Boston Celtics: Breaking Down The 2013-14 Point Guards

After a drastic roster overhaul in the offseason, the Boston Celtics will field an array of new faces in the 2013-14 season and one position at a time we will break down the Celtics’ depth chart. The most familiar face on the roster is Rajon Rondo, who is the lone remaining member of the 2007-08 championship squad and the team will go as far as the All-Star point guard can take them. In stark contrast, Rondo’s apparent backup at the point guard position is an undrafted rookie free agent who could see himself thrown into the deep end immediately. Let’s take a look at the point guards on the roster this season in Boston.

Rajon Rondo is now the unquestioned leader of the Boston Celtics. Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule, Flickr.com

Starter: Rajon Rondo

The Celtics’ entire season may hinge on just how soon Rajon Rondo can return to the court. After having his 2012-13 campaign cut short by a torn ACL, no one has yet been able to pin point a date where Rondo will be able to compete in full contact basketball activities. Opinions range from opening night of the season through to not returning until 2014 and as the leader and star player of the team, those months could mean a great deal in the grand scheme of things.

Before his injury last season, Rondo had played in 38 games and was arguably having the best year of his career despite the team’s average record. His 13.7 points per game tied a career high and his 5.6 rebounds surpassed his previous best. For the second season in a row, Rondo led the league in assists per game with 11.1. Rondo was playing big minutes and taking more responsibility away from the aging veterans on the team as the disastrous injury put an end to his season. With the departure of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who have been the vocal and inspirational leaders of the franchise for the past six seasons, all eyes will now be on the four-time All-Star to step up as the face of the team and lead the Celtics into the next phase of the franchise’s decorated history.

Rondo’s playmaking will remain among the elite in the league and will be relied on even more heavily to create shots for his teammates, who lack the individual brilliance of recent Boston teams. Young, inexperienced players will look to Rondo to handle the majority of the offense and get them the ball in ideal shooting positions, as well as creating fast break opportunities for the team’s athletic swingmen. Rondo is more than capable of doing so and it will be interesting to see how the 27-year-old reacts to no longer having All-Star caliber teammates beside him. He has the opportunity to step out from under the shadow of the “Big Three” and prove he is one of the league’s brightest stars in his own right. The opportunity to play in a higher paced, more athletic offense may suit Rondo’s playmaking abilities even more so than the structured, half court sets of the past few years.

The one area where Rondo will need to continue to improve is his scoring and shooting. The percentages are good, but the ability to consistently convert mid- to long-range shooting opportunities is still a question mark. With more defensive focus on him, Rondo will need to find ways to create his own shot and will almost certainly be relied on to produce the most points per game of his career.

Predicting Rondo’s statistics for next season is a difficult task without knowing when and in what capacity he will return. Assuming he is ready for opening night, with no minute restrictions, it would not be surprising to see Rondo jump to 16 points per game while retaining his near 12 assist average. His leadership, performance and how he responds to his new situation will be heavily under the microscope this season, but his basketball abilities remain among the best for his position in the NBA.

Backup: Phil Pressey

In contrast to the illustrious career of the man ahead of him in the depth chart, Phil Pressey enters the league as an undrafted rookie free agent who had to earn his way onto a roster with an impressive summer league performance. Pressey, who has been a lifelong Celtics fan himself, impressed the Celtics’ staff in the Orlando Summer League with his leadership and natural playmaking abilities. In five games, Pressey averaged 9.4 points and 6.6 assists per game, breaking double digits in dimes on two occasions. His passing ability carried over from his college career, where his 11.9 points and 7.1 assists as a junior at Missouri landed him a place on the All-SEC First Team.

Pressey signed a non-guaranteed, three-year deal with the Celtics in the offseason and at this point is the only healthy, true point guard on the roster. At 5’11″ he has physical limitations which may prevent him from ever becoming more than a serviceable role player in the NBA, but his playmaking and ability to shoot could make him a useful backup for years to come. If Rondo is not ready for the season opener, Pressey could find himself thrust into the starting lineup from day one–talk about trial by fire. I predict a solid first season in the NBA for Pressey with around five points and three assists per game; some early starts could give him a nice boost to his early career statistics.

Avery Bradley did not look comfortable running the point guard position last season. Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule, Flickr.com

Alternatives: Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, MarShon Brooks, Courtney Lee

The surplus of shooting guards on the Celtics’ roster may mean that a number of these players get an opportunity to run the point guard throughout the course of the season. While all four can handle the ball, none of them are playmakers and struggle to set up shots for teammates. The Celtics were forced to play Avery Bradley out of position at the point guard for significant stretches last season after Rondo went down and he looked extremely uncomfortable there. Bradley is best used as a corner shooter, making backdoor cuts to the basket and converting on the break; the pressure of handling the offense seemed to take away from his natural game. Crawford, Brooks and Lee all have the ability to put the ball on the floor, but if any of them are forced to play significant minutes at the point, the Boston offense will suffer dramatically.

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