NBA AM: Celtics Need A Decision On Rondo

What To Do With Rajon Rondo?:  Everywhere you go in the NBA you will hear a story about Rajon Rondo and how he treats others. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said it best “from what I understand he’s an a**hole like me”, truer words about a player have never been spoken.

The Celtics have a few weeks to decide what’s next for Rondo. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens admitted that the game plan has to change with Rondo on the floor. Stevens said some things in the offense have to come out because of Rondo’s skill set, but some things can be added in too.

As the Celtics face a rebuild in Boston, there is a belief that Rondo could very well be a big part of that – assuming he can be a leader. In his tenure in Boston Rondo has always had others to shoulder the leadership role, whether that was the enforcer of process in Kevin Garnett or the leader of the team in Paul Pierce. Rondo played a role, but was often kept in his place by his older and more vocal team mates.

Rondo is saying all the right things about his turn to be the captain of the team. He understands that he has a chance in Boston to be “the guy” and that’s something the Celtics want to see play out.

»In Related: The Boston Celtics salary cap information

‘I’m going on 28, it’s my eighth year in the league and being the point guard, it’s just all about timing. It’s a great opportunity,” Rondo said to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.

“We’ve got a young team. I’m pretty much one of the older guys …”

Rondo says he understands that proving he can lead a team and be a focal point is bigger for him than just the moment he finds himself in, it’s a chance to learn and prove that he can do more beyond whats in front of him.

“And it’s not just being a leader here,” Rondo said. “If I want to go into coaching afterwards, it’s the next step to that, being a leader on the court and knowing how to talk to guys. You know, you can’t coach every guy the same way. Guys don’t take criticism the same. It’s a learning process, and I’ve been learning every year I’ve been in the league.”

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is saying all the right things and showing his support for his young guard, because according to those around the situation he genuinely wants to see this work with Rajon, simply because of how hard it is to find a point guard that can do what Rondo does.

“I really think he’s getting there,” Ainge said. “Rajon’s an emotional kid, but he’s not as emotional. He’s calmer. I think that this experience of rehab and sitting on the bench sort of as an assistant coach has helped him. He’s still developing and learning. He’s 27 years old, and I think that he’ll continue to get better and better as a leader as he matures.”

Rondo has this season and next season remaining on his contract, so the Celtics have to make some decisions on where they want to go with Rondo, especially with Rondo having the option to walk away from the Celtics in July of 2015 as an unrestricted free agent.

If the Celtics believe Rondo is their guy, they are going to have to put a max-level contract extension on the table and try and lock Rondo in. If they decide that Rondo is ultimately not their guy and he cannot mesh with Stevens, then moving him and moving him this year becomes very real.

The timing of Rondo’s return from ACL injury gives Boston some time to work and figure some things out.

The Celtics are rebuilding, there is no doubting that. The best case scenario is that Rondo and Stevens works, and the C’s can take point guard off the needs board. If the next few weeks are rocky or tumultuous, trading Rondo at the deadline or more importantly around the 2014 NBA Draft becomes very real.

The ideal scenario is this all comes together, but when dealing with Rondo – historically – things have been far from ideal and maybe that’s because as Bryant put it “he’s an a**hole”, but maybe even Rondo can grow out of that with the opportunity to be the next face of the Celtics organization or he could end up being the golden ticket to cleaning out the Celtics salary cap for the future.

The Celtics have roughly 30 days until the February 20 NBA Trade Deadline, so they have a full month to decide what Rondo really means to the team before the first window to extract real value out of Rondo closes.

Winning By Default:  A scary thing is happening in college basketball, and it’s bound to have a trickledown effect on the NBA. Some of the top prospects in the 2014 NBA Draft class are talking about staying in college.

Sam Smith from Bulls.com is reporting that NBA teams have heard Jabari Parker may be leaning towards staying a second season at Duke.

Kansas big man Joel Embiid, who some say could be the top overall pick in some situations, said to ESPN’s Dana O’Neil that he’s been researching the traits of some of the best big men in NBA history and has found all of them stayed in college for more than one season.

»In Related: Basketball Insiders 2014 NBA Draft player profile of Joel Embiid

“I was curious because I want to be great, I want to be the best at my position one day,” Embiid said to O’Neil. “I’m trying to learn everything and what other people did. All of the great big men went to college at least two or three years. I think it’s a big factor. I don’t know if it will always work, but I think it’s the best choice.”

Neither player has said they are coming back for a second season of college ball, and like most highly touted players, when it comes to the NBA and the draft there is a hesitation for some, especially players who are in great situations.

However, as the season of “Tank Ball” continues to play out in the NBA, it becomes somewhat scary for teams that were hoping for a draft pool with five or six franchise players sitting at the top, to hear that maybe two of the gems might be considering staying back.

Unfortunately for most of the teams in tank-mode, they are too far down the road of rebuilding to turn back and they won’t know who is really in or out until April.

It would be wildly disappointing to be that team holding the fifth overall pick if Parker and Embiid don’t come out this year, because grabbing Noah Vonleh (Indiana) or Gary Harris (Michigan State) is not the same consolation prize as Parker or Embiid would be, or Andrew Wiggins, Marcus Smart or Dante Exum if those two go at the top as projected.

The saving grace for NBA teams is that the odds either really stays in college basketball is very small, especially as both meet with agents that explain where they are likely to be drafted and the massive amounts of money both could earn at the next level.

But it will be scary for some teams if both players seriously contemplate another year of college basketball, especially with so many teams targeting the floor of the NBA standings this season in hopes of a high draft pick in June.

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