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Rajon Rondo has come a long way from his enigmatic days as a college point guard under Tubby Smith.
In a matter of hours, the former Wildcat will attempt to lead his team to a game seven win against the Miami Heat and a berth in the NBA Finals versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Surrounded by aging veterans, Rondo has had to shoulder much of the load in a long and arduous postseason. Boston’s best shooter, Ray Allen, has been hobbled by a bad ankle Paul Pierce, the team’s premier scorer, is shooting a paltry 34 percent from the field.
The Celtics have heavily relied on Rondo all postseason long, as indicated by his 42.6 minutes per game average this postseason—the most of any player in the year’s playoffs. LeBron James and Kevin Durant come in at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.
His performance in the playoffs thus far has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. He has reached double-digit assist totals in 15 of 18 games this postseason, giving him an almost unheard of average of 11.8 per game—also tops in the Association.
And that’s not including his two triple doubles and a 44-point explosion in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Yes, Rajon Rondo has come a long way from 2008 when he was considered to be the weak link on a Celtics squad that brought home the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy—and even further from his much maligned days in Rupp Arena.
In this series alone, he has set up or scored more than half of his team’s baskets.
If the Celtics hope to beat the Heat, they will need their point guard to put together yet another heroic performance. If Rondo proves capable, he may just cement himself as the Association’s best point guard.
