Rajon Rondo vs. Chris Paul: Which is the Better Point Guard?
Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul are having arguably two of the better seasons of any point guard in the NBA.
This season, Rondo has had a career-best season in regards to his production. In steals he has tied his career-high and in assists he has well surpassed his career-best mark. Not to mention his 37.2 minutes per game is the highest average of any season since entering the league in 2006.
Rondo has emerged in the talks as one of the best point guards in the NBA, and looks to be knocking on the doorstep of some who were once known as the league's best - like Hornets point guard CP3.
After a slow start to the season, Paul has picked up the slack, averaging 18 points and 11 assists a game in his last 10 starts. His free-throw shooting numbers have increased to 88 percent, which marks his career-best from the foul line.
The two 25 year-old stars have a plethora of talent left to contribute in their young careers. The question is: which is the better point-guard? Who should a GM build a team around if given the option to select between the two? Has Rondo surpassed Paul as a point guard?
Join B/R and myself in breaking down and comparing the All-Stars in different aspects of the game.
Shooting
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When it comes to taking a jump-shot, contested or open, the rock will go to Chris Paul well before Rajon Rondo. No question.
This is easily the more lopsided category in comparing the two point guards.
Paul along with Phoenix Suns veteran Steve Nash are two of the best shooters at the point-guard position in the league. This season Paul shoots 46.9 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from three-point range, and 88.3 percent from the free-throw line. Aside from overall field goal percentage, Paul takes care of business when it comes to shooting.
Rondo on the other hand, has the second-lowest shooting percentage of any point-guard in the league from the free-throw line at 55.4 percent. It marks his lowest percentage since entering the league in 2006. Although he shoots slightly better than Paul from the field, he shoots less and takes most of his shots within 10 feet of the rim.
Rondo has shown strides of improvement in his jump-shot, but at the end of the day Paul gets the nod.
Winner: Chris Paul
Paul - 1
Rondo - 0
Getting to the Rim
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The long, athletic Rondo is as good as any player in the league at finishing at the rim. His craft dribble and quick first step down the lane is unmatched by many.
Rondo goes to the extent to pass up on an open mid-range look just to take the ball to the cup in traffic (although it's probably the right move for him). He doesn't put up the points of a Chris Paul or Derrick Rose, but Rondo seems to have quite the touch around the basket.
Paul finishes well at the basket, but hasn't been as aggressive at the rim this season. Whether it's injury or playing it safe, there has been a tendency in Paul's game to take the jump-shot before taking the ball down the lane this season.
Rondo's mark of 47 percent from the field this season comes at no surprise, as he tends to take shots inside the paint and near the rim. When it comes to finishing at the rim, there are not many guards that do it better than Rondo.
Winner: Rajon Rondo
Paul - 1
Rondo - 1
Defense
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Rondo and Paul are two of the few point guards in the league that pride themselves on their defensive play. It's no secret why the two are the best in the league in steals per game.
Rondo even went to the extent to try and guard LeBron James in their third meeting to try and give the Celtics a spark. The move would help start a run where the C's would take the lead and take with them a third consecutive victory over the Heat.
Paul is averaging a league-best 2.39 steals per game, while Rondo takes away a second-best 2.22 steals a contest. Rondo has the advantage of possessing length and quick hands, while Paul is arguably the best in the league at getting into passing lanes.
Rondo takes a slight edge in the rebounding department, averaging 4.5 rebounds per game while Paul grabs 4.1 a contest.
Here both Paul and Rondo split the award for being the "better defender," as they are both two of the better point guards in the league in this regard.
Winner: BOTH
Paul - 2
Rondo - 2
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Facilitating
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A few seasons ago this might have been a toss up, but this season Rondo has proven his worth as an improved facilitator.
Rondo is averaging 11.3 assists per game, which is the second-highest mark in the league this season behind Nash (11.4). For a majority of the season, Rondo led the league in assists per game and recorded a 24 assist game against the New York Knicks earlier this season. The mark is the second-highest by any Celtic player, with Cousy dishing the most in team history with 29.
For the first time in four seasons, Paul will likely average less than 10 assists a game in a season, as he averaged 9.8 with four games remaining. To his credit he has stepped it up as of late, averaging 11 assists a game in his last 10 games.
Stats are not everything, make no mistake about it. Rondo has players like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen around him while Paul has David West and not much else. It is certainly a factor to consider in comparing the two players.
The difference is that Rondo may have the better talent around him, but because of his lack of shooting ability, he has four options on the court guarded by five defenders. Defenders dare Rondo to take shots and so making passes becomes increasingly difficult, in that whichever player defends Rondo plays help defense on another player as well.
It's not the easiest call, yet Rondo does just enough to take this category from the man otherwise known as CP3.
Winner: Rajon Rondo
Paul - 2
Rondo - 3
The Crunch Time Player
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When the game is in it's final minutes, and Hornets point guard Chris Paul gets in his hands-on-knees stance while glaring at the scoreboard - it's on.
Paul is hands down one of the more clutch performers this league has to offer, alongside players like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Durant.
Check out his game winning shot against the New Jersey Nets in 2007:
Rondo has proven his worth as well, making the right passes down the stretch and finding players like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen to make game-winning shots. Yet most of the time, the last shot will run through Pierce from the beginning of the shot clock. Most passes off to Garnett or Allen will likely come from a Pierce drive and kick.
Rondo has his moments, but Paul lives for the moment. There's a reason players like Nate Robinson (once upon a time) and Delonte West get their share of minutes in the fourth quarter.
Winner: Chris Paul
Paul - 3
Rondo-3
It's All About the "W"
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Rondo's Postseason Experience:
-One NBA Championship
-Two NBA Finals Appearances
- 64 postseason starts
- 38-26 (.593)
Paul's Postseason Experience:
-17 postseason starts
- 8-9 (.470)
This argument is not as clear cut as it seems at first glance. Rajon Rondo is not miles ahead of Chris Paul when it comes to winning ball games, in that Rondo has clearly had more opportunities and the more talented team each season.
Rondo may have these luxuries, yet even still Rondo deserves his fair share of credit for the Celtics winning ways over the last several seasons. Without Rondo, the Celtics have the veteran talent without the distributor offensively, and lose a force defensively on the perimeter.
After beating a heavily-favored Cleveland team in last year's postseason LeBron James said "His (Rondo's) performance was unbelievable.”
This came after a performance where Rondo would post 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists in a Game 4 victory.
Paul still has time to prove himself as a winner in the league, and has done so effectively to this point. Stealing the words of ESPN announcer Mark Jackson, "when it's all set and done," Rondo has proven his worth as a winner in the league in his four seasons as a starter and looks to continue to add to his resume this postseason for the Celtics.
Winner: Rajon Rondo
Paul - 3
Rondo -4
and the winner is...
And the Winner Is...
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The Boston Celtics point guard, Rajon Rondo.
In a nail-biter, Rondo takes the prize as the better point guard overall. Paul is still arguably one of the better five point guards in the league, but Rondo is the choice when taking into consideration the different facets of the game.
Rondo has made considerable leaps in his game over the last several seasons, playing more aggressively on the offensive end and making tough plays on the defensive end.
This season he has career-high numbers in assists (11.3) and has helped his Celtics maintain a top three record in the East this season. The East's second-best team has been inconsistent as of late, as step-up play from Rondo will be needed this postseason.
Winner: Rajon Rondo
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