Celtics
“When I’m playing the game, I’m not necessarily playing against the players.”
During his prime years, former Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was one of the craftiest and most effective floor generals in the NBA.
Along with his ability to conduct a team’s offense with his playmaking skills, Rondo’s extensive prep work often allowed him to find avenues to get the inside edge against opponents.
That mindset was a topic of conversation during Rondo’s latest appearance on JJ Reddick’s “The Old Man and the Three” podcast, with Rondo noting his interesting approach when he took on the Celtics as a member of the Bulls during the 2017 playoffs.
Entering the playoffs as the eighth seed, Rondo and the Bulls were going to have their hands full against a top-seeded, stingy Celtics roster anchored by Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and a rookie Jaylen Brown.
But for Rondo, one of his top priorities going into the series was trying to outsmart Boston’s coach, Brad Stevens.
“With me, when I’m playing the game, I’m not necessarily playing against the players,” Rondo told Reddick. “A great example was when I was going against the Celtics when I played for the Bulls. My whole mindset, that entire series was to beat Brad Stevens.”
By 2017, Stevens had asserted himself as one of the top coaches in the NBA, especially when it came to his ability to draw up plays and adjust strategies during in-game situations.
As such, Rondo said that he made a concerted effort with the rest of the Bulls’ top players to try to implement new strategies and plays to throw Stevens off his game from the sidelines.
“I think it was Game 1. It was like a shootaround in the ballroom. We stayed in the hotel, we were at the Four Seasons, and I asked Jimmy [Butler] and [Dwyane Wade] to stay back,” Rondo recalled. “And I was working on fourth-quarter execution play … that Brad hadn’t seen us play yet.
“So, when we did run those plays, they weren’t able to make those counters or adjustments. I think I watched maybe four or five of his games to his fourth-quarter plays where they were calling sets for Isaiah, Horford in that particular series to get ahead of the curve.”
Rondo’s extra work off the court paid off in the early going for the Bulls, with Chicago opening the series with two-straight victories at TD Garden. In both wins, Rondo combined for 23 points, 20 rebounds and 17 assists.
“I feel like I have the power and I’m involved in the game,” Rondo said. “So, I have more influence and impact that I can make, versus a coach yelling from the sidelines, trying to communicate to his players what they need to do.”
Ultimately, Chicago’s fortunes took a turn for the worse after a thumb injury ruled Rondo out for the remainder of the series. Boston promptly reeled off four straight wins to eliminate Rondo and the Bulls.
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Originally posted 2023-08-31 02:40:50.