出處:http://www.nba.com/kings/blog/rondo-shares-keys-resurgence
Rondo Shares Keys to Resurgence
The Kings point guard dishes on thriving under George Karl and
forming a tight-knit bond with No. 15.
By Alex Kramers
The last player in the visitors’ locker room, Rajon Rondo adjusts
the collar of his turquoise button-down shirt and neatly packs
his belongings into a canvas travel bag, nearly an hour after
putting the finishing touches on what’s become a
routinely-masterful on-court performance.
Two years removed from a devastating knee injury and barely six
months after being maligned and written off by countless NBA
pundits, the 10th-year veteran has regained an effervescent hop to
his step, swiftly quieting his doubters by returning to his
vintage All-Star form.
It’s pretty much been fun watching him recreate his career a
little bit,” says Kings Head Coach George Karl. “He’s kind of
seized the moment and played at a high, high level.”
No. 9 – who not only ranks second in the League in assists (10.1
per game), but joins Thunder All-Star Russell Westbrook as the
only other player currently averaging over 12 points, 10 assists
and seven rebounds per contest – recently became the fourth
player in the last 18 years to rack up four triple-doubles in a
six-game span.
As he effortlessly finds open teammates and rewrites
Sacramento-era annals with stunning assist totals, the Louisville,
Ky. native credits Karl’s tutelage and trust for the rapid
career resurgence.
“Coach. It has to do with Coach, it has to do with your team, it
has to do with freedom – they all play a role,” he says. “I
worked my (butt) off this summer and I’m continuing to get
better.”
Although Rondo also leads the NBA in assist points created (24.3
per game) and passes made (76.4), according NBA.com, the
29-year-old humbly shifts the conversation to areas he’s
dedicated to perfecting.
“I still have room to improve,” says the Kings guard, who’s
connected on nine of his last 17 three-point attempts. “I want to
improve my shooting, my free throw shooting, keeping my turnovers
down. I still have a lot of room to grow, but it starts with your
coach (believing) in you.”
Karl – who recognizes the 2008 NBA champion would gladly exchange
his box score contributions for additional victories – has been
content with his team’s ball movement and the way his cunning
floor general has commanded the offense.
The Kings’ most-frequently-utilized five-man unit – featuring
Rondo alongside DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore and
Willie Cauley-Stein – has recorded a 43.6 net rating –125.8
offensive and 82.3 defensive – with a 61.2-percent true-shooting
percentage in 33 minutes of court-time, according to NBA.com.
“I think (Rondo’s) play is very encouraging and positive for
everybody,” says the 2012-13 Coach of the Year. “He makes people
better, he makes the game happen and he makes the game work.”
No Kings player has been a bigger beneficiary of Rondo’s court
vision and basketball IQ than Sacramento’s All-Star big man, who’
s notched 41.2 percent of his field goals off Rondo’s assists.
With the dynamic duo sharing the court, the Kings have outscored
opponents by 4.1 points per 100 possessions, forced a team-leading
10.9 turnovers and posted an overall 5-4 record.
“It’s unbelievable,” says Rondo of his rapport with Cousins. “
I’ve admired DeMarcus since he’s been in the League. I think he’
s the best big man, hands down, by far. There’s nothing he can’t
do on the court. As you guys have seen, this year, he’s improved
his range and he’s getting better by the day. He’s continuing
to grow mentally, he’s a great kid and he’s a great leader. A
lot of people don’t know what he does for this team, but he’s
very positive and he has a lot of great things to say.”
An avid film watcher and relentless gym rat, Rondo is focused on
continuing to build team chemistry and improving his squad’s
execution in late-game situations, hoping more of the Kentucky
alums’ motivational speeches and devoted practice habits will
lead to postgame celebrations.
We just want to start doing it by example,” says the four-time
All-Star. “Our actions – not just our words.”
只翻後段談話，談近況的部分有興趣自己看
「必須要和教練配合，和隊友配合，和我自己的意願配合，每個部分都是要角。」
Rondo說「這個夏天我很努力地訓練，並且變得越來越好。」
雖然Rondo在Assist Point Created(24.3/game)和Passed Made(76.4)領先全聯盟，
但他仍謙虛地將話題轉向自己的不足，追求完美。
「我仍然有進步的空間」這個前17次三分出手命中9次的後衛說到「我想增進自己的
投籃及罰球，然後降低失誤數，我還有許多成長的空間，但這一切都要從教練的信任
開始。」
Karl說:「我認為Rondo的表現對全隊來說是正向且激勵人心的，他讓大家更好，他讓
比賽得以運作。」
沒有人比Cousins從Rondo的全場視野和籃球智商上得到更多助益，他有41.2%的FG來自
Rondo的助攻。
「這令人吃驚」當Rondo談到他和Cousins的緊密關係時說到「從他進入聯盟開始我一直
都很讚賞他，他無疑是聯盟最棒的長人。他在場上無所不能，如你們所見，今年他又增
進了自己的攻擊範圍，一天一天變得更好。他變得更成熟，是個好孩子跟好領袖。很多
外人不知道他為了球隊做了多少，但他始終保持正面，多的是優點可以談。」
作為一個研究比賽錄影帶的狂人，嚴厲的健身房訓練者，Rondo不斷專注在建立球隊更
好的化學效應，及增進團隊的運作，在球隊落後的時候。希望更多這種Kentucky校友的
激勵演說，以及勤奮練習的習慣，可以帶來之後的勝利。
「我們只是想以身作則」這個四次入選全明星的球員說「用實際行動，而不只是說說」
覺得軟豆似乎圓融了許多，無論是談吐或是與他人的相處