You Heard It Here First: In Praise of Rajon Rondo

I may be a Bulls fan, but there's something I just have to get off my chest:

Beyond acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, one of the wisest moves Danny Ainge made this summer was keeping Rondo on the roster. The youngster could end up being the best of Ainge's draftees this season—Al Jefferson included. 

Rondo's numbers from last season aren't overly impressive, but remember that he was only a rookie, and was battling Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair for minutes. 

He was also playing on one of the worst teams in the NBA—not a good way for any young player to fill out a stat sheet.

Here's what Jonathan Givony of Draftexpress.com had to say about Rondo heading into the 2006 Draft:

"As a point guard, Rondo is of the pass-first variety, being highly unselfish and featuring excellent court vision and passing ability...Rondo is at his best on the drive and dish, being able to get into the lane almost at will thanks to his terrific speed and ball-handling ability, and once he does being highly creative in finding open shooters spotting up on the wing."

As I see it, Rondo is a modern-day black Bob Cousy. He'll be hitting Allen and Paul Pierce for open shots night-in and night-out 

I don't know if Boston will win the title—but the Celtics will be good, and Rondo will be one of the most important factors in their success. 

Pass-first point guards are nearly unheard of these days, and the Celtics were lucky to get Rondo as low as they did on draft day. As a player who doesn't need to shoot to contribute on offense, he's the perfect complement to the Celtics' star players.

He's also the answer to the concerns about chemistry raised by some Boston fans.

Rondo's ability to distribute will help Boston's Big Three work together. Look for the youngster to hand out 7-10 assists a night—and expect the Celtics to go further than most analysts are predicting.

And don't forget that you heard it here first.