Rondo Being Transformed

Bill Simmons provides this observation.

From Boston's game against Detroit on Dec.19 to Game 2 of the Atlanta series Wednesday, the difference in Rondo's on-court demeanor is remarkable. But he is still identified as the little guy with few words.

(Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)

He never talks on the court, never bitches at the referees, never changes his expression. He demeanor is a sharp contrast to Garnett and rest of the team.

Not even when he learn that he is voted fifth on NBA Most Improved Player list.

Back in December, when Chauncey Billups abuse Rondo in the second half of an eventual defeat, the starting PG looks very green. It doesn't seem like he will be ready, at least this season.

But Rondo keeps getting better and better through the winter, and there is a pivotal moment in March when Rafer Alston gets physical with him on the opening tip and Rondo belts him back, then defiantly stands his ground, ready to trade punches in a nationally televised road game.

He has thrived in Game 2, controling the tempo, banging home open jumpers, barking orders at teammates, outplaying Mike Bibby for the second straight game.

Rondo's transformation draws comparison to Tony Parker, who is into similiar situation, improved mightily in his sophomore season and played a pivotal role for San Antonio's 2003 championship. Playing for the same stakes on a similar team, Rondo is further ahead of the '03 Parker, which gives us an indication of his potential and where he's sitting already.

In Rondo's case, there are two great "What ifs?": What if the KG and Allen trades never happened? And what if Phoenix had just drafted him in 2006 instead of selling the pick? Would Rondo have been better off or worse off in Phoenix backing up Nash? We'll never know, just like we'll never know if he would have matured into a potential All-Star without Garnett and company.

But we do know what we see, and here's what we see: someone who has noticeably improved as a shooter and a leader, someone who has emerged as an elite defender. The best thing you could say about Rajon Rondo is he brings a lot of stuff to the table and doesn't take much off it. The second best thing you could say is he's lucky enough to have influential teammates sitting at that same table.

Celtics-Hawks Playoff (Game 4) Highlight

Celtics have a 10 points lead to begin the fourth quarter, but these young Hawks refuse to go away. Joe Johnson is un-stoppable, scoring 20 of his 35 in the fourth. He combined with Josh Smith scores all of Hawks points in the quarter. Smith also has 7 blocks.

Watch game highlight (NBA TV) and post-game press (NBA TV).

One stats which stands out is the foul-call disparity (33 to 18 favouring the Hawks). And the Celtics making only 10 of 18 doesn't help either.

Paul Pierce seems still bordering by sore back, unable to score inside the paint. He still gets 18 points, but misses 4 of 8 FTs.

(Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)

Celtics-Hawks Playoff (Game 3) Highlight

The lost will serve a valuable lesson to the Celtics in terms of playoff experience. As Doc Rivers summarize, "they want to win the game individually ... and not as a team".

Credit to the Hawks as well (47.4% FG and 55.6% 3P). They are all fire-up from the start, motivated by the pre-game video, showing of Muhammad Ali's stunning win over George Foreman in 1974's "Rumble in the Jungle."

Watch game highlight (ESPN) and post-game press (NBA TV).

Celtics-Hawks Playoff (Game 2) Highlight

The Hawks play a more physical game, looking to match Celtics' intensity. Paul Pierce hurts his low-back, having collided and hit the deck hard, and then Hawks' Josh Smith landed on top of his sternum and rolling over his head.

Watch game highlight (TNT), Pierce's collision (TNT) and post-game press (NBA TV).

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Celtics-Hawks Playoff (Game 1) Highlight

After settling in the second-half, Celtics' defence force the Hawks shooting 38.2% FG and 21.4% 3-Pts.

Watch game highlight (NBA TV) and post-game press (NBA TV).

Rajon Rondo, in perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the night, thoroughly outplayed the man who has tied the Hawks together into a cohesive unit - Mike Bibby. Rondo finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, nine assists and six rebounds. He also applied enough pressure to frustrate Bibby, who had just one assist.

(Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

In his first playoff game, Rondo is pretty poised (more). The Hawks repeatly dare him to shoot in the third quarter. Rondo takes the bait, and his first baseline jumper is an airball. He didn't back-off. Rondo makes his next three shots.

Kevin Garnett, who scores 16 points with 10 rebounds, and Ray Allen, who has 18 points, leads the team in rebound and scoring.

Playoff Prediction by ESPN

John Hollinger provides this breakdown.

Here is the one-minute summary:
(1st round) Boston in 4, Detroit in 5, Orlando in 6 and Washington in 6 in the East, and the Lakers in 5, New Orleans in 7, Utah in 6 and Phoenix in 6 out West.
(2nd round) Boston in 4, Detroit in 7, and the Utah in 6, New Orlean in 7 out West.
(Conferene Finals) Boston in 5 and Utah in 7.
(NBA Finals) Boston in 6.

As to the addicted fans, here is the long version.

In the 1st round, the reasoning on Phoenix (over Spurs) is mainly that they've built their team to face the Spurs. Shaquille O'Neal has done extremely well defending Tim Duncan over the years. And Phoenix has shown that they could beat Spurs in the regular season.

In the 2nd round, the Utah-Lakers series should be the true conference finals. Based on offensive efficiency rating, Utah is the second best offence team in the league. They have a winning record of 37-12 in 2008. And they have won an astounding 18 games by more than 20 points.
For the Hornets-Suns 2nd round matchup, New Orleans might be even more exhausted after going seven against Dallas, but Phoenix doesn't match up nearly as well with the Hornets -- and New Orleans has home court. This is another series that looks to be about dead even.
That sets up Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams in the conference finals. Even though Paul might get the better of the matchup individually, but Williams has better teammates, so Utah rolls to the Finals in six.

Back East, Detroit will win over Orlando in a grueling seven. Meanwhile, the suffocating defence of Boston will dismiss Washington in four. That sets up a much-awaited conference finals battle between Boston and Detroit. Both teams match-up well in most aspect, with a slight edge to Boston's bench and Sam Cassell. Boston will win in five easier-than-expected games.

The 2-3-2 format and Utah's dominance at home will keep things interesting for a while, but mostly it will allow the Celtics to celebrate a title on their home court after knocking off the Jazz in six.

The Road to Triumph - The First Act

In most epic tales (including Star Wars, Lord of the Rings), we learn that there are typically three parts to the story. The first act introduces the characters and settles the roles they will play. The second act usually brings a turn for the worse and establishes a crisis for the protagonist. It isn’t till the third act with the triumph and history is re-written.

The Celtics finish the regular season with 66-16 winning record. They have defined team defence and simple but not fancy offence as the winning formula. Each player, including the second unit, knows exactly his role within the formula.

Before we get ready for the next act, let us recap this historic journey of the past 6 months.