Now that the euphoria over the Celtics acquisition of Kevin Garnett is dying down, there seems to be a rush by many to douse the high expectations of the fan base. Specifically, they question the C’s depth (as if the NBA is loaded with teams that boast great lineups in the 4-8 spots…hey folks, the trick is to get the superstars first, then worry about the depth!!!!) and Rajon Rondo’s ability to lead at the point guard slot (the big concern there isn’t his passing or physical skills, but his shooting).

Well, slowly but surely, the depth issue is being addressed (love the Scott Pollard signing), and I’d like to take a moment to calm the panic about Rondo’s “shooting woes.” You’ll get no disagreement here that Rondo needs to improve his shot or else teams will sag off him. What I’ll disagree with is the assumption that he can’t be a good point guard just because he can’t shoot the rock or that he can’t become a good shooter simply because he hasn’t done it yet.

First of all, the University of Kentucky product has plenty of speed and athleticism to get enough easy buckets to still make him a useful scorer, especially on a team with three outstanding offensive options in Pierce, Garnett and Allen. (Name me another point guard in the league with three better options to dish the rock to?) Secondly, did you realize Rondo’s .418 shooting percentage during his rookie year was better than Allen Iverson’s .416 mark? Not to say Rondo will ever become anywhere near the offensive threat Iverson is, but don’t equate a poor shooting percentage with the inability to score. As a matter of fact, Iverson’s career shooting percentage of .423 hasn’t kept him from averaging 27.9-points and 6.2-assists per game, has it?

To assume Rondo can’t contribute simply because he doesn’t shoot the ball well is silly, just as it’s silly to assume he can’t improve his shooting with hard work. Anybody remember a guy by the name of Bruce Bowen? Used to play for the Celtics and dent the backboard with his bricks on a nightly basis? Worked hard enough to turn himself into a good enough shooter to win a few rings, didn’t he? That’s what happens when you work hard and are surrounded by other great players.

Which brings me to the guy I think Rondo has a chance to turn into based on the speed and quickness similarities; Tony Parker. Parker shot .419% in his rookie season, just .001% better than Rajon. Parker averaged 9.2-points and 4.3-assists per game playing 29.4-minutes on a team featuring Tim Duncan. The Celtics rookie averaged 6.4-points and 3.8-assists in 23.5-minutes for a team that gave significant minutes to Brian Scalabrine and Allen Ray. Get my drift? Hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of a good argument, right?

Again, this is not to insinuate Rondo can become anything close to Parker. But based on the numbers, physical skills and surrounding talent, it’s not unreasonable to suggest Rondo can not only become a viable NBA point guard, but a darned good one.

That’s my take…what’s yours?