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Chasing John Stockton

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Premature. Yes. Will it anger the hopper haters...of course.

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Rondo gives Celtics needed assist

By Marc J. Spears, Yahoo! Sports
Nov 11, 3:55 pm EST

Rajon Rondo was trying to enjoy some down time in a Dallas mall recently when a Mavericks fan approached and began heckling him.

About his assists.

The fan predicted the Boston Celtics point guard would finish with only five assists in that evening’s game against the Mavs. Rondo went on to total 15.

“The guy said, ‘You can’t keep it up,’ ” Rondo said. “I only had four assists against the Mavs in the first half, and I thought about it in the back of my mind at halftime. I was thinking, ‘This guy has jinxed me.’ ”


Not quite. No opposing fan – or point guard – has rattled Rondo enough to keep him from racking up an assist pace that would rank as the most prolific in NBA history. The 14.9 assists per game he has averaged this season would break the NBA record of 14.5 set by John Stockton 21 years ago. His 118 dimes through the Celtics’ first eight games also is second all time to the 135 that Stockton compiled in the 1989-90 season.

“Last year, seven and eight assists were good for me,” Rondo said. “Now, people are expecting me to get 15 or 16 every night. I don’t know if it’s realistic, but I’m going to continue to try as long as guys make shots.”

Rondo averaged a career-best 9.8 assists last season, breaking Bob Cousy’s 41-year-old team record. This season’s Celtics are deeper and they’re also shooting 48.3 percent, fourth-best in the NBA, to further help Rondo’s cause. Rondo hasn’t had fewer than nine assists in a game so far this season, and is averaging 3.82 per turnover.

“We are getting more easy looks that are leading to transition [points],” Rondo said. “Guys are running the lanes more and are hitting high-percentage shots. They are not all contested jump shots. We’re getting a lot of fast-break layups, easy looks and wide-open looks in transition.

“It starts with defense. We’re getting stops and they’re getting me the ball a lot quicker this year.”

In turn, Rondo has looked for his teammates more than his own scoring opportunities. His scoring average of 10.8 points is also 2.9 points lower than last season. Celtics president Danny Ainge doesn’t want Rondo to become tentative with his shot to keep his assist total inflated.

“Rondo can have some great games with seven or eight assists that can help you win,” Ainge said. “He can have some games where he doesn’t play great, and he can get 15 or 16. I don’t think those determine whether he’s playing well all the time.

“I just think he’s becoming a better player. …He’s getting better all the time and he’s fun to watch.”

Rondo totaled a career-high 24 assists during the Celtics’ victory over the New York Knicks on Oct. 29. It was second only to Cousy’s 28 in team history. But while Rondo finished with a triple-double – he also had 10 points and 10 rebounds – he thought he played a “terrible” game because he had seven turnovers.

“I had five in the first half and I shot 1 for 8,” he said. “I thought it was the worst game I ever played in the first half.”

Rondo’s minutes have also increased to nearly 41 per game. He would like to continue at that pace, but knows Celtics coach Doc Rivers will probably cut them once Delonte West returns from his 10-game suspension on Nov. 17.

“He can play both [guard] positions on offense and defense and mix it up,” Rondo said of West. “It will be big for us along with Nate [Robinson]. Nate can get off the ball more and look to score more instead of just being a point guard trying to run the play. They can both split the time running the point.”

Rondo knows it’s too early in the season to seriously think about challenging Stockton’s record. And he also knows assists aren’t the true benchmark of his success – he totaled 15 against the Mavericks, but also missed a 3-pointer in the closing moments of the game that contributed to the Celtics losing. Before departing Dallas on Tuesday, Rondo was enjoying a meal at a local restaurant when he ran into the same Mavs fan who had heckled him a day earlier.

“He said, ‘I told you we were going to beat ya’ll, but you did have more than five assists,’ ” Rondo said. “Then he said, ‘You can’t keep this up. You’ll five in your next game.’ ”

Two nights later, Rondo handed out 16 assists in the Celtics’ victory over the Miami Heat.
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i don't think it takes away from what john stockton accomplished to talk about one of his records potentially falling. rondo is playing impressive basketball.
 
....compiling assist totals through 8 games or 10 games or 15 games means ABSOLUTELY nothing! When he beats Stockton's record for a single season, then he can say he's accomplished something! Of course, catching Stockton's career total is so far out of his reach that it shouldn't even cross his mind!
 
There's no reason why, potentially, a young point guard like Rondo couldn't chase Stockton's record. Stockton was in the league for an awfully long time -- but that could be equalized by players entering the league at a typically younger age now than they did in Stockton's day. However, Rondo would first have to average his 14 assists over the course of a whole season -- then for multiple seasons for this conversation to really begin. I think Rajon Rondo is a terrific player. But he won't have the benefit, over an entire career, of playing with Garnett, Allen, and Pierce, and friends.

It is not an insult to Stockton to put other point guards who are great passers and tally great assist numbers into the conversation. That said, Stockton was the best passer in NBA history. I don't believe Rondo is the best passer in the league right now.

Stockton's record is not in any danger.

But I understand looking at Rondo's current assist numbers and getting excited about the possibilities of how good Rondo can be. Rondo is excellent.
 
ill play the wait and see game like and wait and see after allen and pierce retire. He gets 10 assist a night just off those 2 being great shooters and also great players that can come off the screen. Rondo is ok. Remember he got cut from team usa and whenever he gets to the middle he has to bring the ball back out because he cant hit a jumper at all. Great defensice guard ala gary payton if you ask me. His numbers inflated with the assist due to playing with 3 future hof who can all stroke the ball.imho
 
If anybuddy gunna ever take a record from Stockton, I just hope it aint no damn tranny, like Rondo, ya know? And I aint talkin no car transmission, neither.
 
I still firmly believe that Rondo won't be anywhere near as good when he isn't playing with 3 likely HOF'ers. I see a slightly above average PG when I watch Rondo play. Put average talent around him and his lack of a jump shot becomes a HUGE liability. That said, he is a perfect fit for the Celtics. Great defender, and willing distributor.
 
The record will be broken someday, as pretty much all records will be, but when it is it will be broken by a better player than Rondo. Good luck RR, you will need a crap ton of it to break the record.
 
we're still talking about the single season record, right? rondo is an elite point guard and it's not out of the question that he could maintain what he's doing but if it makes people feel better, stockton shot over 50% that season and averaged 17.2 ppg and is by far a more complete player so don't feel bad if it happens
 
Hey, Hop, just cuz you're humping Jerry all the time doesn't mean Rondo's a tranny ... or do you have some inside info?
 
honz said:
I still firmly believe that Rondo won't be anywhere near as good when he isn't playing with 3 likely HOF'ers. I see a slightly above average PG when I watch Rondo play. Put average talent around him and his lack of a jump shot becomes a HUGE liability. That said, he is a perfect fit for the Celtics. Great defender, and willing distributor.
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This.
 
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