Five Things We Learned: The Age Of Rondo Is Upon Us

For most of the 2008-09 season, people have been struggling to define just how fast Rajon Rondo actually is.

It is known, for example, that there is no one in the NBA who can stay in front of him on a consistent basis. It was suggested, by Rondo himself, that he could beat Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt in the 100 meters. It’s taken 82 games, five more in the playoffs and four overtime periods before we could definitively answer the question, but here it is: Rajon Rondo is fast enough to save a season in 94 seconds.

After Derrick Rose sank a pull-up jumper to put the Bulls ahead, 83-73, there were seven minutes and 19 seconds left on the clock, and while this wasn’t a close-out game it might as well have been. Could the Celtics possibly survive a Game 6 in Chicago and a Game 7 back in Boston down 3-2?

We don’t have to answer that daunting hypothetical because ninety four seconds later, the score was 83-80 after Rondo rebounded a Paul Pierce miss and made a floater off the glass, forced a steal on the perimeter and converted it into a layup in which he went under, over and around Joakim Noah, and then finally dished off to Ray Allen for a 3-pointer.

Ninety-four seconds that turned a game, and possibly a series around.

“Rondo,” Doc Rivers said, “has just been Rondo.”

A lot has been made about the fact that Rondo came into Game 5 averaging a triple-double for the series, and while that’s great for the scrapbook, it doesn’t really do what we are all witnessing justice. What we are seeing is the transformation of the Celtics into Rondo’s team.

That’s a loaded statement in NBA parlance and granted, Kevin Garnett’s absence has a lot to do with it. At the end of the day the Celtics are still defined by the KG-Pierce-Ray Allen troika, and will be for as long as they are kept intact as a unit. Rightly so, in fact. They have earned that designation. But on the court, this is Rondo’s show now.

“The kid, he’s just a mentally tough kid,” Rivers said. “I mean, he drove with the intention of, ‘I’m going to score or you’re going to foul me.’ When you see Rondo you don’t see power, but his speed becomes powerful. That’s why he’s so tough to guard.”

“I’m not trying to go outside my role,” Rondo said. “I’m still one of the role players on the team, but I think I have a greater focus in the postseason.”

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Fair enough, and a wise statement from the 23-year old. But after posting another ridiculous line: 28 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds it’s becoming entirely clear that the Celtics will go as far in this postseason as Rajon Rondo can take them.

1. PAUL PIERCE FOUND HIS SWEET SPOT

At halftime people were asking the question: “Have you ever seen Paul Pierce get his shot blocked that many times?” The captain, in other words, was struggling.

Again.

It’s been a grueling series for Pierce thus far. Forced to play too many minutes during the season and taking on an even bigger load in the postseason, Pierce has been doubled, shoved and beaten down by a Bulls defense intent on stopping him. But at the end of regulation, he did what he has done so well for so long; he knocked down a 17-foot jumper with a hand in his face to tie the game.

There were no histrionics from Pierce. No periscope eye or whatever the hell it is Ben Gordon does when he makes shots. Instead, Pierce just gamely trotted back on defense.

In the overtime, Pierce once again found his spot on the floor. He drained three straight step-back pull up jumpers, each with a hand in his face.

“Paul was phenomenal,” Rivers said. “You know, sweet spot. In-between game.”

Naturally the question was asked of Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro: Why didn’t you double him. “Yeah,” Del Negro said. “I thought about doubling him a lot, but the problem is the Celtics do such a good job. It’s a 1-4 flat, and he fades away. And he’s 6-8. And it’s his spot. That’s something we’ll talk about again. But we’ve come with double teams. We’ve