Boston Celtics stars Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green are both excellent players, but it still remains to be seen whether or not they'll mesh well together as a duo.
Green was impressive for the Celtics last season in his first year back after recovering from a heart condition, and all-star point guard Rajon Rondo is widely considered to be one of the best point guards in the NBA.
Green and Rondo didn't have the chance to get to know each other on the court last season, as Green didn't start playing heavy minutes until after Rondo went down with an ACL injury in January. Next season, the players will have a clean slate, but they'll be playing without Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason.
Green is a dynamic player who can score 43 one night and 11 the next. He'll need to improve his consistency and adjust to being the focal point of an NBA offense for the first time. Rondo is a highly unique point guard who thrives when he has a number of scoring options around him. Avery Bradley has developed into one of the NBA's best perimeter defenders, but his offensive game is still extremely limited.
The success of the Green-Rondo duo will likely depend on whether or not Boston can find scoring options other than Green to share the load. Rondo isn't a scorer himself, and the offense will only click if he's able to rely on multiple players who can finish. First-year coach Brad Stevens will have to rely heavily on Rondo's ingenuity, and if the team ends up trading Rondo in order to hit the reset button his options will be even slimmer.
A dynamic scorer like Green and a brilliant passer like Rondo can absolutely thrive in the same offense, but the success they'll have depends on too many outside factors. It's unlikely that Rondo and Green can carry the Celtics to the playoffs by themselves, and it looks like this franchise may be looking a return to the dark days that preceded the arrival of the (now departed) big three.
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