HH Tournament Round 1: (8) Don Nelson vs (9) Rajon Rondo

The Hardwood Houdini tournament continues with an eight – nine match-up

The top seed, Bill Russell, started off the Hardwood Houdini Tournament with a convincing win over Isaiah Thomas. Russell easily won the vote and is on to round two. Today’s match-up will decide who Russell will take on next. Although, this eight – nine match-up should be much closer than Bill Russell’s dominating win over Thomas the other night.

Don’t forget that this is based solely off their playing careers with the Boston Celtics. Any coaching or front office experience shouldn’t be taken into account, neither should their collegiate careers or any other NBA teams they may have played for.

Don Nelson – #19 Retired by Boston Celtics

11.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.4 APG

11 Seasons with Boston, 5x Champion

Don Nelson bounced around the NBA during his first couple of seasons before the Boston Celtics picked him up in 1965. He ended up playing on the latter half of the Celtics historic 1960’s run. He was never a star for the team, although he was an integral part to five championships in Boston.

Despite not being a star, Nelson had one of the most consistent careers coming off the bench. Many consider him as one of the best sixth men in NBA history as he played in all 82 games six times and averaged at least 10 points per game in nine of 11 seasons with the Celtics.

Nelson was a solid rebounder as he averaged at least five boards per night in five straight seasons, although his efficient scoring was what made him one of the best bench players in NBA history. He owned a very good 48.4 field-goal percentage during his time in Boston, and even led the league in shooting during the 1974-75 season as he shot 53.9 percent from the field.

Nelson’s time in Boston is best remembered for helping the Celtics clinch their 11th title in 13 seasons when John Havlicek lost the ball and Nelson picked it up and took a foul line jumper, having the ball bounce several feet in the air before finally going in. The Celtics were clinging to a one-point lead at the end of the game when Nelson took his most famous shot.

His consistency, clutchness and unique free-throw style all helped the Celtics decide to retire his #19 at the end of his career. He found his footing in the NBA with the Celtics, and is a undermentioned part of the historic Bill Russell teams.

Rajon Rondo – 4x All-Star

11 PPG, 8.5 APG, 4.7 RPG, 1.9 APG

9 Seasons with Boston, 1x Champion, 4x All-Star

Drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the 21st pick in 2006, Rajon Rondo was eventually traded to the Boston Celtics on draft night. He ended up spending his first eight and a half seasons with the Celtics as he developed into one of the best all-around point guards in the game. He wasn’t a part of the Big Three, however he started all 77 games he played in during the Celtics championship 2008 season.

As preciously noted, Rondo did it all with Boston. He was known for his amazing, wizard-like passes, although he was also one of the fiercest defenders in the league. Rondo was named to an All-Defense Team four times with Boston and the All-NBA Third Team in 2011-12. He averaged at least 1.3 steals per game each season in Boston, including leading the league with 2.3 steals per contest in 2009-10.

Although, Rondo’s claim to fame will always be his unwillingness as a point guard. In an era where point guards are viewed as scorers, Rondo still follows the old school style as he’s more of a facilitator than anything. In fact, Rondo led the league in assists per game twice with Boston and averaged more than 11 assists per night three straight seasons.

Sure, there were times when Rondo was a head case or his jump shot was more than atrocious. Despite shooting 25.2 percent from three with Boston, there’s no denying Rondo’s all-around talent. He was consistently one of the best rebounding guards in the league, could find an open man better than anyone on offense and wasn’t afraid to guard anyone.

Don’t forget to vote on Twitter @HoudiniCeltics! The poll is up for 20 hours. Comments on here don’t count as votes, only the poll on Twitter will be looked at to determine who goes on to round two.

Also, look at tomorrow’s match-up to see the results from today’s showdown.