Deron Williams and Chris Paul are getting up there. Not like they're pushing 30 yet, but doesn't it feel that way? Just last year, the two were the main focus of one of basketball's great hypothetical arguments: who's the best young point guard in the game. Most basketball aficionados would say CP before blinking, but the argument can still be made for either of them. Both have Olympic gold medals and both have made deep playoff runs as leaders of their squads. They're both out west though, not quite playing in basketball hot beds and even though they aren't exactly ready to hang up their Nikes, two new, younger point guards in the East are rudely budding into the discussion.
Game one. Derrick Rose in his playoff debut at the Garden drops 36 points and dishes 11 assists. He makes the Celtics look Kleenex soft, getting into the lane at will, knocking down jump shots like he's out on a south side Chicago blacktop. The Bulls shock the basketball world and smart basketball fans everywhere know what this performance means. After one year at Memphis, the 2008 number one overall pick is balling like the future. As a Celtic fan, the 36 and 11 were certainly numbers that had me frowning, but the 20 (Rose's age) has me absolutely petrified. D-Rose will be hanging around for quite some time and his game will only grow.
Game two. Rajon Rondo, from the opening tip, took it to the Bulls guards. The game just started and the aforementioned Derrick Rose is on the bench with two fouls. Kirk Hinrich comes in and before Rondo can pogo stick a defensive rebound, fly up the court and hit an acrobatic lay-up, he's got a few fouls. Now Vinny Del Negro has to insert Lindsey Hunter. Nothing really needs to be said about that, except Rajon Rondo can't be guarded. Rose couldn't hang in game one and Hinrich looked like he should be suiting up in Europe next year. When you're putting someone who was drafted in 1993 into the first quarter of a playoff game, your actions are truly speaking louder than your words. By the way, if you missed it, Rondo suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter but still finished with a triple double.
So here's the situation developing in front of our very eyes. Two extremely young point guards (Rondo's 23) who already have the ability to attack the rim whenever they please, like they're filming a dribbling drill and NBA defenders are substituted for folding chairs.
They get to the rim like normal people tie their shoes. Effortlessly easy without even thinking. Both players have already established an ability to take over a basketball game without setting their feet on a jumper.
Not trying to get too far ahead of myself here, but these two point guards could be setting up quite the rivalry for the next decade. Who would have thought in game one, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce wouldn't be leading the Celtics to a victory, but Rondo would carry Boston on his back for 48 minutes. With KG out for the post season, he's looking like an all-star finding his own shots. No disrespect to Chauncey or Tony, but there's a legitimate debate to be had on who's playing the one better in these playoffs. Looking a few years down the road, once the Big Three retires and Chicago starts to build a little more around Rose by acquiring players that aren't Joakim Noah, these two will most likely be the leaders of their teams and should be serving up instant classics for the next generation.
Right now Chauncey Billups playing better than all of them.
Ya if Rondo goes to another team he will be allright. You gotta be joking if you think Boston will even be a .500 team once the stars leave. Rose has a bright future but same goes for him.
Rondo would be a scrub on any other team except Boston