After suffering a strained hamstring at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder a few weeks ago, Rajon Rondo missed the next three games to rest the ailment. When he returned to face the Toronto Raptors he seemingly didn't miss a beat, and neither did the way he set up his teammates and ran the offense. In the 4 games since resting his hamstring, he averaged a ho-hum 13.8/4.6 assist to turnover ratio while logging just over 38 minutes per game. Ever wonder why how he can return so seamlessly into the scheme of things? He studies film. Lots of it.
In a recent interview for Red Bull, Soren Baker delivers the goods on Rondo's obsessive film study as he compares himself to that of an NFL quarterback (we'll give Rondo a pass for comparing himself to Ben Roethlisberger instead of Tom Brady... sorry Chuck!)
Here are a few excerpts from the interview:
Rajon Rondo thinks he does something most other NBA players don’t. He watches film -- hours upon hours of it. “I think a lot of players just go out there and play off raw talent and seeing players play every once in a while,” the All-Star point guard says the day before the Celtics play host to the Denver Nuggets. “But I like to dissect film. I watch the point guard position and see how they play. I’m always watching and trying to figure out how I can get better as a point guard and what other point guards do out on the court.”
Interesting to start thinking about how many point guards do this as well. Here's Rondo on his highly competitive attitude:
“I love competition,” says Rondo, who in 2009 became the first NBA player to sign on as a Red Bull athlete. “I want to be the best. I love competing every night. That’s just been instilled in me since Day One. I don’t like losing in anything that I do, whether it was racing while I was growing up or riding a bike. Whatever I did, I always tried to be the best. That’s the chip or edge that I have on my shoulder. I have it when I play any position or do anything, whether I’m playing cards, driving a bicycle. I just always wanted to be the best. That’s why I think I’m so competitive and I love to continue to get better.”
Rondo comparing himself to Ben Roethlisberger:
“I’m becoming more and more familiar with the system,” he says. “That’s the biggest thing, being in the system for so long. It’s kind of funny, I was listening to [Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback] Ben Roethlisberger talk [Wednesday] night about how he was going to miss this entire week but that he knows the plays and he’s been in the system for seven years and he’s pretty much ready to play [past Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens]. So for me, playing for Doc for five years, there isn’t a play that he can draw up that I don’t know already. It’s helped me know where guys should be on the court and where I should deliver the ball.”
The entire piece is worth the quick read, although I'll echo John's tweet to me about one particular item that jumped off the screen:
Couldn't agree more with John, but it's always refreshing to read how thorough Rondo's preparation is. It Reminds me of the quote that is painted on the wall at the Celtics practice facility: