Chicago report: Rondo on the rise
posted: Monday, May 29, 2006
CHICAGO -- Now that the lottery is over and the draft process is in full swing, I'll be on the road for the next month at draft camps and gyms across the U.S. (and Italy) to watch some of the most interesting prospects.I spent the weekend in Chicago watching prospects work out at Tim Grover's A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics.
Here's who I saw:
Rajon Rondo: Rondo's a conundrum for NBA talent evaluators. Some NBA guys love him. Some hate him. But few have seen him in the right environment to make a fully informed decision.
Rondo has earned positive reviews for his workouts in Phoenix, Houston and Boston. The word is that his shot has improved and his athleticism ranks near the top of the draft.
One big question remains, however: Is he a point guard?
It's almost impossible to determine that in an individual workout. And it was difficult to discern the answer at Kentucky this year. Kentucky coach Tubby Smith played a slow-paced, half-court offense, while Rondo is a rev-it-up, super-quick guard who thrives in the open court.
I asked Grover and Rondo's agent Kevin Bradbury to give me a better feel for Rondo's point guard skills by arranging a five-on-five game on Saturday morning in Chicago. Also partcipating were Mustafa Shakur of Arizona, Denham Brown of Connecticut, and one of the draft's mystery men, Brad Newley of Australia.
Rondo has put on 10 pounds of muscle since we saw him last at Kentucky, and his shoulders and arms are noticeably thicker.
His hands are freakish as advertised -- the guys in the gym jokingly call him "E.T." because of his long fingers. At 6-2 (in shoes), Rondo can palm a basketball off the dribble. Very few players his size can do that.
Guarded by Shakur for the whole game, Rondo was stellar. He pushed the ball up the floor at a breakneck pace, made a number of pinpoint, dropjaw passes and got to the basket at will against Shakur.
Rondo showed off his nuclear athleticism and uber-quickness in the open court. He changes directions in a split second, explodes to the basket and pushes the ball relentlessly in the open floor.
His ball-handling is one of his best attributes. His huge hands give him maximum control over the ball. He never bobbles or lose it, no matter how heavy the traffic. On three occasions, he drew oohs from the spectators after delivering a beautiful pass.
Defensively he was also rock solid, causing frequent problems for Shakur and picking off a number of passes for fast breaks on the other end.
Rondo showed a style that scouts haven't seen from him since he played for Team USA's junior squad in Argentina last summer. He came out of that camp rated as the top point guard in the draft and a potential top five pick. In Chicago, he showed why.
What about his jump shot?
He didn't take a jumper in the game. Afterwards I watched him in drills for about 45 minutes. His form does look a lot better than what we saw in Kentucky. He hit more shots than he missed, especially from the NBA 3-point line.
But more than likely Rondo's never going to be a great shooter. Hitting shots without a defender on you is one thing. Hitting them in the course of a game is another.
His free throw shooting is also going to need a lot of work. He actually missed more free throws than 3s in the workout I saw. That's going to be a problem for a guy who's going to draw a lot of fouls in the NBA with his penetration.
Teams don't draft a player like Rondo because he can stroke the ball. Rather, they'll look at his athleticism, quickness, defense and point guard skills.
Put him on the right team and let him run and he's going to be a great point guard in the pros. Put him in a conservative, slow-down offense and it's going to get ugly.
Based on what I saw on Saturday, I think he's the best point guard prospect in the draft. Along with everyone else, I have been calling UConn's Marcus Williams the best pure point guard. The implication has been that Rondo is more of an athlete than a pure point.
From what I saw, I no longer believe that. I think Williams is craftier and a better scorer, but Rondo's court vision is excellent and he is a much better athlete and defender than Williams.
Given what we've been hearing about Williams' weight (up to 220 according to the Celtics) and his obvious off-court baggage, Rondo might end up ahead of Williams at the end of the draft.
I sat down with Rondo after the workout to get his take on his critics and the draft process.
Rondo said he realized by midseason that the style of play at Kentucky was hurting his draft chances, and so making the decision to jump to the NBA was relatively easy.
"Coach agreed that the style we were playing probably wasn't the best fit for me," Rondo said. "I knew after this summer that I could play with everyone, but I'd do best in a Phoenix Suns style where the point guard is really allowed to push the ball and create."
Rondo said that his early feedback in the draft process gave him a better idea of what he had to work on.
