Rondo is stepping up

There is no coincident for Rajon Rondo's excelled performance (on both ends of the floor), in the absence of Garnett and Ray Allen.

In the Orlando's game, he scores 15, added 5 assists, 6 steals and 5 rebounds (but 3 turnovers). Two nights later against the Miami Heat, he scores 23, added 3 assists, 1 steal and 6 rebounds (only 1 turnover).

While these opposing team point-guards are not the top-tier of the league, the key is that they find it difficult to match Rondo's speed and pace of the game.

With two (Garnett and Allen) of the three options for offence no longer available, Rondo is stepping up his game. He is now running the offence, instead of shepherding, using his quickness dribbling and maneuvering in the lane, and making passes to get his teammates open look. Take a look at the last game stats, three other teammates have scored 20 or above and none of them is Pierce.

Rondo is also driving more to the basket, getting contacts and foul-calls, which means more FT attempts (12 in last two games). His FT accuracy has also improved to over 80% in those games.

(AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Steve Weinman from CelticsBlog sums up, "He has always had the physical ability to wreak havoc in the paint and thread nice passes. Now, he finally has gained the efficacy in his game around the rim and the confidence in his offensive skills to be that player once and for all."

"This isn't to say that Rondo is now The Man or that a few good weeks validate him as a star of any sort. He still has plenty of a ways to go. But he has grown as a player throughout the season, and in the absence of some of the big names on this team of late, he has shown that he is most certainly a very legitimate point guard in this league, and he has demonstrated that there is reason to believe that he can be far more than that in the long term. It is time to free Rajon Rondo, to let his penetration abilities drive the offense, to run screen-and-rolls that force teams to make quick decisions regarding how to cover him around the screens, which will undoubtedly lead to quite a share of open Rondo drives or easy passes for lay-ups."

Celtics-Magic Game (Round 3) Highlight

In the absence of Kevin Garnett, the rest of Celtics make up the defence. They manage to out-rebound their opponent (score all of 1st quarter points in the paint) and lead in the first half. Give credit to the Magics, they did not rattle and come back strong after the break.

It takes the last second off-balance 3P shot from Turkoglu's to knock out the Celtics (NBA TV highlight).

(Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

Celtics-Timberwolves Game Highlight

Call this one the new Celtics vs the ex-Celtics, a.k.a. the team with the best record vs the one with the worst record.

But it is the new Celtics trailing (86-81) with 2:01 left on the clock, and Kevin Garnett out being examined for abdominal pain.

A strange sequence of incidence then follows: Paul Pierce makes two FTs, blocks Al Jefferson shot and then converts on a fifth-chance follow-up; the Celtics causes a crucial five-second inbounds violation; Ray Allen blows a layup (but Kendrick Perkins has the putback) with 16.6 seconds left; and finally, Kevin Garnett, having reentered the game with 1:51 left, knocks the ball away from Sebastian Telfair a few feet from midcourt and then beating the Wolves guard to the ball to put the game away (NBA TV highlight).

Garnett said after the game, "I knew it was Sebastian, so I wanted to scoot up on him and try to make him drive the ball ... I was able to count his dribbles. It went one, two, and I know he likes to crossover [dribble]. I stabbed at it and got it and I just dived. I knew time was running down and I just wanted to be aggressive on the ball."

Celtics-Raptors Game (Round 4) Highlight

Doc Rivers' response to the Raptors' shooting stats, "Fifty-eight percent (from the floor); 71 percent from the 3 (made 15 of 21); 100 percent from the foul line. At least the foul line wasn't guarded".

Kevin Garnett is somewhat more positive, “They shot 71 percent from the 3-point line and 58 percent on field goals and we still had a chance to win the game ... and looking at these numbers you’ve got to damn near shoot perfect to beat us by two. So I’ll take that.”

Watch highlight (NBA TV, ESPN).

Defence tactics against the Big-Threes

Recall the two games lost to the Wizards recently, their zone defence has been pretty successful (held Celtics to below 42% FG and 31% 3P). Why does this defence model work against the Big-Threes.

Scott Souza of Daily News gives his analysis. The model does work when Celtics are not moving the ball and instead taking jump-shoot. That's what the zone wants them to do - take quick shots, keep it on one side of the floor and not making the defence to move.

