Featured Gallery, NBA / Nov 30, 2011 / 2:45 pm

Who Would You Want: Rajon Rondo Or Chris Paul?

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Rajon Rondo

RAJON RONDO
“The amount of players that make others around them better in the NBA can be counted on two hands. They are a rare commodity. Rajon Rondo happens to fit in that category. With the decline of Steve Nash, Rondo is the best playmaker in the league. His ability to create for others is simply unmatched in the NBA. He averaged 13.2 assists per game in November and December combined, and finished the year just behind Nash for the NBA lead in assists at over 11 per game.

Some could make the argument that this is a function of the players around him, but that simply is not the case. Watching Rondo play, it’s obvious that his elite level of quickness and court vision allows players such as Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis to do what they do best: spot up and shoot.

The point guard is supposed to be the facilitator for the rest of the team. They rely on him to get the rest of the players on the court involved. Rondo’s 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio speaks for itself.

Rondo plays within himself, always focusing on how he can manage all of the players around him. This is no easy task either. Since Rondo is playing around a core of three potential Hall of Famers, satisfying three gargantuan egos isn’t easy. Somehow, Rondo knows how to keep everyone happy, while managing to explode for occasional big scoring nights.

He might not be a high-volume scorer, but Rajon Rondo is a master of the point guard position.” – Lucas Shapiro

Which player would you rather have running your team?

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  • http://www.thepickupdiary.com Jeffy
  • K Dizzle

    Aw man, this could get ugly.

    CP3′s the best point in the world IMO.
    DWill and Rose are right there.
    Rondo n Westbrook r on the next level after that.
    Nash, Kidd and Chauncey are too far past their prime.

    Haters tried to give CP’s title to D-Will when dude was tryin to carry a squad with one good stick. After he shredded my Lakers for whatever he wanted in the playoffs, the reality check was on. If CP had Dave West, my Lakers mighta got GOT in the first round.

    Sorry, Rondo. This ain’t even close…

  • thrillah

    The argument for CP3 was weak. No mention of his skills and abilities, only that people have forgotten about him since his injuries which isn’t even the case anymore.

    It’s a no brainer that Chris Paul is the more coveted one since he can do everything that Rondo can and more. Rondo’s shot is lacking and people leave him open to shoot all the time. Sure he can distribute with the best of them, but CP3 is the best in that regard.

    You put a nutjob like Tony Allen on Rondo, and I doubt he’ll be as effective.

  • First & Foremost

    You could go either way. When CP3 went down and Collison stepped in, they didn’t exactly fall off. They were already out of contention which gave way to the question, is CP3 a system guard? Personally, I’d take CP3 because of his game. He can practically do nothing, yet if you watched the entire game you’d have no problem giving him the game ball.

    Rondo, the Celtics played flatout old and are horrid with him not in the line up. Every game he isn’t aggressive in, they take an L. Of course he won’t hit a dagger 3 when you need it [or ever] but he has a way of providing intangibles. Like when you were younger, you played with that one kid who wasn’t good at playing basketball but his energy and “playmaking” worked. That is Rondo, you sag off of him daring him to shoot and he sees it as a clear passing lane to thread the needle.

    On a team where I need a way to get my shooter the ball I’ll take Rondo. For a group of run of the mill players, I’d take Paul.

    Paul in Boston would be nasty. Rondo in New Orleans would be gross, no one would buy that team.

  • http://www.dimemag.com panchitoooo

    it says in this article:

    Watching Rondo play, it’s obvious that his level of quickness and vision allows players to do what they do best: spot up and shoot.

    i agree BUT if Rondo is on a team with no spot up shooters its obvious that his quickness and vision wont mean as much.

    so im giving CP3 the go ahead on this one since he has more weapons and can win a game in more ways than Rondo can.

  • Sean Sweeney

    Chris Paul’s got this. But I don’t think he’s the best PG bar none in the league anymore. Since he started having injury problems, he hasn’t been quite as dominant the past 2 seasons or so. Same explosion isn’t there. Back then, he was literally unstoppable.

