^ I wouldn't say all by himself, Hornets are not exactly horrible. Until David West got hurt he was one of the most dependable four men in the league (All Star in 08' and 09') Tyson Chandler had some good years there as well. Ariza started for the Lakers and won a ring, Okafur is more of a defensive presence but meshed well with an offensive guy such as West. Of course they had been better overall the last couple years talent wise than they are now with the roster overhaul but its not like Paul had been in the same situation John Wall is.

 

Don't get me wrong, what he has done has been very impressive but to say he has played with nobody is stretching it a little bit. You take Paul off that team then yeah its a different story but with what they had last couple years along with Paul not completely horrible.

 

David West is alright but if Rondo makes those guys better, CP3 has made West's career. He didn't have too much noise about him last year by himself. Ariza is athletic and that's it IMO, its not like he was a star for the Lakers. Tyson Chandler and Okafor are like Anderson Varajao or Marcus Camby, nice post defenders with not much else. Yup, I'd say CP3 pretty much did it by himself, that team would win about 15 games without him.

Paul gets his numbers but the Hornets aren't a serious threat. I'm confident Rondo could get his numbers on a team similar to the Hornets.

 

Name one team that is a serious threat without atleast two All-NBA quality guys. Boston, Miami, the Lakers, OKC, San Antonio if you still want to count them. Chicago would be the exception but the trio of Booz, Noah and Deng may make up for that. I'll say this if the Celtics could be guaranteed CP3's knee was healthy I think they'd take him in a heartbeat straight up for Rondo. If faced with the same option I bet every GM would take the same option. Rondo is the worst shooting PG I've ever seen.

Name one team that is a serious threat without atleast two All-NBA quality guys. Boston, Miami, the Lakers, OKC, San Antonio if you still want to count them. Chicago would be the exception but the trio of Booz, Noah and Deng may make up for that. I'll say this if the Celtics could be guaranteed CP3's knee was healthy I think they'd take him in a heartbeat straight up for Rondo. If faced with the same option I bet every GM would take the same option. Rondo is the worst shooting PG I've ever seen.

Right, but when we talk about Paul "getting it done" all we are talking about is numbers, not making your team a contender. I think Rondo would get numbers on a lower quality team as well.

 

I would take a healthy Paul over Rondo but maybe not on the Celtics. Rondo is perfect for what they have.

Right, but when we talk about Paul "getting it done" all we are talking about is numbers, not making your team a contender. I think Rondo would get numbers on a lower quality team as well.

 

I would take a healthy Paul over Rondo but maybe not on the Celtics. Rondo is perfect for what they have.

 

I'm not just talking numbers. He's consistently taken a team to the Western Conference playoffs that is not that talented and they always make a good showing.

 

And what does Rondo do that Paul couldn't for the Celtics. He scores now because he has to, he'd do everything Rondo does for Boston and more IMO. I think CP3 would love a role where he could just facilitate and be able to trust his teammates to complete the plays he makes for them.

Artest is killing it for the Lakers right now.

Right, but when we talk about Paul "getting it done" all we are talking about is numbers, not making your team a contender. I think Rondo would get numbers on a lower quality team as well.

 

I would take a healthy Paul over Rondo but maybe not on the Celtics. Rondo is perfect for what they have.

 

 

Which is all I said that got this convo started. I doubted the other pg's ability to do what Rondo does for the Celtics. Part of Rondo's success is that he isn't needed to score like the others are. And Rondo couldn't score like the others if needed.

I'm not just talking numbers. He's consistently taken a team to the Western Conference playoffs that is not that talented and they always make a good showing.

 

And what does Rondo do that Paul couldn't for the Celtics. He scores now because he has to, he'd do everything Rondo does for Boston and more IMO. I think CP3 would love a role where he could just facilitate and be able to trust his teammates to complete the plays he makes for them.

 

I think Paul would shoot more than Rondo does and that could affect the chemistry they have with Rondo being the 1067th scoring option in Boston.:lol:

If Kobe would have fouled CP3 like that they would have called a flagrant. Just saying.....

Found this interesting.......from ESPN Magazine....

 

 

 

 

Player X is an anonymous NBA star. This is his fourth column.

 

THERE ISN'T ENOUGH trash-talking in this league, and we're the worse for it. Players are just too buddy-buddy; a lot of us grew up together in AAU ball and have remained friends. Because of that, the NBA basically looks like the cool-kid clique in high school.

 

Christian Peterson/Getty Images"Show me a trash-talker, and I'll show you a winner," says Player X. "Unless his initials are KG."

