Can Rajon Rondo Find A Jumper?

Toward the end of every season, there's always a handful of young players who come into their own. One of this year's most intriguing is Celtics rookie point guard Rajon Rondo, who last night put up the mind-blowing stat line of 14 points, 8 boards, 8 assists, 7 steals, and 2 turnovers.

He's doing all of this without the benefit of a jumper; he really, truly has no jumper. It's only a matter of time before other teams realize this, and defend against him in a way that exploits it. Luckily, ace Celtics blog Red's Army has figured out a cure. In words and pictures, they've outlined exactly how Rondo's jumper can go from terrible to passable. An excerpt:

Rajon shoots his jumper like a jai ali player propels the ball. The basketball touches EVERY INCH of Rondo's hand as it's launched toward the hoop. That hand of his takes up almost half of the basketball. When you consider that a jump shot is influenced by the tiniest amount of pressure or variance in delivery, it's really no wonder that Rondo's jumper is off. It's got so many places where something can go wrong.

Read the whole thing, especially if you're a fan of Rondo's. They've convinced me that this dude, one of my favorite rookies, has a good shot at continuing to wreak havoc. And maybe even more, if his shoot comes around. Though even then, he'll be light years away from what Bill Simmons predicted for him.