petty things throw off their game.

Rondo’s immaturity was in full display a few days prior to All-Star weekend. The point guard disagreed with a call by a referee and proceeded to argue and throw the ball at the official, resulting in a two-game suspension.

This was another example of Rondo being unreliable and not thinking through his actions. Missing their starting point guard, the team lost both games in which Rondo was suspended.  

Rajon Rondo is unquestionably one of the NBA’s best point guards. Despite this, he is not someone I would want leading my franchise for years to come.