The Boston Celtics had until this Monday night to reach an agreement regarding a contract extension with point guard Rajon Rondo. Rumor has it that the five year deal will exceed the $55 million mark, making him one of the top 10 best paid NBA guards. Rondo and the Boston Celtics management agreed upon most of the terms of the contract last Sunday night, prompted by what the 23 year old player had been proving since his training camp begun this season. It was up to general manager Danny Ainge and owner Wyc Grousbeck to sign the player for another 5 years. They seemed a little hesitant about rehiring the player at first. All though he has been criticized for not really scoring much, or shooting much for that matter (he only attempted 23 shots in the first 4 games of the season) it is not his shooting average (a decent 57% field-goal average) nor his impressive rebound-assist numbers that were been questioned. Rather his leadership skills and the way he integrates with the rest of the team that had his bosses discussing whether to keep him or let him go as a restricted free agent. Bill Duffy, Rondo’s agent, agreed that the salary might have been higher had the player opted for a free agent negotiation with a different team. Yet, Rondo also realized that Boston has a championship-winning squad this season, and the temptation of taking another NBA title has its own very strong pull. Celtics head coach, Doc Rivers, expressed his happiness with the decision made by the board to keep Rondo around for another five seasons. He was also pleased that it was over with, so they did not have to keep talking about it anymore, and focus on what really matte: the season that is just starting. And what a way to start this has been. The Boston Celtics have proved to be one of the strongest teams in the league in the first weeks of the season. A more then respectable 5-0 streak leaves the team in the first place of the Atlantic Standings. Rondo is earning $2.3 million dollars this season, the last of his rookie contract. He averaged 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game last season, but was able to bring the numbers to near triple-double in the playoffs with star forward Kevin Garnett by his side. So yeah, he has issues with scoring, but he has also proved a good distributor for the Boston Celtics, piling up his assists numbers in the games. All though having Kevin Garnett in the inside, and Ray Allen on the perimeter certainly help those high numbers. He has talent, that’s for sure. But he has also found some criticism from the specialized press, which finds him immature and cocky. He is athletic and plays real hard on defense, and with his fast long arms can get many steals and deflect the ball off trajectory. But that’s not all that count in the court. His last argument with New Orleans Hornets, Chris Paul, just did not help his case. Rondo’s attitude and comments toward Paul were so shabby and unprofessional, that Ray Allen, one of the classiest players in the NBA, allegedly apologized to Paul for Rondo’s foolish behavior. The season is still ahead for Rondo and the Celtics. Perhaps a little less talking and a bit more of scoring wouldn’t hurt his intentions of taking another championship. He has the team and the talent to do so. Throw in a little humbleness and maturity into the equation, and they might just do so.
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