Rondo (torn ACL) won't play again this season. What will the Celtics do next?
ABC reporter Doris Burke broke the news to Paul Pierce minutes before Rajon Rondo told the rest of the Boston Celtics himself.
Pierce clearly didn't know Rondo had been diagnosed with a torn ACL. When Burke told him, the elation of a hard-fought double overtime win against the Miami Heat quickly broke into concern.
"Oh my God," Pierce began his reply.
Oh my God, the Celtics losing Rondo for the season was quite unexpected.
He arrived at the TD Garden on Sunday ready to play, but after warming up hours before the game he was shuttled to the New England Baptist Hospital for testing. An MRI revealed what the Celtics feared: Rondo's injury was worse than originally expected, and he won't play again this season.
A glimpse at Rondo talking to Burke during the second half Sunday showed heartbreak painted across his face. The All-Star point guard thrives in big games, yet there he was, wearing a jacket and taking in the action from the sideline, not capable of competing as Boston played in its hugest of games this season -- Ray Allen's return for the Heat, with Boston looking to snap a six-game losing streak against its biggest rival.
At that moment, Rondo's teammates didn't know the extent of his injury. Coach Doc Rivers learned a few minutes before the game, but felt it best not to share the bad news prior to meeting the Eastern Conference's best team. The Celtics went on to one of their best wins this season -- Paul Pierce had a triple-double, Kevin Garnett managed to grit through 45 minutes, Jeff Green played phenomenal individual defense on LeBron James, and Miami couldn't crack the 100-point barrier even with two extra sessions -- but the locker room mood quickly soured when Rondo explained his injury.
"I could see it on his face. You didn't know what he was going to say," said Lee, according to CSNNE. "When he said it, everybody's head just went down. We went from cheering to being sad."
The Celtics' future past the trade deadline had already been a question mark, but now it's more questionable than ever. Without Rondo, even the greatest optimists will have trouble envisioning Boston conjuring another remarkable playoff resurgence. Boston has actually performed better without Rondo on the floor this season for the first time in his career (by 2.8 points per 100 possessions, according to Basketball-Reference.com), but it's basically impossible to see the Celtics drastically turning around this season without their star point guard.
There's still plenty of talent in Boston, sure, but the Celtics don't have any other natural point guards or even anyone comfortable running an offense. Considering that Pierce and Kevin Garnett have both taken small but noticeable steps back this season, the Celtics should seriously miss their greatest playmaker during the first extended absence of his career. Rondo has never missed more than 14 games in a season before. He will miss the final 39 this year, including Sunday.
By the time Rondo returns to health, it's important to keep in mind, Pierce and Garnett will be 36 and 37 years old, respectively. They've already begun to slowly fade, and, given their ages, the diminishing process should continue until retirement. Even those who held out hope the Celtics could right the ship and contend this season should admit: It's unrealistic to expect the aging Pierce and Garnett to team with a recovering Rondo to make another long playoff run next year. Not without major additions this summer, at least, which are highly improbable considering the Celtics project to have no cap space.
At long last, without real argument, the Celtics can be confidently removed from the list of title contenders or even quasi-contenders, not only this year but also until they undergo a serious makeover. It remains to be seen whether Rondo's injury will help spur a major trade (or major trades), but president of basketball operations Danny Ainge certainly has more reason now than ever before to focus on the future. Real barriers to moving Boston's veterans for young talent exist, but if Ainge fails to make a bold move before the deadline, it won't be because he expects the Celtics to contend as currently constructed.
Boston already has the beginnings of a promising young nucleus, starring Rondo, Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger. But, though no easy answers exist, the present suddenly looks more unstable than it has since the Garnett acquisition.
Do the Celtics look to add another point guard in the coming days with one of their two open roster spots? Try to move Pierce and/or Garnett (who has a no-trade clause) for young talent and/or draft picks before the trade deadline? Shop Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee, Jeff Green and Jason Terry for any assets they can acquire?
Blowing up Boston's roster has never made more sense. But it's not that simple.
"Here's the thing: If I wanted to say, 'Hey, let's play for the future,' that's hard to do," Ainge said, according to Yahoo Sports. "And if I play only for the 'here and now,' that's hard to do."
Based on Rivers' comments following Sunday's game, Rondo played 12 minutes against the Hawks after his ACL injury, accumulating two points, four rebounds and two assists during that time. He thought he had a simple hamstring issue, and would have competed against the Heat except team doctor Brian McKeon requested an examination first.
With a pain threshold apparently bordering on the corner of insane and unfathomable, Rondo -- leading the NBA in assists, known for his habit of playing best in big games, bold and stubborn and inconsistent and intelligent and daring and so crucial to Boston's success since Garnett's acquisition -- showed up to the TD Garden ready to play. But he left it knowing he won't play for quite some time.
"You can write our obituary," Rivers told reporters. "I won't."
But Pierce's "oh my God" might have been more telling.
Rondo's done for the season.
What will the Celtics do next?