"I've been working real hard with Tim to put on some strength, work on my NBA moves and of course my shooting," he said. "From the feedback I got in the workouts, I think it's going pretty good."
Rondo said that he thinks his game most resembles that of Tony Parker, another super-quick point guard who has also struggled with a suspect jump shot.
Rondo's main frustration in the draft process is that he hasn't had a chance to go up against Williams.
"I want to work out against the best so that I can prove that it's me," Rondo said. "I think teams would want to see us against each other."
They do. I talked to three GMs who said a Rondo-Williams workout would be ideal. They think the problem is that Rondo's and Williams' agents -- both affiliated with BDA Sports -- won't allow it.
Not so, according to Rondo's agent.
"No teams have asked, so it hasn't happened," Kevin Bradbury, Rondo's agent, said. "We tell all of our guys when we sign them that if teams want them to work out together or compete against each other, they need to do it. If a team wants to see them against each other, we'll try to make it happen."
Other prospects in Chicago:
Brad Newley: Newley, a 6-5, 21-year-old shooting guard from Adelade, Australia, has been the best young player in Australia the last two seasons. He won an NBL All-Star MVP award his rookie year and dominated the Commonwealth Games last fall.
A former teammate of Andrew Bogut, Newley is known as a tough player and big-time scorer who attacks the basket and sticks the J. He averaged 19 points per game, five rebounds and four assists in the NBL last season.
I watched him in workouts on Thursday and Friday and saw him play in the five-on-five game on Saturday, matched up against Denham Brown, one of the better defenders in college basketball last season.
When I first saw him in workouts, I assumed he was a jump shooter like many European two guards. But in the scrimmage, Newley showed he is very aggressive putting the ball on the floor and taking it to the basket.
His game resembles Manu Ginobili's more than it does that of most Euros. He doesn't have the quickness or creativity of Ginobili, but he's a good athlete, and he actually likes contact. He held up well against a very physical Brown. Those who remember how Danny Ainge used to play would recognize some of the same feistiness in Newley.
"He's one tough S.O.B." one of the players scrimmaging said after the game.
International scouts say Newley isn't known for his jump shooting over there, but his shot was falling in the game. He hit several NBA-distance 3s and a couple of midrange shots.
That confirmed what I saw in workouts. I wouldn't call him a pure shooter, but he can get it in the basket. His jump shot form needs a little work (he has a slow, low release), but it isn't really broken either.
Newley also is a good passer and with a feel for setting up his teammates.
Defensively he was pretty good. He moved his feet very well and showed he is stronger than he looks. He told me his coach always put him on the Americans playing in Australia, so he has some experience defending against quicker players.
On the down side, he hasn't totally adjusted to the speed of the game. He had a number of turnovers because of bad crosscourt passes. Rondo picked him off several times, and Newley admitted afterward that he's going to have to get used to how quick and long the players are here.
He's going to play in the Orlando pre-draft camp, and it will be very interesting to see what he does there. Given his great feel for the game and his aggression on the offensive end, he could be an Orlando pre-draft camp sleeper, just as Beno Udrih was a couple of years ago. Only three NBA teams -- the Clippers, Pistons and Rockets -- have gone to see him play in Australia, so he's a bit of unknown.
Mustafa Shakur: Shakur was up and down in the scrimmage. Against Rondo he was pretty shaky at both ends of the floor. He couldn't stay in front of Rondo on the defensive end, and Rondo forced him into a number of wild shots. He also became so engrossed in his individual matchup that he missed several opportunites to find open men in the workout.
After Rondo was moved off him, Shakur's game opened up. He had a number of good drives to the basket and showed the ability to finish around the rim. He also got more comfortable running his team and made a number of excellent passes, setting up Newley for some easy scores.
Shakur's biggest weakness right now is his jump shot. His form is pretty ugly. He releases the ball in a sort of heave motion from his chest. It's going to take a while for him to work out what looks like a fairly serious kink.
Denham Brown: We've seen enough of Brown at Connecticut to know what he does and doesn't do well. He's an excellent scorer who can get it done with the jumper or by driving to the basket. Defensively he's great on the ball. He's physical and committed to shutting his guy down. He has a good NBA body and always plays hard.
