Could the next great NBA dyad already be planning an inevitable union?
Don’t count on it, in part because Josh Smith and Rajon Rondo wouldn’t qualify as one of the great pairings; mostly because it’s just not going to happen.
Before the Boston Celtics handed the Detroit Pistons another loss on Sunday evening, Smith openly spoke about his and Rondo’s desire to play with one another.
“We always tell each other how surreal a moment that would be,” he said, according to The Boston Globe‘s Baxter Holmes.
The former Oak Hill teammates have long been rumored to want to play alongside each other. For the few years Smith was placed on the chopping block with the Atlanta Hawks, Boston always seemed to be a rumored destination. And for a brief time, the Pistons were linked to Rondo rumors as well.
Thus far, they remain opponents, and that’s likely how it’s going to stay.
Smith signed a four-year deal with the Pistons last summer, a pact that has been met with disapproval and confusion, especially now, given how bad Detroit actually is. For the next year or two, his contract could prove immovable.
Rondo is a free agent in 2015, at which point I suppose he could sign in Motor City, though Brandon Jennings is under contract through 2015-16. Freeing up space by moving his expiring pact wouldn’t be out of the question, but you have to wonder if the Pistons are willing to bide time until Rondo becomes available. You also have to wonder if Rondo wants to play in Detroit.
And then you have to wonder if these two would even a be a good fit.
Smith was considered a fringe superstar until this season, someone who could do everything—score, rebound, pass and defend. But his shot selection has been especially atrocious and while his numbers imply versatility, it’s become clear they don’t have a game-changing impact.
Could Rondo put up with that? Could Rondo fix that?
At the risk of being overly presumptuous, I’m going to say no. No matter how deft a playmaker Rondo is, you cannot take two jump shot-challenged players—though Rondo has improved his a great deal—and expect them to set the NBA on fire.
If you disagree, let’s agree to take the diplomatic route: Chances of both players teaming up anytime soon are slim. If and when it happens, it might be one of those things late in their careers. Or maybe it happens via trade sometime in the future.
But it’s not going to happen before 2015 or even in 2015.
Rondo and Smith will just have to keep on dreaming.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