 

I miss the loud old days. A few decades ago, in the heyday of trash, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and the Knicks couldn't shut up. Those guys all played with emotion, and that fuels the best trash-talk. It's no coincidence that some of the best ball ever seen was played during the top trash-talking era.

 

When players hold their tongues, the league is boring. And we've been quiet too long. I blame all the foreign guys. They don't like confrontation. I don't know many who can talk trash, or even try. The refs are at fault too. A lot of the T's you see called are preemptive; refs hear some noise and blow the whistle before it escalates. If you ask me, they're trying to take the "black" out of the game. Besides Bird, all the great trash-talkers have been black. We were born talking trash. They want to silence us, but that's like telling a bunny to stop jumping. The bunny can't help it.

 

The lack of on-court chatter is bad because it's such a good way to get in an opponent's head and rattle him. A player's manhood is always fair game; question that, in language they won't let me use here, and see how he responds. Great trash-talkers also love talking junk about another guy's finances. It doesn't always work, though. Legend has it Gary Payton, who vets say talked an endless stream of trash, once told Jordan that he drove a better car than MJ. "The cars I got are just like yours," Jordan replied. "Except mine were free." That cracks me up.

 

Trash-talk can go too far fast, though, so there is a code. Off-limit topics: moms, wives, girlfriends, kids. And health. Honestly, I never thought anyone would cross the line to crack on an opponent about a medical condition. But according to Charlie Villanueva, that's what Kevin Garnett supposedly did earlier this season when he called the Pistons forward a "cancer patient." Garnett later claimed otherwise, saying he had called Villanueva -- who's hairless because of a skin condition -- a "cancerous" player.

 

I don't know who's telling the truth, but I don't care. Garnett is a punk and a coward. I know, I know. Easy for me to say behind this column. Don't worry, I'll tell him to his face, too. And I'm not the only one who thinks that: If you're not on his team, chances are you hate the guy. You can learn a lot about him by watching his eyes. If he's talking to you -- and he's always talking -- he avoids eye contact. My advice to other guys in the league: Stare him down, and he'll retreat. From what I've seen, he'll never mix it up with a player who's bigger than he is. Personally, I think he's scared to fight -- like a playground bully who barks but doesn't bite.

 

But I have to admit, the Celtics are the most talkative guys in the league. And that makes sense, because it's the mark of a championship team. Mouths help you win big games. Ray Allen got mean in Boston, and Paul Pierce will look at you, say, "Stop this," then drop a J on your head.

 

The Lakers aren't as good at it, but the defending champs have an edge over most other teams because Kobe can talk with the best of them while he lights you up and Ron Artest is just weird. One reason he's a great defender is he'll get way too close and whisper in your ear.

 

The things that make all of these guys good talkers -- passion, a mean streak -- are what also make them great basketball players. Not surprisingly, some of the quietest guys happen to be ringless. Chris Bosh, for one, never says a word. LeBron? Even when he does talk, he's terrible at it.

 

Want to get to "The King" and some other prime-time players? Here's one man's go-to material: Drop a "you're riding coattails" on LeBron or remind him he bailed on the Cavs to buy a ring. Mention Dwight Howard's J -- or lack of one; it never fails to upset him. Call Kobe a fake Jordan. (Just beware you may get posterized for the rest of the game.) Don't bother with Tim Duncan; dude can't hear a thing and never gets rattled. But feel free to remind Tony Parker that "Eva is fine"; wives are over the line, but not exes. Tell Pierce his one ring was all luck. Then have one of your bigger guys step to KG.

My grizzlies are getting it done! Looking forward to spending tomorrow night in the Fed Ex Forum!

My grizzlies are getting it done! Looking forward to spending tomorrow night in the Fed Ex Forum!

 

Have a great time. I hope you go up 3-1!!!

Have a great time. I hope you go up 3-1!!!

 

Thank you, and I hope we do too, I think tomorrow will make or break the series for us, if we win series is ours, if we lose it I can't see us winning 2 of the final 3. The Spurs injuries are mounting though, and while we are a big man centered team our big men as a team are as dominate as any group of bigs in the NBA, and they all shoot fairly well from the free throw line so just hacking away isn't a great option. If we can make more 3's than the Spurs for the game though I like our chances, they live and die by the 3 and have been dying from it so far this series.

CP3 is tearing it up again tonight!

Kobe is off tonight....

Kobe is off tonight....

 

Not looking good for the Lakers, they can't get through the playoffs like this, NOLA is a one man show, but any team left after this won't be. I'm of the opinion the grizzlies tanked the last 3 games to play the Spurs because of match ups, and if that is the case NOLA is the true west 8. The fact that the Grizzlies beat the Hornets by double digits twice in the last 3 weeks of the season points to that too.