Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo averaged 16.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.8 assists in 14 playoff games last spring.

OPINION

By Bethlehem Shoals

updated 7:53 p.m. ET Sept. 18, 2009

The Celtics are looking kind of rad for next season. Kevin Garnett will eventually recover (and the team can survive without him), Ray Allen was made to age gracefully, Paul Pierce has room to relax a little, Rasheed Wallace is always saving a little in the tank, ladies love Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Marquis Daniels is the secret weapon. Really, coach Doc Rivers says so, and I believe him.

But if last year's playoffs were any sign of the times, then a lot of their production, or at least philosophical orientation, depends on point guard Rajon Rondo. How prominent will he stay with everyone back? Will his game continue to evolve? And most important, will the 2010 brand upon his forehead prove to be a distraction? Rondo was the breakout star of the 2009 postseason, and is a point guard at a time when no position is more prized. He could be the franchise, or level out, or maybe find some team willing to let him be the franchise.

So it's ultra-essential that general manager Danny Ainge get talkin' with Rondo's agent, Bill Duffy, so they can sniff each other out. From The Boston Globe:

“We’ll have an opportunity to sit down with Rajon and get something done,’’ Ainge said. “Those conversations won’t take a long time, I don’t think. Rajon is in a situation where we certainly want him and consider him a big part of our future. This time of year, it’s one of those circumstances where we would want a deal that’s good for us and gives us security, and he wants a deal that’s good for him. I think we’ll know after a few conversations if we are close and whether we can get a deal done or not. I haven’t had a conversation with him. I don’t think they know where I stand and I don’t know where they stand, so at some point we’ll get together and have that discussion.’’

Hey Danny, David Kahn called, he wants his iPhone app back. Just kidding. But this does underscore just how tricky the Rondo situation is. I wonder if they can even figure anything out until all parties involved see what Rajon does on the floor this season, what they expect him to do, or realistically, how much longer anyone around him can be expected to do much of anything.

You would hate to let a stud point guard walk because things were OK for now. At the same time, Rondo's exactly the kind of player who will cash in next summer once the major stars are off the table. So the Celtics would be advised to not only sign him before then, but get their house in order accordingly. I don't doubt that Boston's a contender, but pay attention to this subplot, as the future of the Celtics might hang in the balance. If you have a Moebius strip depiction of this that better explains the situation, or a caricature-laden snake eating its own tail, please send it my way.

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