NBA Trade Rumors: With Rajon Rondo, Are Dallas Mavericks Best Team in the NBA? (POLL)
Well, it's official.
The Boston Celtics have traded point guard Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks. In exchange, the Celtics will get Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, a first round pick and a second round pick.
Many NBA fans firmly believe that the Celtics made a mistake by trading Rondo, but the reality is they made a good business decision by getting guaranteed value back in return. Rondo is in the final year of his contract, and if he didn't re-sign with the Celtics this upcoming offseason, the Celtics wouldn't get any value in return.
So what about the Mavericks?
Dallas is currently 19-8 with seven wins in their last 10 games. Future Hall of Fame forward Dirk Nowitzki took a huge pay cut this previous offseason, and he's trying to win his second NBA Championship. With Rondo on the team, Nowitzki could very well make it to his third NBA Finals.
This season, the Mavericks' passing game has been inconsistent. Shooting guard Monta Ellis leads the Mavericks in assists at just 4.7 per game. Rondo is easily one of the best passers in the game today averaging 10.8 assists per game this season, despite not having not much talent around him.
Rondo isn't an all-around guard like a Magic Johnson, Derrick Rose or a Russell Westbrook, but the Mavericks don't need that. The Mavericks needed a John Stockton-like point guard who will pass, pass and pass some more. Nelson is an average point guard, who can play average defense, but he just can match Rondo's distributing abilities. With Nelson now out of Dallas, Rondo will be quarterbacking a high-powered offense.
The Mavericks currently have the No. 1 scoring offense in the NBA, averaging more than 100 points per game. The Mavericks' defense ranks 24th in the league, so other work (especially from Tyson Chandler) will be needed to win in the long run.
Rondo's biggest weaknesses include 3-point shooting and free throws. This season, Rondo is shooting 33 percent from the free throw line, which is horrendous for a point guard. Opposing defenses don't have to worry about Rondo making perimeter shots, as he makes just over 25 percent of his career three-pointers. In January 2013, Rondo tore his ACL, but it doesn't appear to be having any effect on his performance now.
A huge upgrade at point guard, an elite ball distributor, a good perimeter defender, but a free throw and long distance shooting liability. With Rondo on the team, the Mavericks are without a doubt a championship contender, even in the Western Conference.
The Mavericks play in the loaded Southwest division with the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies. With Nowitzki turning 37 years old this summer, the Mavericks knew they had to go all in. The Spurs are battling a lot of injuries, and the Oklahoma City Thunder still have just 12 wins. Last postseason, the Mavericks took the No. 1 seed and eventual NBA Champion Spurs to seven games in the first round, the only team to do so.
If Rondo can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for this Mavericks squad. The big winner here is Ellis, who leads the team in scoring (20.6 ppg) can now focus solely on scoring instead of trying to be the part-time point guard.
Rick Carlisle is one of the best coaches in the NBA today, and he'll use Rondo properly.
Improving their defense is still the No. 1 focus for the Mavericks, but having now landed Rondo, the Mavericks are easily a championship contender.
For up-to-date sports news, scores, and more, follow Latin Post Sports on Twitter
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!