Well put. LeBron is basically the alpha of the entire league, and Rondo is addicted to winning championships, knows a bazillion tricks, is still a freak physically, dominant personality. How somebody who is such a crappy 3 point shooter comes in and knocks down big times 3s is a study in sheer determination. Force of will.
Even AD is a secondary force, but such a talent. He’s learning a lot, too.
I told my fellow Laker fans I want Rondo to play as long as he wants for the Lakers and then join the staff. Eventually, I’d love to see him coach the Lakers.
I wondered if anyone would step up to be #3 on this Lakers team. Nobody has, and it turns out that #3 wasn’t needed. James+Davis really is enough on its own.
It’s funny the NBA was concerned about Kobe getting Chris Paul but not Lebron getting AD.
It is a different era. Now that superteams are built every offseason, the NBA really can’t do anything.
It’s an advantage to not know who’s going to step up and be the 3rd option for any given game. It’s difficult to prepare for. Any of them are capable of being that thorn you didn’t think would be the X factor.
In last night’s game, LeBron & AD muscled it through. The 4th quarter was hideous, offensively.
In Game 3 it might be Kuzma or KCP or Rondo or Caruso or maybe even Morris. Even Howard could be a headache inside.
Their versatility is impressive. Howard & McGhee rode the bench against Houston - didn’t matter.
Frank Vogel seems to have done a good job of keeping all the weapons focused on the prize, but it’s really James’ team, with Rondo as the 2nd general.
Noticed you didn’t say Danny Green who makes 14 million+ a year to go 1 for 8 from three. He’s killing me
Green looked like he tweaked a hip. He’s been good from 3s in earlier games, though, but not $14M good.
This is probably his last rodeo.
He’s got another year on the contract.
BFNKY - I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what to think of your desire to see Rondo end up coaching the Lakers.
Impressive.
He’s not coaching yet - which is an entirely different job, with demands to use skills a Psychologist could advise with - but he’s unquestionably exceptionally bright, and has the drive.
I got a chance to see him up close in HS and College. I knew his coaches (I worked for the UK Radio Network for a while). Every single one said he was a future coach. His drive and mind are what set him up for a long career in the NBA with multiple titles.
That article really drove it home. Glance at a play 2 or 3 times and have it nailed? That’s impressive. Delon Wright is like that, BJ Bickerstaff praised his ability to visualize a play sketched out and then run it in a game without a walk through.
I think Rondo will need to find a little Zen and be able to soothe and motivate players who have different psychologies. That’s a big difference between being a great player and being a coach.
(Different sport, different numbers of players, but Urban Meyer was a genius at being able to quickly size up a player and figure out what buttons to push to get the last 3% of potential out of them.)
You have Danny Green and Morris in the game at the end instead of Kuzma? You deserve to lose.
Kuzma is a huge liability. He either doesn’t learn or isn’t very smart. He bites on shots causing a foul multiple times a game.
That said, Danny Green is stealing 14 million a year from the Lakers.
If he’s on the floor instead of Morris at the end, the lakers are celebrating right now.
I am more than sure that’s true. He was 3-10 from FG and 0-4 from 3. He also had three bad fouls and only one rebound.
Kuzma gets his first ring tonight! First ring for a Ute since Bogut, right? Kuzma, Bogut, and Doleac…any other Utes in this club?
Arnie Ferrin, also with the Lakers, but back when they were in Minnesota.
“let’s make this quick, guys… I’m half drunk right now from the champagne, so I don’t know how to act right now exactly.”-Kyle Kuzma
Love it. I hope he enjoys it for a week and starts working on his game. He became a liability down the stretch but the Lakers were not where they were without him. He had flashes of brilliance.