"The zone is just the latest way teams have tried to get a handle on the Celtics offense. Early in the season, foes looked clueless as Boston rang up one blowout after another. Then the focus became stopping Kevin Garnett with more physical play and double teams in the post. Recently, there has been another shift with opponents following the Detroit model of jumping out on the pick-and-roll and slowing the Celtics at the point of attack 25 or 30 feet from the basket, leaving them little time to run their offense ..... Another development has been that teams have chosen to target Ray Allen aggressively considering he has been the least proficient of the Big Trio for most of this season. The goal seems to be to lure Pierce into driving into traffic and taking their chances with House and James Posey."

The latest tactics is to pressure whoever (other than Rajon Rondo) is dribbing the ball up court and force turnover. It works for a while, but eventually the Celtics pushes the ball up the court via the pass rather than the dribble to greater success.

Another possible tactics is taunting selective Celtics in attempt to upset the player and his composure. In the Celtics-Knicks game (NBA TV highlight), Pierce has been ejected after his defender was overzealously physical in defending him, drawing four personal fouls -- and causing the refs to call two double-technicals to both.

More about Rajon Rondo (Video)

This is part-two of profiling Rajon Rondo (link to part-one).

Watch this review from NBA TV.

Celtics-Trail Blazers Game Highlight

These Trail Blazers are very good. Even with 19 turnovers, they are still in the game (trailing by 4) in the final minute, before Ray Allen hits (NBA TV, ESPN).

(Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Celtics-Wizards Game (Round 3) Highlights

The game is played at Boston (ESPN, NBA TV).

The result marks as the only losing streak for the Celtics, so far. Their next game (Jan.16) against the Trail Blazers will not be easy either.

Celtics' offence continue to struggle, shooting an overall 0.419 FG (0.43 till half-time) and 0.250 in 3P. Rondo's absence, especially in 4th quarter (bad back/hamstring), has taken their offence away as well. They manages just 6 points in the final 6 plus minutes, 4 on free throws and the other 2 on a third-chance tip-in.

While Rondo sits, Tony Allen and Eddie House combine for 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and no turnover.

As Wizards coach Eddie Jordan offered, "A lot of teams miss a key piece and they have to adjust to win. You lose a 3-point shooter, you plug in another 3-point shooter. That's not a problem. But with Rondo, a pure, push-it type of point guard, they can't duplicate that. It's like a shock to the system when you lose someone key and don't have anyone to duplicate what he does."

Celtics' defence is still decent although not consistent, forcing Wizards to make only 0.386 FG, but failing to stop the opponent scoring off the glass in the last 2 plus minutes.

Celtics-Wizards Game (Round 2) Highlight

The game is played at Washington D.C. (ESPN, NBA TV).

Neither team has recovered from playing the night before, and is reflected in the stats. Celtics manage to make 0.413 FG but committed 21 turnovers, whereas Wizards has made only 0.368 FG and committed 20 turnovers.

Wizards' stronger play in the 4th quarter determine the outcome, with their rebound edge (49 to 30) and accurate FT shooting (made 27 of 30).

Rajon Rondo misses game (sore lower back). Tony Allen starts in his place and finished with 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 turnovers and no assist.

Celtics-Bobcats Game (Round 2) Highlight

Last time the Celtics play Bobcats, they won it at the buzzer by 1 point (dump play by Bobcats' Jason Richardson).

It's payback time for Jason (NBA TV, ESPN). He has 34 points from 14 field goals, including several come as the shot clock is about to expire

On a night of bad-shooting (only made 4 of 20 3-pointers), the Celtics really miss the presence of Ray Allen, who misses game due to pinched nerve. Everyone has a sub-par game, even Doc Rivers is unable to address issues. But also credit to the Bobcats, they keep attacting the baskets (scored 48 in the paints) and out-rebound the opponents.

Celtics being banged-up

The opposing teams are now playing very physical against the Celtics.

Garnett has 4 stitches over his eye from the Lakers game last week. Posey has 4 stitches in his arm from the Grizzles game (although this one looks more like an accident), and Rondo has stitches over his eye from the Pistons game over the weekend.

Fortunately, Ray Allen wasn't hurt when he was tackled by Lakers' Odom. Lamar is consequently suspended one game for committing the flagrant foul.

Celtics-Pistons Game (Round 2) Highlights

The game is played at Auburn Hills (ESPN, NBA TV).

Both teams have played the night before, so it evens thing out in terms of fatigue factor.

Introducing Glen "Big Baby" Davis (NBA TV). The Pistons have done their best to defend the Big Threes, and they have left the rookie open on several plays and paying the prize. On the other hand, both Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton have uncharacteristic missed free-flows towards the end.

Rajon Rondo continues to struggle against Billups, which prompts Doc Rivers to play Tony Allen instead for 22 minutes.