I should be elated right now.
As a fan of the Boston Celtics, I have watched my favorite player, Rajon Rondo, grow from a rookie sitting behind Sebastian Telfair to one of the best young point guards in the NBA. And now, Rondo is going to stay with the Celtics for the foreseeable future after signing a five-year, $55-million extension on Monday.
And yet, I am not nearly as happy as I thought I would be.
I think the best description of my present state of mind is cautious optimism. Because despite my belief that Rondo is the most important member of the Celtics — something that I have felt for the last three seasons — I can't help but wonder if he is the player I want to see the team built around.
Make no mistake: I have nothing against Rondo. Last Friday, I watched at the TD Garden as he controlled the game versus the Chicago Bulls despite taking only two shots, dishing out 16 assists and thoroughly outplaying reigning Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose. And I haven't forgotten that Rondo carried the team through the playoffs last season, practically averaging a triple-double as the Celtics, without Kevin Garnett, pushed the eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic to seven games.
I'm just wondering if he can carry a team minus Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Because that is what this contract signals to me: The Celtics are expecting that Rondo can do just that when the Big Three likely splits in the next few years.
I'm not a believer. Well, not yet, anyway. As good as Rondo was at the tail end of last season, I still can tell that he has a ways to go to mature as a person (witness his spat Sunday with Chris Paul) and a player. He has to develop a jump shot, and he needs to stop trying to bait his man defensively. And if his does, then yes, he will be at the level of a Paul or Deron Williams.
Regardless of this, and despite the fact that they openly looked into trading him over the summer and publicly called him out in the media, the Celtics decided to pay Rondo. It is a relatively fair contract, particularly in comparison to the other top players at his position and for a player who, at just 23 years old, is clearly one of the top 10 point guards in the league.
Still, I have to wonder why the Celtics changed their minds about Rondo. Was it that they knew he would get his money on the open market and didn't want to risk having to overpay him or lose him? Or do they actually feel that he will develop into the player that President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge thought he could be when he was drafted out of Kentucky four years ago?
Or possibly, Ainge, coach Doc Rivers and the Celtics ownership feel like I do, and that is why they were so hard on Rondo this past offseason. Maybe it is just because I love watching him play so much, but I expect more from him. I think Rondo can average 15 points a game to go along with his 12 assists and 2.5 steals, which are his current averages this season. I think he can be a perennial All-Star and lead this team to its 18th championship. And I think he can join the upper echelon of NBA players, and not just point guards, if he becomes a reliable scorer.
Clearly, I am not the only one who feels that way. The Celtics have to at least somewhat agree with me, as they have put their faith in Rondo to be a cornerstone of the franchise. And now, we both have five more years to find out if we are right.
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Ethan Landy is a senior majoring in English. He can be reched at Ethan.Landy@tufts.edu
