Rondo told Jackie Macmullan he was going to attack the basket against the Heat, no matter who was guarding him. That was evident the first two possessions of the game. He took Mike Bibby to the rack a few times early, once getting his layup attempt blocked.
Then there was Lebrons loud chasedown block. The Heat aren't going to stop being athletic. They're going to block a few of Rondo's shots. But he needs to keep taking it hard. If he picks his spots wisely he can really open up a lot of different options for the team. Getting himself to the free throw line can change the tempo of the game, slowing down potential Heat runs. It'll free up Paul and Ray to get great looks at the basket. Same for KG.
And if Rondo is attacking relentlessly then just MAYBE the Heat will do what I hope they would do along and stick Wade on him. That means Mike Bibby or Chalmers would be chasing Ray around. Creates mismatches all over the place.
We all know our cute little point guard is our greatest asset and our biggest advantage over the Heat. He got into foul trouble early and was not a factor in the first half. That won't happen again. I'd look for Rondo to come out running, and running hard, in Game 2 tomorrow.
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