Celtics Secret Agent – Believe in the Raging Rondo

Believe In The Raging Rondo; Doubt Him At Your Own Peril

When breaking down the series between the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics, I’ve shamelessly gushed about the combination of Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon. While those two haven’t disappointed, the neglected to give heed to the deadly backcourt in Boston. It’s time to make amends with the lost hero on the Boston roster.

The Boston Three Party has always been about KG, Pierce and Shuttlesworth. But there’s a fourth musketeer in the building and he runs the point for the Celtics. Rajon Rondo has emerged from NBA obscurity to become one of my favorite unsung candidates for Most Improved Player. His fabulous triple-double in Game 2 was rock solid proof that Rondo can turn him and Ray Allen in to a veritable force.

And quite frankly, it’s the only way that Boston has a hope of surviving the onslaught that is Derrick Rose with Ben Gordon. Allen-Rondo combined for 49 points in Game 2, and Rose-Gordon fought back with 52 of their own. If you thought this was a series that Chicago could steal, Rondo is making you think again.

Rondo is now averaging 14.7 points and 10.3 assists per game this season against Chicago. For those of you that are worried that Boston won’t reward your first-round future bet on Boston, don’t sleep on Raging Rondo. And no, I didn’t misspell that.

Rondo emerged as an SEC All-Freshman Team member when he played for the University of Kentucky. Known as a ball-hawking steal machine, Rondo was a steady point-man in his two seasons at Kentucky. Known for his penchant for scoring, in spite of his porous field-goal percentage, Rondo was the quintessential point-guard dishing out assists left and right while causing terror for opposing guards with his talent for steals.

When Rondo declared for the draft, the Suns nabbed him at 21st overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. That summer, Rondo was traded to Boston and had to play behind the likes of Sebastian Telfair, but Rondo burst on to the scene in 2007 as the questionable guard and the potential weak link of the Boston Celtics. Whoops.

Rondo has since not only become an integral part of the Celtics, he has taken it upon himself to carry this team in light of KG’s knee and Pierce’s age. My favorite part? He’s done it with action. Come to think of it, I barely hear Rondo talking in the media. He’s a man of action, and you’ve got to respect that.

Kevin Garnett is injured and out of the playoffs. We just heard that Leon Powe won’t be in the paint for the Celtics anymore either after tearing his MCL. Everyone’s talking about the players that the Celtics don’t have in the roster. Maybe they should start considering what they do have – and that’s the best backcourt in the Eastern Conference.

Don’t throw away your betting tickets yet, Boston fans. These Celtics are stronger than you think…and it’s all because Rajon Rondo is far better than the league thinks too.