Jackie MacMullan takes Rajon Rondo to task for blow up


Jackie MacMullan says she was about to write a "warm and fuzzy story on how the team chemistry had been so nicely recalibrated this season," basically corroborating my Were Doc's Orders to Remove the Knuckleheads? from back in December, but then volcano Rondo erupted again.
The Celtics were seconds away from possibly salvaging an atrocious Game 1 playoff performance against Atlanta that highlighted so many of their usual deficiencies -- rebounding, lack of depth, poor transition defense, stagnant offensive sets, reverting to "hero" ball to force points onto the board -- when Rajon Rondo decided to really ratchet up his team's degree of difficulty.

Boston's Young Turk got himself ejected from the game with 41 seconds to go and -- as a result of the one-game suspension levied against him on Monday for bumping referee Marc Davis -- has left his team woefully shorthanded for Game 2 on Tuesday in Atlanta.

I really can't decide which was more disappointing: Rondo becoming unglued over a questionable call on a messy scrum for a loose ball, or his insistence after the fact he didn't bump Davis on purpose.


Right. And Metta World Peace didn't see James Harden standing there when he leveled him with his elbow.

Look, maybe Davis should have whistled for a jump ball before he called Brandon Bass for a foul. And yes, maybe Davis was a tad quick in slapping a T on Rondo after he approached him with a few choice words.

Too bad. Maintain your composure. That's what great players -- and great teams -- do.

Referees don't like to be shown up by players. You can be sure each and every one of them (including Marc Davis) took note of the video showing Rondo throwing a ball at official Sean Wright back in February. When you do that, your leeway shrinks. Let's agree Rondo's leeway with NBA officials has now officially evaporated.

Hey Rondo, we all know you want to be The Star of this team.

Then figure out a way to play in the games, instead of watching them.

I tend to always listen to what MacMullan says. She speaks from knowledge, doesn't yell (like most Boston media) and doesn't have an agenda. Obviously not everyone is going to like MacMullan's harsh words on Rondo, but she's just saying what I'm sure the Big 3, Danny, Doc and coaches before him have told him before. Rondo has superstar talent, but he still needs to mature if he truly wants to be a superstar.

Related: Rondo suspended for game 2 on Tuesday