Athleticism is his biggest issue. He's not a terrible athlete, but on the NBA level, he's going to struggle in that area. He just doesn't move as quickly, up or down or laterally, as most NBA athletes. He's been working on his explosiveness with Grover, but it isn't there yet.
posted: Monday, May 29, 2006
CHICAGO -- Now that the lottery is over and the draft process is in full swing, I'll be on the road for the next month at draft camps and gyms across the U.S. (and Italy) to watch some of the most interesting prospects.I spent the weekend in Chicago watching prospects work out at Tim Grover's A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics.
Here's who I saw:
Rajon Rondo: Rondo's a conundrum for NBA talent evaluators. Some NBA guys love him. Some hate him. But few have seen him in the right environment to make a fully informed decision.
Rondo has earned positive reviews for his workouts in Phoenix, Houston and Boston. The word is that his shot has improved and his athleticism ranks near the top of the draft.
One big question remains, however: Is he a point guard?
It's almost impossible to determine that in an individual workout. And it was difficult to discern the answer at Kentucky this year. Kentucky coach Tubby Smith played a slow-paced, half-court offense, while Rondo is a rev-it-up, super-quick guard who thrives in the open court.
I asked Grover and Rondo's agent Kevin Bradbury to give me a better feel for Rondo's point guard skills by arranging a five-on-five game on Saturday morning in Chicago. Also partcipating were Mustafa Shakur of Arizona, Denham Brown of Connecticut, and one of the draft's mystery men, Brad Newley of Australia.
Rondo has put on 10 pounds of muscle since we saw him last at Kentucky, and his shoulders and arms are noticeably thicker.
His hands are freakish as advertised -- the guys in the gym jokingly call him "E.T." because of his long fingers. At 6-2 (in shoes), Rondo can palm a basketball off the dribble. Very few players his size can do that.
Guarded by Shakur for the whole game, Rondo was stellar. He pushed the ball up the floor at a breakneck pace, made a number of pinpoint, dropjaw passes and got to the basket at will against Shakur.
Rondo showed off his nuclear athleticism and uber-quickness in the open court. He changes directions in a split second, explodes to the basket and pushes the ball relentlessly in the open floor.
His ball-handling is one of his best attributes. His huge hands give him maximum control over the ball. He never bobbles or lose it, no matter how heavy the traffic. On three occasions, he drew oohs from the spectators after delivering a beautiful pass.
Defensively he was also rock solid, causing frequent problems for Shakur and picking off a number of passes for fast breaks on the other end.
Rondo showed a style that scouts haven't seen from him since he played for Team USA's junior squad in Argentina last summer. He came out of that camp rated as the top point guard in the draft and a potential top five pick. In Chicago, he showed why.
What about his jump shot?
He didn't take a jumper in the game. Afterwards I watched him in drills for about 45 minutes. His form does look a lot better than what we saw in Kentucky. He hit more shots than he missed, especially from the NBA 3-point line.
But more than likely Rondo's never going to be a great shooter. Hitting shots without a defender on you is one thing. Hitting them in the course of a game is another.
His free throw shooting is also going to need a lot of work. He actually missed more free throws than 3s in the workout I saw. That's going to be a problem for a guy who's going to draw a lot of fouls in the NBA with his penetration.
Teams don't draft a player like Rondo because he can stroke the ball. Rather, they'll look at his athleticism, quickness, defense and point guard skills.
Put him on the right team and let him run and he's going to be a great point guard in the pros. Put him in a conservative, slow-down offense and it's going to get ugly.
Based on what I saw on Saturday, I think he's the best point guard prospect in the draft. Along with everyone else, I have been calling UConn's Marcus Williams the best pure point guard. The implication has been that Rondo is more of an athlete than a pure point.
From what I saw, I no longer believe that. I think Williams is craftier and a better scorer, but Rondo's court vision is excellent and he is a much better athlete and defender than Williams.
Given what we've been hearing about Williams' weight (up to 220 according to the Celtics) and his obvious off-court baggage, Rondo might end up ahead of Williams at the end of the draft.
I sat down with Rondo after the workout to get his take on his critics and the draft process.
Rondo said he realized by midseason that the style of play at Kentucky was hurting his draft chances, and so making the decision to jump to the NBA was relatively easy.
"Coach agreed that the style we were playing probably wasn't the best fit for me," Rondo said. "I knew after this summer that I could play with everyone, but I'd do best in a Phoenix Suns style where the point guard is really allowed to push the ball and create."
Rondo said that his early feedback in the draft process gave him a better idea of what he had to work on.
