Meet
The Choice is Yours
Posted by: Van on February 20th, 2013
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.With the deadline fast approaching, the rumor mill is churning at an near absurd rate. Usually sorting the fact from fiction from the ever growing mess of inside angles and anonymous sources is a near impossible feat. A few teams who’s names seem to keep cropping up with regular consistency are the Clipper and Celtics, and both have pieces the Utah Jazz could potentially covet in young talented point guards. Just today on Hoopshype, GMs are insisting that the Celtics are open to the idea of moving Rondo (a still very injured Rondo), and despite the Clippers protests, Eric Bledsoe seems to be on the market as well.
*Within minutes of posting this Danny Ainge has come out and said that Rondo is officially ”off” the market, hilarious…
My question is given the responsibility of picking one or the other, or potentially passing on both, what would you do? (given each players glaring strengths and weakness’s)
Rajon Rondo (3 yr, 11m)
On one side you have the All Star talent of Rajon Rondo, a superb passer and a skilled defender, clearly the better player out of the two considering his starting background and contribution to a title winning team. But then again Rondo has a torn ACL and his abysmal free throw shooting is well chronicled combined with the fact he averages in the ball park of 12.9 points per 40 minutes, doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence on offensive end.
The flip side is Rondo’s ability to distribute with one of the best pure point guard ratings in the league while averaging nearly an assist per three minutes, Rondo is a true facilitator on the offensive end. Its also important to note that a trade for Rondo would most likely cost you more in the realm of young talent and/or draft considerations on top of the fact of who knows what version of Rondo you would receive post injury.
Eric Bledsoe (2 yr, 1.7m)
This wouldn’t have even been a discusion last year with Bledsoe being sidelined with injury, but if one thing is true about the NBA, your fortunes can change quickly (for better or worse). While Bledsoe and Paul are nearly identical in size, that similarity ends when comparing athletic ability. Bledsoe put his athletic prowess on display over the past weekend and you dont have to delve far into depths of You Tube to find footage of his other athletic feats. Like Rondo Bledsoe is also a fantastic (and arguably superior) defender, and also like Rondo, Bledsoe relies on driving and getting to the rim for most of his offensive production. While Bledsoe has a good knack for creating and drawing fouls, his outside shot still leaves something to be desired (although he is shooting at a much higher clip this year).
The real difference when comparing the two point guards is their ability to distribute the ball, and while Rondo is one of the best in the league, Bledsoe put simply, is one of the worst. As Kevin Pelton outlined today on ESPN “only three starting point guards (Mario Chalmers, George Hill and Isaiah Thomas) hand out assists on a lower percentage of their teams’ possessions”. Another knock against Bledsoe how turnover prone he can be at times and low assist/high turn over rates are often pretty undesirable in todays game.
The Rub
When comparing the two players, each has some great strengths to their game coupled with glaring flaws. While Rondo is injured and would certainly be more difficult to obtain, he is also more proven. One the flip side you have Bledsoe who offers great upside, a shorter/cheaper contract, certainly a cheaper price, but doesn’t fit as nicely into the point guard role as Rondo.
Then you have your final option, choose neither option, stand pat and take your chances with Mo Williams return and maybe a Trey Burke in the upcoming draft, what would you do?
Replies: 17
Views: 427
17 Responses
I’d say go for Bledsoe. I am NOT a fan of Rondo. He’s a great player, but I think Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and KG made him look a little better than he might have looked on a different team during the same stretch. He also is a nutjob. I can handle a psycho on the team as long as they aren’t the PG who is supposed to lead the team.
Bledsoe is young and would have the opportunity to grow with this team. Bledsoe and Mo are already familiar with one another’s game so I believe they’d mesh well playing in the backcourt together.
You could wait for the draft (and I imagine this is the option the Jazz go with) but we’ve had some poor luck in recent drafts and I wouldn’t want to leave the future of the team up to chance. Unless Lindsey has a contingency plan in case the draft doesn’t pan out. Everyone brings up the financial freedom we will have, but who would we spend it on? No stars will be available that would come to Utah.
Bledsoe is still raw, very raw, for the PG position. But I think Rondo would cost a lot more than the Jazz were willing to give up. And raw or not Bledsoe is an upgrade over Tinsley. Take Tinsley out of the equation and you have plenty of minutes in which to give Bledsoe in the lineup, he can learn to dish out a little more and in the meantime the Jazz can have an extra individual offensive threat, which is where the Jazz really suffer right now with Watson and Tinsley. The Jazz can still draft a PG in the Summer, just in case Bledsoe doesn’t grow into the PG role without too much of a loss.
@ Kevin
I didn’t want to make this about my opinion, but personally I couldn’t agree more with you. I think the Jazz should take a chance on Bledsoe personally but somehow I doubt they will. We could take a chance with a player in the draft, but usually after the top 10 its a total crap shoot. Your also completely right about having cap space, its only as good as the people you can potentially spend it on, thanks for the input.
