Boston Fans Rejoice Over Rondo (With Good Reason)

After a summer of trade rumors preceded a preseason of assurances from Rondo that he was fine playing through this season and becoming a free agent... Suddenly, Rondo's going to be a Celtic for at least the next six seasons. From Jeff Clark at Celtics Blog:

I couldn't be happier for the guy and for the team.  I understand the value of getting the lowest contract terms possible to build a team within the financial constraints of the salary cap and all that.  But at the end of the day, the sides were just a few million apart and it seems like the Celtics decided to pay the extra 5 million or so to get it done.  Hats off to Bill Duffy who did his client well.

And if the Celtics overpaid by $5M to get it done, that's worth it to me considering the fact that there was always that risk that he would have gotten a max offer on the (restricted) open market next year.  Sure, some restricted free agents have mostly been getting less money in the market this year, but that doesn't mean next year will be the same (especially with the new collective bargaining agreement coming up).  By locking Rondo up, the Celtics managed their risk.

Rondo is one of the best point guards in the game and he's a critical piece to the championship hopes of this current core group of veterans.  Of course (Lord willing) he'll be playing long after this group retires and for the Celtics he represents a critical building block for the future.  As long as Perk's body holds up, we've got a solid center and a top notch point guard to build a team around.

Really and truly, Rondo is one of the best point guards in the game. I feel like that message needs to be reiterated because it's so hard to conceive. His game--herky jerky drives to the hoop, hitch-in-his-jumper spot ups, and lots of strange looking assists--doesn't exactly lend itself to conventional description. He's different from any other guard in the league. But mostly, he's just "very good," and as far as the Celtics are concerned, that's all that matters.

This is a guy that averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals during last year's playoffs. Does that sound like someone that can help a team? If Lamarcus Aldridge and Andrea Bargnani are worth $65 and $55 million, respectively, then I'd say the Celtics should be pretty happy with themselves. Next to Portland's Brandon Roy and perhaps Rudy Gay in Memphis, Boston has in Rondo one of the best players from the 2006 Draft Class, and they're paying him the average salary for players from that class. In the end, that's all it took--just pay him what everyone else is getting, and Rondo, who wanted to stay in Boston all along, was going to be happy.

I mean, Rondo was the best man at Kendrick Perkins' wedding this summer. This is a guy who wanted be a part of this organization. And now, with Rondo and Perkins on board, the Celtics have building blocks in place for life after Garnett, Pierce, and Ray Allen--nothing too crazy, but a very good point guard and a good big man is a solid start. But that's three years from now.

As for this season, the Celtics have finally shown faith in Rondo, their second most valuable player, and now both sides can focus on the task at hand--winning a championship--without worrying about next summer, the free agent market, or any other distractions. If they're to do that, Rondo's going to be a critical piece, and ending all the speculation is certain to ease his mind and protect the team from any distractions.

Because again, the best way to describe Rajon Rondo is simply, "very good." And with the Celtics hoping to contend this year and beyond, the best way to describe the extension they gave him is simply, "smart."