    Every point guard destroys the Lakers, especially CP because he’s so good in the pick-n-roll. That was predictable and sort of hid the fact that he looked normal at times during the season.

  • http://www.dimemag.com panchitoooo

    LOL@gross

  • catdaddywhack

    @ panchitoooo

    …just lovin the “trigger happy PG vs the PG with a broken trigger” quote back there.

  • http://www.dimemag.com panchitoooo

    @catdaddy

    wish i could take credit for it but it was actually “s. bucketz” who wrote that in a previous post and not me…

    shot out to s bucketz…

  • yentron

    this is stupid, CP3 no question

  • Baloogawhales

    Of course rondo will have inflated assist numbers if he has the best 3pt shooter and midrange shooting big man in the game. A true playmaker allows his teammates to score in all ways possible. How could u compare Nash with rondo. Let alone Paul and rondo. Look at how Kobe basically didn’t defend rondo and played zone d against the celtics in the final. You should never defend the best pg in the league like that and that isn’t Rondo. Like K Dizzle said he’s in a tier below Paul Rose And Dwill. Nash isn’t there only because of his age.
    Since teams wouldn’t trade Rondo straight up for Paul there really is nothing to debate

  • http://www.dimemag.com panchitoooo

    if the trades dont go through Boston v New Orleans looks like it will be a great game to watch

  • SEANY_T

    Not one mention of the way Rondo played against the HEAT in the playoff’s despite that elbow injury??? Or the fact he’s one of the best rebounding guards in the league?

    If he had a 3pt shot he’d be talked up more, but that’s a big IF…

  • Baloogawhales

    I’m not disputing the fact the Rondo is a tough sob cus there’s no doubt about that. He has heart and etc. I’m talking about his style of play and skillset

  • ProphetGK

    This is not even a question, CP3 is way better than Rondo. Rondo is beyond overrated and without the big three Rondo would not be considered a great point guard at all. Yes I agree Darren Collison is better than Rondo.

  • Rainman

    “With the decline of Steve Nash, Rondo is the best playmaker in the league”

    That, to this day, is still blasphemy. Nash was the best playmaker in the league on a far less talented team than Rondo.

  • Sean Sweeney

    ^^ Well their assist totals were nearly identical last year and Nash played in one of the fastest systems in the league while Rondo was stuck with a veteran team in one of the slowest. So its definitely not out of the question to call Rondo the league’s best passer/playmaker.

  • Kyle

    Paul is more like a Steve Nash but has had to score more on a team that until last year was not nearly as deep. He’s a better shooter from everywhere, a better scorer from everywhere, and a better passer who doesn’t need constant picks or having no one defend him due to his shot that reminds me of Otis Thorpe.

    Rondo can’t score, will never be able to shoot 3′s, can’t stretch out the floor with his shot, will never shoot even as high as 70 percent from the free throw line, and Rondo has gotten worse at scoring and shooting from everywhere.

    He’s gone from scoring 10.6 ppg in less minutes his second year to 11.9, 13.7 ppg and back to 10.6 ppg averaging far more minutes. His shooting numbers all dropped(especially his free throws which is around 56 percent), and as a slashing point guard how does he only get 1.9 free throws a game in 37.2 minutes a game? He’d have to have two or three legitimate scorers on his team that stretch out the floor like Paul and Allen but younger probably to be effective still.

  • control

    This is one of the most retarded questions I’ve heard…I’m not a fan of Chris Paul’s by any means, but he’s 10x the point guard Rondo will ever be. Rondo really wouldn’t even be in the nba anymore if he were traded to Minny in the KG deal, like Boston was trying to do, but Minny didn’t want him.

    Rondo isn’t better than Nash either, the one time a team decided to cover Nash like teams cover Rondo every night, he scored over 40 points, and still added like 12 assists or something (series with Dallas). Is there a guard in the nba who wouldn’t thrive if the other team gave him 5-10ft of room to operate ALL GAME, EVERY GAME? I’ve seen kids with down syndrome go off in pickup games because no one wanted to guard them, Rondo’s shot is so retarded that he gets the same treatment, it’s fucking sick.

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