Rajon Rondo isn’t the best point guard in the league. I think most GM’s would rather have Derrick Rose and Chris Paul as their starters. Maybe even Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams. But Rondo is probably the only PG in the league capable  of pulling off these kind of numbers – 18 points, 17 rebounds, 20 assists, in his fourth triple double of the season.

The Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks 115-111, proving once against that Jeremy Lin is a good player but against the best in the league, teams and point guards, Linsanity isn’t what it was all hyped up to be. Rondo didn’t annihilate him like the Miami Heat did not too long ago, as Lin finished with 14 points and five assists, but the turnovers, six of them, were back to haunt him and the Knicks.

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Just how good was Rondo last night? Only two other point guards have had 15-15-15 games in the past 25 years. Jason Kidd and Magic Johnson. Rondo needed overtime, playing just over 47 minutes, and displaying his usual terrible shooting, but he was special.

Someone who didn’t have trouble scoring was Paul Pierce in what was probably his best game of the season. The Celtics needed all their big four to come up with their best, which probably speaks volumes for just how far they are from contending against the likes of the Heat and Bulls if they need this kind of effort to beat the Knicks.

Pierce finished with 34 points, Kevin Garnett finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Ray Allen scored 12. The Knicks were lead by Carmelo Anthony, who, as expected, forced the game a bit too much, finishing with 25 points. Amar’e Stoudemire is still partially missing, finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Knicks need him to wake up from whatever it is that’s putting him down. D’Antoni, hopefully, has some kind of answer.

Does this kind of performance silence the trade talk around Rondo? Is he that much of an off court diva that Doc Rivers can’t handle? Is he not a player to rebuild around as the older three slowly fade away, with great nights further and further apart? Rondo is high maintenance, a bad shooter as well. But few penetrate efficiently like him. Few crash the boards like him. He’s an excellent passer and probably the best point guard defender.

Is it really that bad that he needs to dumped to flourish somewhere else? Or maybe we’re just underestimating Doc Rivers, and Rondo is more of a liability than an asset, despite games like these, happening quite often this season when he’s in the mood?