Two years ago, Rajon Rondo pulled up for one jumper after another at the 2007 Las Vegas Summer League. His goal was apparent -- after being left wide open on the court during his rookie season, opponents were practically scoffing at his midrange game by daring him to shoot.
"He's not going to be Ray Allen," one NBA coach said at the time.
He doesn't have to be. Two years later, being Rajon Rondo is good enough.
Rondo has accomplished enough in his short career that he has already set an example for younger players around the league. This summer, the incoming rookie class of point guards is looking to learn from their 23-year-old counterpart.
"He just goes out there and plays hard every game," Sacramento guard Tyreke Evans told WEEI.com. "He goes out there, plays with his teammates, plays defense, gets to the basket. He does everything that his team needs him to do."
The praise Rondo received this summer was a far cry from the criticism he was dealt early in his career. He averaged just 6.4 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds after coming off the bench for the majority of his rookie year. Even more glaring was his 42 percent field goal shooting. He ranked tenth on a 24-win team.
With new teammates came new success the following season. The additions of Allen and Kevin Garnett helped Rondo improve offensively. His field goal percentage improved to nearly 50 percent in his sophomore season and he averaged over 10 points, five assists, and four rebounds per game as the Celtics starting point guard. In the postseason, Rondo contributed nearly 10 points, seven assists, and four rebounds during their championship run.
“He's a special talent. He kind of went under the radar as a rookie and has developed each year to become a better player,” said Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. “Watching him play with the three stars that they have around him and the way that he can make everybody better around him, that's something that any point guard who watches can admire how he does that. He makes all those guys happy. Just watching that is pretty cool.”
The player who was once dared to shoot had become an instrumental player on a title-winning squad. Like Curry, New York rookie Toney Douglas appreciates Rondo's triumph over criticism and doubt.
“He came in and a lot of people weren't too high on him coming out of college,” Douglas said. “They said he didn't do too good in college and he wound up being in the right situation and took his team to the playoffs playing real well. A lot of them were really iffy if he could play the point in the NBA and stuff like that but he proved a lot of people wrong.”
Rondo's court vision, aggressiveness at the basket, and growth on the offensive end has allowed him to help his teammates succeed. Last season, he averaged career highs in every statistical category, including 11.9 points, 8.2 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals. He shot 50.5 percent from the field and knocked down 15 treys, three times his total from the previous season.
“[I like] his defense because he has real quick hands,” Douglas said. “He's a good offensive rebounder, defensive rebounder, and he can also find people. And now he's getting a little jump shot too, so he can score the ball. You don't hear anybody else talking now.”
Rondo escalated his game to another level when he tied a franchise record for three triple-doubles during the 2009 postseason. These accomplishments resonated with fellow Oak Hill Academy graduate Brandon Jennings.
“I'm a big Rajon Rondo fan,” the Milwaukee guard said. “I think what he did in the playoffs was awesome. I try to take something from him. He might not be one of the best shooters in the league, but he gets the job done. He does everything else that a team needs and he's a true point guard.”
It took Rondo just two years to accomplish what iconic guards Jason Kidd and Steve Nash have yet to achieve. Now entering his fourth season, he already is looking to win title number two. Rondo's near-instant success serves as an example for hungry guards looking to taste victory in the NBA.
“That's big,” said Evans. “Going out there at an age like that, going out there and playing with KG, Ray Allen, those type of guys, and winning a championship, that's pretty good.”
Jennings echoed, “[He proved] that it's possible. If he can do it, I feel like I can do it. As long as you have the right pieces around you, you'll be fine.”
The reality for many of these rookies is not a championship-winning season. Players like Curry, Douglas, Evans, and Jennings will begin their careers on sub-.500 teams. But so did Rondo.
“You're always going to have the good and the bad,” said Douglas. “But I just don't hear all that and I try to be a good player and work on that every day. My coaches and my teammates have confidence in me and also I have my own confidence. That's all I need.”
Perhaps the biggest lesson these rookies can take from Rondo is that it's not about how a career begins. It's about what they make of it.
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