"I've been working real hard with Tim to put on some strength, work on my NBA moves and of course my shooting," he said. "From the feedback I got in the workouts, I think it's going pretty good."
Rondo said that he thinks his game most resembles that of Tony Parker, another super-quick point guard who has also struggled with a suspect jump shot.
Rondo's main frustration in the draft process is that he hasn't had a chance to go up against Williams.
"I want to work out against the best so that I can prove that it's me," Rondo said. "I think teams would want to see us against each other."
They do. I talked to three GMs who said a Rondo-Williams workout would be ideal. They think the problem is that Rondo's and Williams' agents -- both affiliated with BDA Sports -- won't allow it.
Not so, according to Rondo's agent.
"No teams have asked, so it hasn't happened," Kevin Bradbury, Rondo's agent, said. "We tell all of our guys when we sign them that if teams want them to work out together or compete against each other, they need to do it. If a team wants to see them against each other, we'll try to make it happen."
Other prospects in Chicago:
Brad Newley: Newley, a 6-5, 21-year-old shooting guard from Adelade, Australia, has been the best young player in Australia the last two seasons. He won an NBL All-Star MVP award his rookie year and dominated the Commonwealth Games last fall.
A former teammate of Andrew Bogut, Newley is known as a tough player and big-time scorer who attacks the basket and sticks the J. He averaged 19 points per game, five rebounds and four assists in the NBL last season.
I watched him in workouts on Thursday and Friday and saw him play in the five-on-five game on Saturday, matched up against Denham Brown, one of the better defenders in college basketball last season.
When I first saw him in workouts, I assumed he was a jump shooter like many European two guards. But in the scrimmage, Newley showed he is very aggressive putting the ball on the floor and taking it to the basket.
His game resembles Manu Ginobili's more than it does that of most Euros. He doesn't have the quickness or creativity of Ginobili, but he's a good athlete, and he actually likes contact. He held up well against a very physical Brown. Those who remember how Danny Ainge used to play would recognize some of the same feistiness in Newley.
"He's one tough S.O.B." one of the players scrimmaging said after the game.
International scouts say Newley isn't known for his jump shooting over there, but his shot was falling in the game. He hit several NBA-distance 3s and a couple of midrange shots.
That confirmed what I saw in workouts. I wouldn't call him a pure shooter, but he can get it in the basket. His jump shot form needs a little work (he has a slow, low release), but it isn't really broken either.
Newley also is a good passer and with a feel for setting up his teammates.
Defensively he was pretty good. He moved his feet very well and showed he is stronger than he looks. He told me his coach always put him on the Americans playing in Australia, so he has some experience defending against quicker players.
On the down side, he hasn't totally adjusted to the speed of the game. He had a number of turnovers because of bad crosscourt passes. Rondo picked him off several times, and Newley admitted afterward that he's going to have to get used to how quick and long the players are here.
He's going to play in the Orlando pre-draft camp, and it will be very interesting to see what he does there. Given his great feel for the game and his aggression on the offensive end, he could be an Orlando pre-draft camp sleeper, just as Beno Udrih was a couple of years ago. Only three NBA teams -- the Clippers, Pistons and Rockets -- have gone to see him play in Australia, so he's a bit of unknown.
Mustafa Shakur: Shakur was up and down in the scrimmage. Against Rondo he was pretty shaky at both ends of the floor. He couldn't stay in front of Rondo on the defensive end, and Rondo forced him into a number of wild shots. He also became so engrossed in his individual matchup that he missed several opportunites to find open men in the workout.
After Rondo was moved off him, Shakur's game opened up. He had a number of good drives to the basket and showed the ability to finish around the rim. He also got more comfortable running his team and made a number of excellent passes, setting up Newley for some easy scores.
Shakur's biggest weakness right now is his jump shot. His form is pretty ugly. He releases the ball in a sort of heave motion from his chest. It's going to take a while for him to work out what looks like a fairly serious kink.
Denham Brown: We've seen enough of Brown at Connecticut to know what he does and doesn't do well. He's an excellent scorer who can get it done with the jumper or by driving to the basket. Defensively he's great on the ball. He's physical and committed to shutting his guy down. He has a good NBA body and always plays hard.
Athleticism is his biggest issue. He's not a terrible athlete, but on the NBA level, he's going to struggle in that area. He just doesn't move as quickly, up or down or laterally, as most NBA athletes. He's been working on his explosiveness with Grover, but it isn't there yet.
