Hooped Up

Much like every single album that has come out in the last 10 years, the 2010 all-star reserves list has been leaked and Yahoo! Sports has obtained the list to be reveled Thursday night in their NBA logo sports mug.

The Eastern Conference reserves include Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics, Toronto’s Chris Bosh, Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace, Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Atlanta’s Joe Johnson and Al Horford.

The Western Conference reserves include Utah’s Deron Williams, New Orleans’ Chris Paul, Los Angeles Pau Gasol, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki , Zach Randolph from Memphis and Brandon Roy from the Portland Trail Blazers.

David Lee, Carlos Boozer, Marc Gasol, Josh Smith, Chris Kaman, Monta Ellis and Chauncey Bilups will all have to wait for next season.

H/N Yahoo! Sports

Usually to make the cut for Served, it requires a dunk. However this naturally sweet  alley-oop layup by Rajon Rondo with 0.6 seconds on the clock to send the game into OT while Mario Chalmers is all over him like a cheap Canal St. fake Rolex  is the exception to the Served rule.

Plus really, this bucket was all up in Chalmers’ grill anyway.

The Celtics will almost be at full strength tonight against the Miami Heat when Celtics coach Doc Rivers announced that Rajon Rondo (left hamstring) and Paul Pierce (right knee) will return to the Celtics lineup.

Rondo missed one game with a strained hamstring but said he is at “91 percent” but he hasn’t practiced full speed since the Dec. 30 loss to Phoenix. Pierce said he is not 100 percent but “I feel comfortable getting out there. I have been working hard the last few days and I am ready.”

Kevin Garnett (right knee) was with the team but Rivers said he could be out “another week or two weeks.

Boston Globe

Another van glorious season of NBA basketball is about to begin and Hooped Up does a quick and dirty preview of all 30 clubs.

Rasheed Wallace believes that this years Celtics squad can win more than 72 games. While I’m a glass half full guy too, I think the big three playing at least 72 games together healthy is the real key to a championship season. Read More »

President of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed today the Celtics will begin contract negotiations with Rondo, who has one year remaining on his contract and is seeking an extension, and agent Bill Duffy.

Read More »

Rajon Rondo has been mentioned in trade rumours all week and today GM Danny Ainge spilled the beans about the Rondo situation.

With Rajon Rondo’s name continually popping up in trade rumors, Celtics president Danny Ainge spoke once again this morning about his point guard, stressing his value to the team while also saying “he’s got to grow up” in some areas and making other critical comments. Ainge said Rondo needed to take more of a leadership role and revealed the 23-year-old was fined for showing up late to a playoff game.

Rondo already looks 12 years-old, so I feel this comment by Danny Ainge isn’t fair. Plus I bet if Ainge and Rondo went to Six Flags and talked things over, with some cotton candy they could work out their differences.

Via Boston Globe

The Boston Celtics appear willing to make major roster changes to balance a chance for a championship run and future financial flexibility. The Celtics offered Ray Allen andRajon Rondo to the Detroit Pistons for a package that includedRichard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Boston general manager Danny Ainge and Detroit’s Joe Dumars never spoke, but rather the Celtics had a lower-level executive make the pitch to aPistons official over the past weekend, league sources said. Detroit immediately rejected the idea, and it never advanced to the two top executives speaking about particulars. This isn’t an uncommon occurrence for a GM like Ainge to dispatch an underling to make that kind of a call, if for no other reason to give the top executive some level of deniability that he’s shopping his stars.

Yahoo! Sports

Rajon Rondo has had a good basketball career thus far and I really don’t expect that to change anytime soon. If anything this guy just keeps getting better and better as he figures out the NBA game at the hardest position to master. So what’s life like for Rajon Rondo without a textbook jumper at this point? Kinda phat, as you’ll see in this video.

So after the Celtics stick a stake in the heart of the Magic tonight, you can better imagine how Rondo kicks it before he takes on the Cavaliers, ya stalker.

Judging by this picture, McLovin and Rajon Rondo be chillin’ like a mutha non-alcoholic style when hitting the restaurant scene in Beantown. Given the numbers Rajon Rondo has put up during the playoffs, going sans booze seems like a great way to elevate your game.

Aren’t you glad you play in a rec league nobody cares about and you can drink your face off weekly.

H / T to BarstoolSports.com + Hooped Up reader Reggie Barnes And Nobel

I’ve been watching Rajon Rondo since his Kentucky days and somehow this kid just keeps getting it done despite his scouting report. The Magic took a beatin’ in game 2 last night 94 – 112 and Rajon Rondo was an unorthodox beast finishing with 15 points, 18 assist , 11 rebounds and 1 serving.

On this play Rajon Rondo defies the odds again and takes it strong to the hoop with Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard and all 6′ 10″ of Rashard Lewis lurking. The result, pure Rondo-fication.