@ Steven
Rondo has some fantastic attributes about his game but you know the Celtics would ask for the moon (Hayward, Favors ect) and upon closer inspection, his game really has some glaring flaws. I agree that Bledsoe seems to be the wiser choice that can still grow in the system, thanks for the input.
Get Bledsoe, hire Stan Van Gundy who knows how to leverage defensive players, and our future looks real good.
I totally agree with Kevin. Financial flexibility for the Jazz means absolutely JACK except that they save some money. Middling average veterans are the MOST overpriced commodity in the NBA and that’s the best we can hope to sign with our cap space. I’d even argue to re-sign both Millsap and Jefferson if we don’t trade them in order to get value back in a trade in the future before I’d try to go the ’sign free agents with cap-space route’. Getting better via FA just doesn’t work in Jazzland.
More and more it looks like we won’t trade Bledsoe will not be dealt unless the clips know he will re-sign and there is not many other options for young Pgs being dealt looks like we stay will sap and big al with a first round sweep
Just think. If you could START with a defensive five as your future core (Bledsoe, Burks, Hayward, Favors, Kanter) how good that would be. Offensive games of players improve over time and they would. I love that lineup right there RIGHT NOW and they’re all very very young. Get rid of Tyrone’s crutches and make the man walk! (His crutches are veteran players. Get rid of them all. Except Millsap. I like Millsap. And Foye, if you can convince Ty to bring him off the bench.)
They should do whatever it takes to get Bledsoe like stated above thre is no point in having cap space if no one will sign in utah. And Bledsoe won’t be any different get the job done
#mustgetbledsoe
There in lies the rub. I just wanted to say that.
I pick Bledsoe because of Rajon’s attitude. I want Haywards obsessive attention to detail and sick thirst to win(typical Star craft nerd basically) , ALONG with his positive attitude to take over this team. I think if we get Rajon, then his personality rubs off on the team. And I think that is BAD for some of our players.
I agree Matt. I had this conversation a few weeks back with Derek Weitzeil and he didn’t see it as a problem. In fact, the debate got a little nasty from both sides.
I just don’t see the point in bringing in a guy who can’t control his emotions UNLESS there is no one else even close to him in terms of talent. If Rondo was LeBron James and we had a chance at him, that’s one thing. But when we have a few other options that are fairly comparable, why would you want the guy who will destroy the locker room? I say go with a player who has similar ability and potential, but a better attitude that will fit in with the team and foster an environment of progression and positive outlook on the future.
Bledsoe, just cuz Rondo might not be back til about this time NEXT year! No way.
I love Bledsoe and i will be thrilled if we get him. But I would have to go with Rondo. I see Rondo as the 3rd best PG in the game right now after CP3 and Tony Parker. I disagree with Kevin in that bledsoe is eons behind him in the talent and ability at this moment. Also that we dont have an option that is even close to what Rondo brings. I would trade anything to get Rondo short of Burks, Favors, and Kanter.
Sorry JRN5150, you certainly are entitled to your opinion but Rondo is behind CP3, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, Parker, and probably even Lillard at this point. I agree that Rondo has a significant edge on Bledsoe in talent at the moment, but you’re comparing a guy who’s been given the reins of a team to a guy that is on the bench behind the best PG in the league. Not entirely fair to assume that we’ve seen all that Bledsoe has to offer.
Bledsoe’s a good defender and he has an offensive skill: gettin to the rim. That’s enough for me to take a chance on him. Jumpshots can be developed over time, unless you’re dwight howard or shaq (J-Kidd did it). I DO think it would be better to have a better distributor with our other guys than Bledsoe is, tho, but PG pickings are just so damn slim. Draft some PGs and hope they pan out I guess.
I am not trying to be fair to everybody Kevin… I want the Jazz to win. Bledsoe seems great and I would love to have him. But if I could get Rondo also I will take him every day. He is an elite PG and Bledsoe is not. Would you rather have Kevin Love or Andre Drummond? Love, right?? Drummond may turn out to be just as good so its not fair either. And I can accept Kyrie as better than rondo but never ever ever Westbrook. I like my PGs to pass.
Guys, financial flexibility actually is a concern in 2-3 years. If Favors, Kanter, Hayward and Burks are stIll on the team and improve at the rate we expect them to, they will all command a big pay raise. In that same time period Bledsoe will also be getting his pay raise so that is 5 players with reasonably higher salaries. We would have to have 8 other players making nothing for it to work. I would like Bledsoe now + drafting T Burke. Those 2.could co exist with Mo salary wise for 2 years especially if we shed Millsap and Jeffersons salaries. Rondo won’t work long term because he is getting paid 10 mil more than Bledsoe and he is not 10 mil better IMO especially while he’s injured
@JRN
If Kevin Love had major psychotic issues, i’d have to think about it for a bit. However, I might still choose him because of his obvious talent. HOWEVER, as I stated before, a PG with a good attitude is a little more important to me because they generally are the leaders on the court and off of it.
I like my PG’s to pass as well, but I also want them to be able to score when needed. Otherwise we should be content with Tinsley, right? A passing PG with not much of an offensive threat. I also might add, I want my PG’s to have class.