Boston Celtics: 4 Ways to Build Around Rajon Rondo for the Future
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are still the three leaders of this Boston Celtics team, yet soon enough, they will pass over the torch to star point guard Rajon Rondo.
Rondo has already made a case for being one of the leaders of this team, continuing to improve as a basketball player and always seeming to dictate the way his team plays on a nightly basis. When Rondo comes to play, it seems as if the Celtics are as difficult a team to beat in the NBA.
With the Big Three another year older and the Celtics gradually going into rebuilding mode, soon the organization will have to begin scouting out other talents in free agency and filling the roster with promising, younger talent.
These are the four ways the Boston Celtics need to build around Rajon Rondo to continue being a championship threat in the future.
Pick Up a Center in Free Agency
1 of 4Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard? It might just sound like a force to be reckoned with.
Whether its in the 2011 NBA Free Agency period or the 2012 one, the Boston Celtics know they will have to make moves and ultimately rebuild the roster.
If the 2012 NBA Free Agency period is where the Celtics make big signings, which is likely the case, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic will surely be a guy the team will keep an eye one. With a couple of the Big Three likely to play a season or two more with the team after next year, adding a center like Howard would give the team a strong chance to contend for a title.
The Celtics also have the option of making moves in this 2011 NBA Free Agency period for a big man, although there is no definitive date as to when this process will begin with the NBA lockout lingering on.
With players like Nene Hilario in Denver and Thaddeus Young on the market, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Celtics take a shot at bringing in a young talent at the center position.
Sign Shooters
2 of 4Ray Allen has shot the lights out of the basketball since becoming a member of the Boston Celtics, yet he has been one of the few if not the only "knock-down" shooter Rajon Rondo plays alongside.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have been able to deliver on their shooting abilities and are a significant part of the Celtics offense, yet are not players that primarily take jump shots. Garnett boasts an ability to get shots off in the paint while Pierce is one of the better player in the league when taking the ball to the basket.
A player like a Ray Allen that is young and has a knack for hitting open jumpers would be a positive asset to the team, especially coming off the bench for the team. With the departure of anywhere from one to three of the Big Three after next season, it will be essential to provide Rondo with other scoring options and especially big-time jump shooters.
Get Jeff Green to Play Increased Minutes
3 of 4Boston Celtics small forward Jeff Green is a talented young player that will be a vital player to develop in helping the team put together winning seasons once the Big Three are no longer playing together.
Green was acquired in a trade where the Celtics dealt their promising center Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder, hoping that Green would help build the team for the future.
In his 26 regular season games with the Celtics last season, Green averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 23.5 minutes per game with the team. Yet with the Thunder, in 37 minutes per game Green was posting 15.2 points and 5.6 rebounds a contest.
The answer: Green needs around 30 minutes of playing time per game.
With starter's minutes in the past, Green has proven to be an effective scorer and an aggressive player on the glass. Expect his minutes to increase to about 26-28 minutes per game this coming season.
Develop Rajon Rondo's Offensive Game
4 of 4Yes, of the four ways to build around Rajon Rondo, the guy still manages to find himself in a slide.
Arguably one of the better point guards the NBA has to offer, Boston Celtics young talent Rajon Rondo is a player that lacks much of an offensive arsenal.
Offensively, Rondo's gift is finding the open man and helping to get his teammates the basketball where they can best take advantage of a defense. When it comes to driving the ball to the basket, Rondo is a tough player that knows how to finish around the rim and put up points in a hurry.
Yet his jump shot is still what needs work and takes away from his overall game.
Despite his decent shooting percentage from the field, Rondo will consistently shy away from knocking down jumpers. As a result defenders play anywhere from five to 10 feet off of him, giving him space to take a jump shot but denying him the drive to the basket.
It is important to build around a player like Rajon Rondo, adding the right talent in the back-court and front-court, yet improving Rondo's game might reduce the urgency to find much more talent. With a further developed, more consistent scoring game from Rondo, the Celtics need to acquire much less talent in building a championship team for the future.
Follow Boston Celtics FC Luis Batlle on twiter: @lbatll1
